It’s been a rough nine years in the Big Apple, but things won’t turn around overnight 

NFL Preview – New York Giants 

By Steve Quinne 

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Win Total = 7.0 

This number has moved of late. It’s been heading in the wrong direction, for both Giants fans and those looking to cash in on New York’s ineptitude. 

At 7.5, this felt like a lock. It’s hard to see the Giants getting eight wins. At 7.0, the push is in play, but barely. 

New York has been a bad, bad franchise for nearly a decade. The Giants have exceeded the seven-win total just one time in the last nine seasons. They’ve won just 22 games in five years, which comes out to 4.5 victories per season. 

Last year, the Giants went 4-13 and finished last in the NFC East. Getting to eight is a grand leap. 

 
Sure, Brian Daboll is a new head coach who brings a lot of promise. What he did with Josh Allen in Buffalo was impressive. But he has a herculean task with Daniel Jones, a quarterback teetering on being a full-fledged bust with the Giants. 

So, why on earth is their win total at seven? Well, two reasons. 

 
First, it’s the Giants. They have a rabid fan base, a group that tends to move the number upward given their preseason optimism for their team. 

 
Second, the schedule makers were fairly kind. In addition to the NFC East, which has been mediocre the last few years, New York gets the AFC South and the NFC North, two divisions with a lot of beatable teams. 

Still, it’s hard to find more than five wins on their slate. Every “bad” team on the Giants schedule is penciling in New York as a victory. 

The Giants aren’t winning at Tennessee or when they host Indianapolis. A trip to Jacksonville and Houston paying a visit could be fruitful, however. So, that’s two. 

They aren’t winning at Green Bay or Minnesota. Maybe they beat Detroit and Chicago at home. That’s two more. 

Baltimore will win in New York. Carolina is a tossup. A trip to Seattle seems like a tall order, even though the Seahawks don’t figure to be any good. So that’s one more. Maybe two. 

Then, it all comes down to their division. Can the Giants beat the Cowboys? Can they steal one from the Eagles? Can they split with the Commanders? 

It takes a lot of yesses for the win total to exceed seven. That means everything has to break right, in year one under Daboll, for that to happen. That seems unlikely. 

Take the under. It’s the safer route. 

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Odds to Make the Playoffs = 5/2 

 
Anything is possible. After all, the NFL always seems to have one surprise playoff team. But it’s hard to imagine it being the Giants. 

Getting seven wins will be tough. Finishing above .500 seems impossible. Posting enough wins to earn a postseason berth is almost too much to fathom. 

Going against New York is a 1/3 proposition, which is like investing in a treasury bond. But that’s the smarter play. Getting just 5/2 on what seems like a long shot just isn’t enough value to roll the dice on the Giants have a magical season. 
 

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Saquon Barkley to Lead the NFL in Rushing = 40/1

 
Remember when Saquon Barkley was a star? As a rookie, he rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns. He posted 2,028 total yards from scrimmage, leading the NFL in that category and earning him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. 

The running back followed up that Pro Bowl campaign with another 1,000-yard season. The sky seemed to be the limit. 

Then, it all came crashing down. A knee injury limited Barkley to just two games in 2020. And last year, he just didn’t seem like the same player. 

Sometimes, however, it takes a while to fully recover from a knee injury. Even though being back on the field is possible, playing in the same manner isn’t. 

Thus, there’s hope that Barkley returns to form this year. If he does, expect the Giants to ride him early and often. Brian Daboll will use his ground game to take pressure off of Daniel Jones. 

Barkley winning the rushing title will take some of the likely candidates returning to the pack. But a 1,500-yard campaign isn’t out of the question, which puts him squarely in the hunt. At 40/1, that’s worth a shot.