So exactly just who is this Joe Judge character? That’s something NFL bettors and fans of the New York Giants will discover over the course of the 2020-21 NFL betting season after being hired as the 21st coach of the franchise. It’s been nothing short of a turnstile in the head coaching department dating back to Tom Coughlin’s Big Apple tenure that unceremoniously ended in 2015. Judge inherits an interesting roster that looks to be loaded on the offensive side of the ball. GM Dave Gettleman also did a fantastic job in the NFL Draft and free agency to improve the defense dramatically, so it shouldn’t be the laughing stock it was a short season ago after getting torched on a weekly basis. The 2020 edition of the G-Men currently possess the exact same 6-game season win total odds as they did last year after being bet down from the 6.5-game opener. It looks like linemakers at online sportsbooks are of the belief that New York is better off than the betting public perceives. But with the second toughest schedule strength in all of football per the folks at Sharp Football Analysis, much would have to go right for the team to exceed expectations. There’ll be no rest for the wicked either right out of the gates with the slate’s first five games coming against teams expected to be in the thick of their conference’s respective playoff races.
New York Giants Season Win Total: 6
For the Giants to excel in 2020-21, two major things must occur. Actually, make that three. For starters, the G-Men’s pass protection was abysmal and must improve dramatically with the front wall conceding 43 overall sacks. Finding the guy to protect Daniel Jones’ blindside was imperative, and New York figures to have done exactly just that by drafting Georgia’s Andrew Thomas with the No. 4 overall pick. Many had him rated out as the best offensive hog in the entire 2020 NFL Draft, while others thought Tristan Wirfs was the better overall fit. Regardless, NY snagged itself a PTP’er at the position and only improved upon the unit’s depth by adding UConn’s Matt Peart in the third round and followed it up with the free agent acquisition of Cameron Fleming. If nothing else, the Giants miserable O-Line looks improved. It may take some time to all come together, but Jones should ultimately be better protected this season.
While improved play from the secondary is also a must, New York won’t stand a chance of toppling its season win total odds without a healthy Saquon Barkley in the backfield. After lighting it up in his rookie campaign with over 2,000 yards of combined offense to go along with 15 overall touchdowns, Barkley was a shell of his former self in year two. Things started out great the first two weeks of the season, but his fantasy owners saw their chances of winning their respective league take a dramatic turn for the worse in Week 3 when he suffered a high ankle sprain at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would then sit out each of the next three games. His return in Week 7 versus Arizona left much to be desired. As did his next six efforts. However, the former Offensive Rookie of the Year award winner looked more like himself the last three weeks of the season after combining for 539 total yards and 5 TD. If that Saquon shows up week in and week out, the Giants offense will be just fine.
Last but certainly not least is the play of the secondary. It was freaking awful a season ago in getting ripped to the tune of 265 passing yards per game (No. 28) and a tick under two passing TD per game (No. 25). Unfortunately, it’s highly likely Deandre Baker won’t be in a Giants uniform this season. He might not even be a free man after making such a boneheaded move in quarantine. Gettleman did however go out and ink former Carolina Panther James Bradberry to a 3-year $45 million dollar contract to shut down opposing No. 1 options much like he did for a bulk of last season. Former Packer Blake Martinez is one of the better coverage linebackers in the game and is now a Giant. Upgrades were also made in the draft with the selections of Alabama’s Xavier McKinney and UCLA’s Darnay Holmes in the 2nd and 4th rounds respectively. Nate Ebner was also brought in to man one of the safety positions. NY won’t march the laughable unit onto the gridiron it did a season ago with the unit shored up in a big way.
New York Giants Football Schedule
Week 1: Steelers at Giants, Monday, September 14, 7:15 p.m. ET
Week 2: Giants at Bears, Sunday, September 20, 1 p.m. ET
Week 3: 49ers at Giants, Sunday, September 27, 1 p.m. ET
Week 4: Giants at Rams, Sunday, October 4, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 5: Giants at Cowboys, Sunday, October 11, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 6: Redskins at Giants, Sunday, October 18, 1 p.m. ET
Week 7: Giants at Eagles, Thursday, October 22, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 8: Buccaneers at Giants, Monday, November 2, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 9: Giants at Redskins, Sunday, November 8, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 10: Eagles at Giants, Sunday, November 15, 1 p.m. ET
Week 11: Bye Week
Week 12: Giants at Bengals, Sunday, November 29, 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: Giants at Seahawks, Sunday, December 6, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 14: Cardinals at Giants, Sunday, December 13, 1 p.m. ET
Week 15: Browns at Giants, Sunday, December 20, 1 p.m. ET
Week 16: Giants at Ravens, Sunday, December 27, 1 p.m. ET
Week 17: Cowboys at Giants, Sunday, January 3, 1 p.m. ET
New York Giants Schedule Analysis
The Giants couldn’t’ even lose correctly a season ago. Had they not defeated the Dolphins and division rival Redskins in Weeks 15 and 16, they would’ve had a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Be that as it may, the G-Men actually did a fantastic job improving its roster in all facets. While the likely loss of Deandre Baker is going to sting, I still like the moves made to shore the secondary up. NY was pretty decent up front evidenced by the paltry 3.9 yards allowed per carry; only the Steelers, Jets and Buccaneers were better in that department. Should the defense take a “Giant” step forward, New York will most definitely have it in it to be in a number of more games. Daniel Jones showed glimpses of greatness and a no fear factor not typically seen with rookie quarterbacks. Should he learn from his mistakes and do a much better job of getting rid of the football quickly, he’s got an assortment of offensive weapons that will allow for him to fill up the stat sheet. The G-Men won’t be competing for the NFC East title this season, but they will be improved enough I think to flirt with eclipsing six wins and cashing over tickets regardless of how tough the schedule currently looks on paper.
New York Giants Season Win Total Prediction: Over 6 -115
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