New York Giants Season Odds & Predictions

There’s no getting around what a disaster the New York Giants were in 2017. Despite hopes of winning the NFC East, they began the season with five straight losses. Amidst a slew of injuries, disappointing performances, and controversy, the Giants finished the year 3-13, with head coach Ben McAdoo getting fired before the season was over.

With McAdoo out, the Giants brought in GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur to get things turned around right away. From the outside, the Giants have a fair amount of rebuilding to do. However, inside the organization, there are expectations for the Giants to compete for a playoff spot and challenge the Eagles in the NFC East.

New York Expected Win Total & Super Bowl Odds

Naturally, the oddsmakers are skeptical of the Giants, who are +5500 to win the Super Bowl. Even if everything goes right for the Giants this year, going from 3-13 to Super Bowl champs seems a bit too far fetched. The G-Men are only projected to win six games this season, one of the lowest projections heading into the season. Surpassing that number is certainly possible, but the Giants still have a lot of questions to answer.

It all starts, of course, with quarterback Eli Manning. He’s starting to get on in years and has definitely shown signs of decline the past couple of seasons. Manning has also been turnover-prone at times throughout his career, which remains a concern. The Giants don’t have an obvious quarterback of the future waiting in the wings, so this season is all on Manning’s shoulders.

In Manning’s defense, he’s not had a lot of support around him. That will start to change with the return of Odell Beckham Jr. When Beckham got hurt a year ago, the Giants didn’t have a Plan B. He’s obviously one of the biggest game-changers in the league, especially with Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram emerging last season, which will prevent teams from focusing too much on Beckham.

The Giants also used last year’s poor record to take Saquon Barkley with a top-5 pick. Much is expected of Barkley, who will be used as both a runner and receiver. If he comes anywhere close to living up to the hype, he could come close to rivaling Beckham as the team’s best playmaker.

Of course, the offensive line can’t be overlooked. The Giants have tried in vain for several years to put together a competent line that can keep Manning protected. They signed veteran Nate Solder from New England to man left tackle and will have rookie second-rounder Will Hernandez at left guard. With those moves and others, the offensive line looks much better, at least on paper.

However, we shouldn’t forget how bad the Giants were on defense a year ago. As a result, defensive coordinator James Bettcher has changed to a 3-4 scheme and made several personnel changes. The defensive line is young and mostly unproven, but the rest of the defense is in good shape. Alec Ogletree and B.J. Goodson will man the middle linebacker spots with solid depth behind them. The Giants also have Kareem Martin, Connor Barwin, Olivier Vernon, and rookie Lorenzo Carter as the outside pass rushers, so there’s good depth there as well.

With the Giants expected to be more aggressive in the front-7, they’ll need their secondary to be reliable. With Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins, there is at least a chance the Giants will have a stable set of cornerbacks. They also have two-time Pro Bowler Landon Collins at safety, which should make the Giants feel better about their secondary.

On paper, the Giants definitely have potential. But it’s hard to be completely sold just yet on their offensive line and all the changes they made on defense. If things work out, the Giants have enough to challenge for a playoff spot. However, there are a few too many uncertainties, including Manning, to expect the Giants to make a ton of noise in 2018.

Giants Schedule & Game-by-Game Predictions

Date Opponent Time
Sep 9 Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 PM
Sep 16 @ Dallas Cowboys 8:20 PM
Sep 23 @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM
Sep 30 New Orleans Saints 4:25 PM
Oct 7 @ Carolina Panthers 1:00 PM
Oct 11 Philadelphia Eagles 8:20 PM
Oct 22 @ Atlanta Falcons 8:15 PM
Oct 28 Washington Redskins 1:00 PM
Nov 12 @ San Francisco 49ers 8:15 PM
Nov 18 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 PM
Nov 25 @ Philadelphia Eagles 1:00 PM
Dec 2 Chicago Bears 1:00 PM
Dec 9 @ Washington Redskins 1:00 PM
Dec 16 Tennessee Titans 1:00 PM
Dec 23 @ Indianapolis Colts 1:00 PM
Dec 30 Dallas Cowboys 1:00 PM

The schedule makers did the Giants no favors this year. They play five playoff teams from last season within the first seven weeks. Obviously, things get a little easier the second half of the season, but by then it could be too late to make a push for the postseason.

Week 1: vs Jaguars – Loss

The Giants simply aren’t ready to face Jacksonville’s defense, at least not in Week 1. Unless the offensive line is ready to answer some serious questions, the Giants will falter at home to a strong defensive team.

Week 2: at Cowboys – Loss

The Giants defensive front is a concern if the Dallas offensive line and rushing game get off to a fast start. Winning in Dallas is also a tough proposition.

Week 3: at Texans – Win

Buckle up because this could be a great shootout between Manning and Deshaun Watson. New York’s secondary makes some big plays against the young quarterback, allowing Manning and company to win a high-scoring affair.

Week 4: vs Saints – Loss

With the Giants still figuring out their new defense, Drew Brees shreds them to pieces. With so much pressure to keep up, Manning throws a couple picks that end up costing the Giants the game.

Week 5: at Panthers – Loss

At home, this could be a different game. But heading down to Carolina is a tough ask for the Giants. They get stifled by the Carolina defense and lose a close game on the road.

Week 6: vs Eagles – Loss

The Giants get off to a fast start on a Thursday night, but they can’t hold onto the lead. Once Carson Wentz and the Eagles get rolling, there’s no stopping them.

Week 7: at Falcons – Win

From Thursday one week to Monday night the next, the Giants have a little extra time to prepare. The defense finds unique ways to put pressure on Matt Ryan, who ends up turning the ball over a couple times, helping the Giants steel a game on the road.

Week 8: vs Redskins – Win

The Giants finally have some confidence after last week’s win, and they use it to build some momentum heading into their bye week, taking care of the Redskins at home.

Week 9: Bye

Week 10: at 49ers – Loss

Even with an extra week to prepare, a trip to the west coast doesn’t pan out for the Giants. They learn first-hand how good Jimmy Garoppolo can be, as the youngster out-plays the aging Manning.

Week 11: vs Buccaneers – Win

The Giants finally start to put everything together on the defensive side of the ball. They more than handle Jameis Winston and the Bucs to get back on the winning side of things.

Week 12: at Eagles – Loss

The Giants play far better than anyone thought they would in Philadelphia. However, the Eagles are too balanced and too talented to keep up with for 60 minutes. It’s another disappointing road loss for the G-Men.

Week 13: vs Bears – Win

This game turns into a defensive slugfest. In the end, Manning is able to lead a drive in the 4th quarter that gives the Giants the lead and a much-needed win.

Week 14: at Redskins – Loss

The Giants think they have some momentum and a real shot at reaching the playoffs. However, the road proves unkind for them once again.

Week 15: vs Titans – Win

The Giants are now desperate, and it shows. They get after Marcus Mariota, keeping him under wraps all day while riding Barkley and the running game to a victory.

Week 16: at Colts – Loss

There’s just no consistency from the Giants down the stretch. The defense doesn’t hold up against Andrew Luck and the Colts, as their last glimmer of hope for a playoff spot slips away.

Week 17: vs Cowboys – Win

With little left to play for, the Giants let it all hang out and take down the Cowboys. Manning spreads the ball around, as the Cowboys struggle to contain all of New York’s playmakers.

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