Saints QB Tyler Shough Is Playing With Two Broken Bones, and the Giants Line Has Flipped

Tyler Shough Is Playing the Saints' Season With Two Broken Bones in His Hand

New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough has been playing with two broken bones in his left hand, sources told ESPN. He was hurt on Oct. 5 in a 45-24 Monday night loss to Atlanta, and the Saints have not publicly confirmed the diagnosis. He tapes together the ring and pinky fingers on his non-throwing hand, and one source estimated the injury could last "a couple of months," ESPN reported.

A couple of months.

The injury has changed how he works. Shough handed off with his right hand against Minnesota, wore a protective glove over a heavily bandaged hand, and is expected to do the same Sunday against the Giants. In that 23-13 loss he threw for a career-low 96 yards and two interceptions against the league's second-ranked total defense. ESPN also reported that Saints owner Gayle Benson called the 1-4 start "not acceptable" and later backed coach Kellen Moore at Friday's practice.

Saints vs. Giants Odds: What the Market Did

The line has crossed over. DraftKings opened the Giants as small home favorites and now has the Saints favored, per ESPN's odds feed as of October 18 at 9:05 AM ET.

The feed does not say why a line moved, so everything after this table is our reading and not a reported cause.

Our Read: Why a Hurt, Struggling Quarterback Can Still Be Favored

This is our interpretation of the public facts, and the evidence cuts both ways.

• The injury may be old news to the market. The hand has been broken since Oct. 5, and Shough played the full Minnesota game, so the report adds detail more than a new absence. We cannot tell how much of it was priced.
• The Vikings game is a poor sample. Minnesota has allowed the fewest points in the league, and 96 yards against that defense says less than it would against an average one. It also says the hand is not a free excuse.
• Turnovers look like the bigger problem. The Saints have eight turnovers during a three-game skid and the second-most points allowed per game at 30.2. A grip issue can feed the first, but not the second.
• The Giants may be the story. New York is 3-1-1, and a move toward New Orleans could reflect views on the home side as much as on Shough. The feed gives no way to separate the two.

None of this makes either side the right one. It shows a market leaning toward the Saints despite bad news, which is worth noticing.

What to Watch in Saints-Giants

• How Shough handles exchanges and snaps, since the hand affects every handoff.
• Whether New Orleans protects him better, after 13 sacks in five games.
• Turnovers, which have decided the last three Saints losses.
• Whether the line moves again after pregame inactives.

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