New York Giants NFL Betting Preview: Daniel Jones-ing for a Winner

Posted on: August 23, 2020, 07:20h. 

Last updated on: August 24, 2020, 12:03h.

Bill Huber Read More
Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

The pressure is on Daniel Jones. Big time. The New York Giants’ second-year quarterback has to do more than simply replace legendary predecessor Eli Manning. With 36 losses the last three seasons, the once-proud franchise is enduring perhaps the worst stretch in its 95 seasons.

Giants QB Daniel Jones
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones went 3-9 with an 87.7 passer rating as a rookie. (Image: Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports)

To say the Giants have fallen on hard times would be an understatement. In the seven seasons from 2005 through 2011, they won two Super Bowls and qualified for the playoffs five times. In the eight seasons since, they have posted six losing seasons and failed to win even a single playoff game.

Jones took the starting job from Manning last season and won three of his 12 starts. Their numbers were similar – they both completed 61.9 percent of their passes, for instance. If the Giants are going to claw their way back to relevance, it will be up to Jones to make major strides in Year 2.

The expectations are low. The Giants are, well, giant long shots to win the Super Bowl, with odds ranging from +7,000 at William Hill to +10,000 at PointsBet and Westgate SuperBook.

Over/Under: 6 Wins

For a team with an NFL-low 12 wins the past three seasons, FanDuel has received an astounding amount of money on New York to win the Super Bowl. According to Kevin Hennessy, FanDuel’s director of publicity, the Giants rank second in handle behind only the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers.

There’s a reason for that.

The New York Giants are a popular pick with FanDuel customers in our Super Bowl market,” Hennessy told Casino.org. “Every year, we see fans backing their favorite teams in New Jersey, and we also have the world’s highest-volume sportsbook a stone’s throw away from MetLife Stadium.”

The sportsbooks are in agreement, with an over/under win total of six. At FanDuel, it’s -115 on the over and -105 on the under.

The NFC East is seen as a two-horse race between Dallas, which has a loaded roster and a new coach, and Philadelphia, which rallied past the Cowboys to win the division last year. The Giants are a distant third, ranging from +900 at William Hill and BetMGM to +1,400 at PointsBet.

Judge and Jury

After going 9-23 under former coach Pat Shurmur, the Giants hired Joe Judge. The 38-year-old, who spent the past five seasons as New England’s special teams coordinator, hasn’t been a head coach at any level.

Judge has only one marquee player: running back Saquon Barkley. Despite being slowed by injury last season, his two-year totals include 2,310 rushing yards, 143 receptions, and 23 total touchdowns. He is fourth on PointsBet’s Offensive Player of the Year board at +1,400.

With left tackle Nate Solder’s coronavirus opt-out, Barkley and Jones will have to deal with an offensive line featuring possibly two rookie starters (first-round pick Andrew Thomas at left tackle and third-round pick Matt Peart at right tackle). Linebacker Blake Martinez, who leads the NFL in tackles the past three seasons, and cornerback James Bradberry were the big additions to a defense that finished 30th in points allowed.

Editor’s Note: This is the 11th of 32 NFL team previews and the third of four on the NFC East.