If you needed a reminder of why home-field advantage in the playoffs is so important, the New York Giants appear to be getting it Saturday morning.
Ahead of their NFC Divisional Round playoff game with the Eagles Saturday evening, the Giants don't currently have any water in their hotel, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. It's unclear what hotel the Giants are staying at, but Raanan notes that it's in Center City Philadelphia and that a pipe has burst.
It's entirely possible that this is just a coincidence, but the timing certainly feels suspect. Whether this is just gamesmanship or crossing the line -- certainly this isn't the first time that a visiting playoff team hasn't had an ideal hotel stay -- it's indicative of how much better off teams are hosting postseason games than traveling to other cities. If the Giants had won the NFC East, not only would Saturday's playoff game be at MetLife Stadium, but players and coaches would be sleeping in their own beds.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, are eight-point favorites over the Giants. If the Giants want what's been a magical 2022-23 season to continue, they'll have to pull off a road upset for the second consecutive week, perhaps without having had a chance to shower Saturday morning.
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