The NFL season is here, and nothing gets the juices flowing on Sundays in the fall like cashing in on an underdog on the moneyline.
Week 1 presents us with plenty of opportunities. You could back the Vikings as slight underdogs to the Packers. Maybe the Lions will put their “Hard Knocks” momentum to use and down the Eagles. Can the Cowboys pull off the upset win against the Bucs on Sunday night?
While those are all viable options, each of them have odds shorter than +200. I need something a little bit more aggressive to get the adrenaline going.
So, without further ado, I present to you my NFL upset pick of the week: The New York Giants will take down the Tennessee Titans.
Giants +215 vs. Titans
Some books are offering the Giants at shorter than +200, so be sure to shop around. As of writing this article, BetStamp has BetRivers listed as the New York sportsbook offering the best odds at +215, so that’s where I’d recommend betting them.
There’s some hype surrounding the Giants this season. Sure, they aren’t going to be Super Bowl contenders, but they could be a surprise candidate in 2022.
Former Bills offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, has taken over the head coaching duties for the Giants. For the first time in a long time, some electricity should be breathed into the historically-stale New York offense.
But, more importantly, they strengthened their offensive line by bringing in Jon Feliciano, Max Garcia, and Mark Glowinski. The veterans will allow the Giants to do what they want to do offensively. I’m more of a Daniel Jones believer than the average person, but admittedly, it may end up being a take that I’ll regret.
At the end of the day, this bet is moreso a fade of the Titans than a bet on the Giants.
I was one of their biggest detractors last season. They were 19th in net yards per play, truly one of the most undeserving No. 1 seeds in the AFC’s history.
Now, their team is even worse.
With the departure of A.J. Brown, their offense truly relies solely on Derrick Henry. Sure, his total yards were strong last year, but his injuries and his average yards per carry were extremely concerning.
He averaged only 4.3 yards per carry last season, 1.1 yards fewer per carry than 2020. Just so you know, 4.3 yards per carry was a lower average than players like Darrell Henderson, Damien Harris, and Melvin Goron. It was also the same amount of yards per carry as Michael Carter, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Devonta Freeman. That’s….not good.
Finally, the Titans painfully average defense, lost their best player Harold Landry to a torn ACL. Things aren’t looking good in Nashville.
Sure, you can take the 5.5 points on the Giants, if you’re a coward. But fortune favors the bold, so follow along with me as I take New York on the moneyline in Week 1 of the NFL Season.
Be sure to catch all of my work over at BetSided, and I’ll be back on Friday with my five best bets for Sunday’s action.