Giants are the pick vs. Panthers

GIANTS (1-1) at PANTHERS (1-1), 8:30 p.m.

Giants by 1; O/U: 51

TV: NFL Network, Ch. 11. Radio: WFAN (660).

The schedule-makers did neither team a favor by scheduling this sneaky, good NFC game for the NFL Network's Thursday night slot.

The Giants will be without some key players, including WRs Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon, RB Ahmad Bradshaw and OT David Diehl.

The game opened with the Giants as a 21/2-point favorite but is down to Giants by a point (in some places Carolina is now a slight favorite), after bettors flooded Vegas with money on Carolina.

Here's a few reasons why this is happening: The injuries we listed above; the fact that home teams are 19-12-1 against the spread (ATS) this season, and home underdogs are 8-3 ATS. Plus, the G-Men seem to be suffering from a bit of a Super Bowl hangover, and have yet to cover in their first two games -- they've yet to play the way they did during last season's magical postseason run.

I know the Giants are banged up. They also had only three days to prepare for the Panthers' talented QB Cam Newton, who is making his prime-time debut. But I think the Giants, Eli Manning and rookie RB David Wilson will continue the way they played in the second half on Sunday against Tampa Bay. The G-Men take a close one in Carolina and keep pace in the competitive NFC East.

The pick: Giants

TOM ROCK Giants

KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN Giants

BOB GLAUBER Panthers