Headed into the regular season, Vegas is betting against the New York Giants. That won’t surprise everyone after a preseason where the Giants failed to win a game, and where their offense still performed slowly in some areas even when the starters were on the field. However, the expected margin of victory for the Broncos may be slimmer than some expect.
The Broncos are only a 2.5 point favorite against the spread based on the current odds from Odds Shark, a prediction that’s far from counting out the Giants entirely in their week 1 matchup.
The odds, of course, could change this week based on what the Giants announce in relation to injuries. The most obvious injury decision that could affect the outcome is the matter of whether or not Saquon Barkley will play. The Giants are seemingly waiting until the last minute to make an announcement, even as Barkley’s current progress points to a week 1 return being likely.
From @GMFB: #Giants RB Saquon Barkley (knee) is close to being fully cleared. Meanwhile, TE Evan Engram (calf) hasn’t been ruled out vs. the #Broncos, but he’s considered a long-shot for Sunday heading into the week. pic.twitter.com/Imr4d26uO2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 6, 2021
Tight end Evan Engram, meanwhile, is considered a long shot to play according to Ian Rapoport. Wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney are currently practicing, but the staff haven’t seen enough to make a decision on them playing or not.
All of these names are impact players in their own right for the offense and the odds could still shift in one direction or another depending on whether they play.
While the Broncos are favored, they also have some question marks of their own such as whether Teddy Bridgewater will live up to expectations and the final result is far from a foregone conclusion in Denver’s favor.