Detroit Lions at New York Giants Preview, Prediction

The 1-4 Detroit Lions travel to the New Meadowlands to face the 3-2 New York Giants. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm and the game can be seen on FOX.

Injuries: Surprising news out of Giants practice on Friday. Kicker Lawrence Tynes injured the ankle on his plant foot, and may not be able to go this Sunday. There are free agency options out there, such as John Carney. C Shaun O'Hara, LB Keith Bulluck and S Kenny Phillips are listed as questionable, as is Detroit WR Calvin Johnson.

The Giants will win...

because the Lions haven't played a defense nearly as good as what we've seen from the Giants in the past two weeks. Yes, quarterback Shaun Hill had a game last week; against the St. Louis Rams. Detroit's offensive line, one responsible for one of the worst rushing attacks (ranked 27 in yards per game), will be dominated by the New York pass rush. You have to wonder if Jay Cutler called Hill sometime this past week.

Former Giants safety C(an't). C(over). Brown decided to poke the bear and call Eli Manning out. Real smart move, as the chemistry between Manning and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks grows with every game. Seriously, like C.C. Brown is one to talk about consistency. Detroit's defense is ranked in the bottom half of the league in both run and pass defense, and the only two teams they've held to under 20 points are the Bears (19) and St. Louis (6). Eli Manning isn't going to have a Sam Bradford-esque rookie performance on Sunday.

The Giants will lose...

because the Lions are a scrappy team that fights for 60 minutes. The only time Detroit has lost by more than five points this season was at Minnesota. They arguably won the game in Chicago, and could have won in Green Bay. This Lions team doesn't get intimated on the road, and they certainly won't be on Sunday afternoon.

Detroit wins this game if their offense mimics the way they played in Green Bay. In that game, Hill completed 63 percent of his passes, the Lions converted 10 of 17 third attempts and they held onto the football for over 37 minutes. The thought of Hill throwing the ball 54 times may excite many a Giants fan. That plan of attack isn't always the worst thing in the world against New York's still inconsistent secondary.

Prediction

The biggest reason the Lions won't win? Calvin Johnson isn't going to be 100 percent on Sunday, if he plays at all (he should play). For the Lions to win, Shaun Hill will need to have more of a career performance than last week. That's asking quite a lot considering how well New York's defense has been as of late. A few Detroit turnovers makes the difference in this one.

New York 27

Detroit 13

More from Associated Content: Hakeem Nicks quotes on Manning, Giants injury update (10/14)

More from me: Follow ZacWassink on Twitter