New York Giants 2019-20 NFL Postseason - Odds and Predictions

Watching the New York Giants kill the Chicago Bears in preseason last Friday night by a score of 32-13 made the odds makers’ current predictions on the Giants 2019 season seem quite low and all the doubts the football world seems to have regarding their quarterback situation (veteran Eli Manning vs rookie Daniel Jones) seem quite irrelevant.

Add to that offensive rookie of the year last season running back Saquon Barkley (but subtract from it the – arguably – third best receiver in the league, Odell Beckham Jr., and high-level quarterback hunter linebacker Olivier Vernon) and rating general manager David Gettleman’s ability to rebuild the team becomes quite difficult at best.

The 2019-20 New York Giants have enough talent on their roster now to win the close games that they kept losing last season, so here we take a look at the odds and predictions of them making it to the postseason and briefly analyze their chances to succeed (or fail).

The 2019 New York Giants are:

• Owners: John Mara and Steve Tisch
• General Manager: David Gettleman (Hired December 2017)
• Head Coach: Pat Shurmur (Hired January 2018)
• Offensive Coordinator: Mike Sullivan (Promoted January 2016)
• Defensive Coordinator: James Bettcher (Hired January 2018)
• Quarterback: Eli Manning (16^th season, all with the Giants)
• Offensive Stars: Running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver Sterling Shepard
• Defensive Stars: Linebacker Alec Ogletree and rookie nose tackle Dexter Lawrence

2018 Franchise Records:

• Overall 5-11-0
• Home: 2-6-0
• Road: 3-5-0
• Divisional: 1-5-0
• Conference: 4-8

2019-20 Schedule: T-27^th toughest with four other teams (Bengals, Jets, Rams and Patriots)

Week 1 Matchup: vs. Dallas Cowboys @ away

How did the New York Giants do in 2018?

The 2018 New York Giants improved on their horrible 2017 win total by two games in 2018 by finishing with a record of 5-11, and that’s after starting out on a 1-7 run AND ending up placing last place in their division (NFC East) AND missing the playoffs, all for the second year in a row.

Oddly, much of the blame went to veteran quarterback and 2x Super Bowl winner and MVP Eli Manning (forget that he threw for a ninth ranked 4,299 total yards and 21 touchdowns with 11 interceptions), and the questions that have been circulating regarding the thirty-eight year old’s overall effectiveness continued on.

Another bright side of the Giants’ offense last year was running back Saquon Barkley, who after posting 352 overall touches for 2,028 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns, was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year.

What major offseason moves happened in New York?

Gettleman did his best to replace the high-level players he lost over this offseason by using trades, the draft and free agency the best that he knows how.

The team lost some good (and one incredible) players to trades and free agency – the main names being receiver Beckham Jr., safety Landon Collins and outside linebacker Olivier Vernon.

But by signing receiver Golden Tate and then in the trade for Beckham Jr. snagging safety Jabrill Peppers and guard Kevin Zeitler (and not to mention by drafting quarterback Daniel Jones as a backup to Manning), Gettleman has begun to build a younger team around his young star,Barkley, though the team is not expected by anyone to deliver as soon as this season.

How was the Giants’ offense improved?

The Giants improved on their offense by adding some new targets for Manning and by adding some upgrades to the offensive line to keep him protected (and to create bigger holes for Barkley).

Receiver Tate was signed for four years, agreeing to a $37.5 million contract with $22.95 million of that guaranteed, and tight end Rhett Ellison was re-signed for four years and $18 million to keep a blocking tight end on the roster who has soft enough hands to make some catches, catching balls for 272 total yards and a touchdown for the Giants last season.

On top of adding right guard Zeitler to the offensive line, Gettleman also re-signed left tackle Nate Solder and right tackle Mike Remmers to play, so expect the line to continue to improve on the number of sacks they allow, last year letting 47 sacks on Manning happen, tied for tenth most in the league.

How was the Giants’ defense improved?

Last season, the Giants’ passing defense was ranked 23^rd and their rushing defense was ranked 20^th, so Gettleman attempted to improve that side of his roster.

Not only was talented young safety Jabrill Peppers added to the secondary, so was safety Antoine Bethea and cornerback Janoris Jenkins, so those two should be able to fill the hole left the loss of Collins.

Rookie defensive end Dexter Lawrence and cornerback Deandre Baker were both selected in the first round and are expected to contribute immediately.

How was the Giants special teams improved?

The Giants’ special teams have improved with some speed added at the punt return spot, with the speedy Peppers now returning punts for the team.

Last season, the Giants were tied for seventh best on kickoff returns but just 28^th in punt return average, so Peppers should improve that ranking, having returned 25 punts for the Cleveland Browns last season for 219 yards, averaging 8.8 yards per return, his longest being a 33 yarder.

Newly re-signed receiver Cody Latimer will return kickoffs again, last season returning 5 kickoffs for 123 yards, averaging 24.6 yards per return, his longest a 34 yarder.

When was the last time the Giants made the playoffs?

The last time the New York Giants played in the postseason was a Wild Card Loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2016 by a score of 13-38.

Before that, it was in 2011 with a Super Bowl XLVI win, when they defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 and took home the franchise’s fourth Lombardi Trophy.

The team’s other three Lombardi Trophies came in 2007 (Super Bowl XLII), in 1990 (Super Bowl XXV) and in 1986 (Super Bowl XXI).

The Giants also made an appearance in Super Bowl XXXV in 2000, a game that they were soundly defeated in by the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 34-7.

Why WILL the Giants make it to the postseason in 2019?

Tough to say this one with a straight face, but the New York Giants will make it to the postseason in 2019 because they will be highly underrated by every team and Manning and company will take advantage of that.

Last season the team lost a lot of close games, but their defense is better now and Manning is out to prove himself better than the rookie.

Saquon Barkley is this team’s future, and it’s on his back that the Giants will see January football once again, though they aren’t quite talented enough right now to get past the first one or two rounds if they do.

Why WON’T the Giants make it to the postseason in 2019?

When you lose one of the best players in the league during the offseason like the Giants did with Odell Beckham Jr., you definitely feel it that next season, and to think that Golden Tate will put up the same numbers is highly optimistic.

Manning is still very good, of course, but he is nearing the end of his career and without Beckham Jr. to catch his increasingly inaccurate passes it might not be a great (or complete) season for the former MVP.

This team is a mess and the odds makers know it, so only put money on this team to make the postseason if you have some insider knowledge that would make them a contender.

What are the current odds and predictions for the New York Giants’ 2019 NFL postseason?

Who knows, maybe now that the ‘toxic’ OBJ is gone and the ‘blaze’ of Jones is hot under Manning’s throwing arm, the Giants could begin to find fourth quarter wins instead of one-score losses and surprise everyone with an underdog run for the ring.

Of course, when you look at the odds they’ve been given to win games, it does not look all too promising for the Giants in 2019.

Next we take a closer look at the odds and predictions of how the New York Giants will do in the upcoming season and briefly analyze their chances of beating those expectations.

Will the New York Giants make the NFL postseason in 2019?

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: Put another way, this bet says it will cost you $715 down if you want to win just $100 (plus your initial investment) if the 2019 New York Giants do indeed make the playoffs.

But they’re willing to pay you $500 bucks on a $100 wager if they do.

No way you take either of these two bets unless you happen to be a filthy rich Giants fan who knows something the rest of us don’t.

Odds of the Giants winning the NFC East:

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: Looks like the Giants are predicted to (once again) end up last in the NFC East.

That would make it the third season in a row that the Giants finished in the divisional basement (and twice for two-year head coach Pat Shurmur), so of course expect the team to do everything it can to win this division.

It helps that the Redskins are predicted to be bad, but the Philadelphia Eagles are supposed to be even better and the Dallas Cowboys (once everyone gets paid) will start right where they left off last season (on a 7-1 run) so the best this Giants team can hope for is most likely a third place NFC East finish.

Number of regular season Giants games won:

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: Three bets here – with the first one looking like the Giants posting up a 5-12 record or better is expected.

Next on the list, you’d have to bet $132 that the Giants will go 6-10 or better if you want to win $100 (plus your original investment), but it’s been three seasons since the team has done that.

And finally, a 7-9 record in 2018 would be a nice two-game improvement for the Giants, but it looks like the odds makers expect the opposite will happen and give them more favorable odds to do worse.

Odds of the Giants winning the NFC Championship:

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: Only two of the sixteen other NFC franchises have worse odds than the Giants of winning the NFC Championship (Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins), so that tells you a big something.

Again, bet away if you have the money and some kind of nutty gut feeling on this one.

But do it knowing most experts agree that it will take the Giants a lot longer to rebuild than by the end of this season.

Odds of the Giants winning Super Bowl LIV:

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: The odds makers are giving twenty-five other teams the same or better odds than the Giants to win the upcoming Super Bowl and are expecting them to have another very tough year.

Do the math, then make the bet if you think that Manning has another one in him and it was Beckham Jr. who was preventing this team from gelling at the Super Bowl level.

But if you truly do the math, you’ll probably save your betting kitty for something a little more promising than this one.