Giants Heavy Betting Underdogs to Win Division
It's May, so you know what that means...time to overreact about where the New York Giants are being ranked in preseason predictions.
In a tweet from Pro Football Focus today, the Giants were listed as pretty heavy underdogs to win the NFC East in 2021. The betting odds posted are echoed by the lines at Rivers Casino Sportsbook, which has the Giants at +400 to win their division, ranking them third out of four teams. The Dallas Cowboys are the current betting favorite at +125, while the Washington *Insert Name Here*s are at +260. The one team behind the Giants is the Philadelphia Eagles, with a +450 line to win the division.
Is this a bet worth considering?
In my mind, the 2021 season once again presents a toss-up for who will win the NFC East. The Cowboys have the weapons offensively to be dangerous, and added to their secondary through the draft. All eyes rest on Dak Prescott, who will have to (again) answer critics and prove his most recent injury is no longer an issue. The Washington Nameless Wonders present an interesting enigma. They had a breakout performance from Antonio Gibson, and possess a defense that ranked among the best during the 2020 season. Ryan Fitzpatrick recently inked a deal with the team to be their QB, and Taylor Heinicke and Ryan Allen are serviceable backups, but that's a position that could be exposed as the season gets underway.
The Eagles...well, they could always surprise us. They won't, but they could.
This leaves the Giants, a team with a great deal of potential, but a great deal of uncertainty. A few questions need to be answered before you can safely take this bet. Can Daniel Jones take a step in 2021 and become your long-term starting QB? Is Kadarious Toney as much of a difference maker as some scouts are saying? Is Saquon Barkley one hundred percent healthy? And, is the offensive line strong enough with no notable additions coming through the draft?
If you find answers to these questions as the offseason moves along, then this bet could end up being a fun one to track throughout the season.