New York Giants (0-0) vs Detroit Lions (0-0)
Game Info: Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 7:00 pm (MetLife Stadium)
Betting Odds: New York Giants -3.5 / Detroit Lions +3.5 --- Over/Under: 34.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Detroit Lions and the New York Giants meet in week 1 NFL Preseason action from MetLife Stadium on Thursday night. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants prediction.
Detroit Lions Recap
The Detroit Lions come into the 2024 campaign hoping to build on one of the better seasons in recent memory, finishing 12-5 and winning their first NFC North title since 1993. The Lions had quite the postseason run as well, taking out the Rams and Buccaneers before falling just short against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, 34-31. Jared Goff is back after being rewarded with a $212 million contract in the offseason, and will hope to be just as effective in 2024 behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The Lions also have one of the more electrifying 1-2 punches of any backfield in the NFL, with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the fold, and Gibbs will likely be expected to take another step forward after seeing increased work down the stretch.
Amon-Ra St. Brown got a hefty contract of his own in the offseason and while Jameson Williams hasn’t been overly reliable as a #2 wideout in this Lions offense, Sam LaPorta showed tremendous promise at tight end and will be another relied upon option for Goff this season. On defense, the Lions were solid but needed to address their flaw on that side of the ball, defending the pass, and did that by drafting Terrion Arnold and adding Ennis Rakestraw alongside former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Carlton Davis. D.J. Reader was brought in to shore up the defensive line as was Marcus Davenport to help aid the pass rush alongside Aidan Hutchinson, who as talented as he is, couldn’t do it on his own despite logging 11.5 sacks in his sophomore season. Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes will make up a large chunk of the linebacking group in Detroit’s defense this season.
New York Giants Recap
The New York Giants come into the 2024 season hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 year, finishing 6-11, failing to build on their playoff appearance from 2022. The 2024 season marks the first for Big Blue without Saquon Barkley on the roster since he was drafted in 2017, with Barkley signing within the division to play for the Eagles. Daniel Jones has had a rough go at it more often than not in his NFL career, but it seems like the Giants are finally trying to give their QB some help, bolstering the offensive line and giving him a true #1 wide receiver by drafting Malik Nabers out of LSU. Nabers will add to a receiving group that features the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton, but early signs are that Nabers is expected to be the standout of the group.
Despite the help though, there’s still question marks about the cohesion of the Giants’ O-Line, and how well it will truly work and if Devin Singletary can carry over his form from Houston last year to be the Giants’ new lead back. On defense, the Giants still have some major holes, but still have tried to address some of the issues by making moves such as bringing in Brian Burns via trade to help the pass rush on the edge in addition to Kayvon Thibodeaux, who had 11.5 sacks last season. Dexter Lawrence will head-man the defensive line but the Giants will need to get pressure as the secondary is arguably the weak link of the defense, especially after losing Xavier McKinney in the offseason. Only time will tell if the Giants can get back to their 2022 form, or if Big Blue is in for another year of frustration.
Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants prediction
I’m leaning towards the Giants here. I think, at the top of the depth chart, the Lions hands down are the better team. However, for me, preseason football is all about betting on roster depth as position battles are figured out on the field on the depth charts and a lot of times we barely see the starters, if at all. The Lions at times look really top heavy on the depth chart while I think the Giants have more internal battles going on here that need to be sorted out. I think we see a more focused effort from New York here, so give me the Giants.
Chris’s Pick New York Giants -3.5
AUTHOR: Chris Ruffolo
Follow Chris Ruffolo on Twitter @ruffthepickdawg