Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants Odds, Picks, Predictions
Looking for Broncos vs. Giants odds? Follow along as sports betting analyst Nick Galaida previews the Week 1 matchup at MetLife Stadium. He breaks down each team, analyzes the spread, and concludes with a free NFL betting pick. If you’re in Colorado, make sure to check out our favorite Colorado online sportsbooks.
Broncos vs. Giants Odds
| Broncos Odds | -3 |
| Giants Odds | +3 |
| Over/Under | 42 |
| Date | Sunday, Sept. 12 |
| Time | 4:25 p.m. |
| TV | FOX |
Odds accurate as of Friday at Caesars, where you can click here to claim your $5,000 Risk-Free Bet!
The Denver Broncos and the New York Giants will begin their 2021 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. Oddsmakers are expecting Denver to pull off a road victory to start the new year, pricing the Broncos as field goal favorite (-3) on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
Denver Broncos -3 (-110)
Denver fans may have briefly allowed themselves to hope that Aaron Rogers would be their starting quarterback in Week 1 this fall, but Week 1 has arrived and they will have to settle for Teddy Bridgewater. Last year in 15 games with the Carolina Panthers, Bridgewater threw for 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has a better supporting cast in Denver with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Noah Fant being his top three receiving options. However, Bridgewater lacks big-play ability due to his inability to consistently throw the ball further than 10 yards down the field. On pass attempts 10+ yards down the field in 2020, he threw only three touchdowns, but had nine interceptions. He played well in the preseason to earn the starting job in Denver, but he will need to take care of the ball much better in the early weeks of the campaign if he wants to fend off a very capable backup in Drew Lock.
Fortunately for Bridgewater, a conservative approach on offense could be good enough to keep the Broncos competitive in most games, thanks to their strong defense. Denver’s team defensive numbers were not good in 2020, but much of that had to do with the fact that Von Miller missed the entire season due to injury. He returns to bolster a defense featuring other talented names such as Shelby Harris and Bradley Chubb. Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons combine to form one of the best safety-tandems in the entire NFL. Expect the Broncos to improve significantly on this side of the ball in 2021.
New York Giants +3 (-110)
Although the public perception in 2020 was that Daniel Jones was a colossal disappointment, he actually played reasonably well considering that the Giants had virtually no running attack and the worst pass-blocking offensive line in the league. When throwing from a clean pocket last fall, Jones actually ranked in the top-half of the NFL in QBR—a sign that he can make good decisions with the football if he is simply given a few seconds to read the defense post-snap. Still, he will need to improve when facing pressure if he wants to be a franchise quarterback for New York. The return of Saquon Barkley is likely to force opposing defenses to respect the Giants’ rushing attack more in 2021, which could work to make life a little bit easier for Jones. Kenny Golladay and Sterling Shepard are talented receivers, who should help Jones take a noticeable step forward in his third year as a professional.
New York’s biggest problems this season are likely to be on the defensive side of the ball. Despite ranking 12th in total yards allowed per game last year, this is a unit that has a lot of question marks. Cornerback James Bradberry was excellent last fall, but it was his first great season in a five year career. Adoree’ Jackson, Jabrill Peppers, and Logan Ryan will need to be much better this year if the Giants want to improve upon their mediocre pass defense from 2020. On the defensive line, Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence are good, but not great. Getting pressure on the quarterback is likely to be a struggle once again for a defense that ranked only 12th in sacks per pass attempt in 2020. Blake Martinez is the team’s best linebacker, but that is not too much of an accomplishment when the other starter at the position is Reggie Ragland.
Broncos vs. Giants Picks
Although Teddy Bridgewater is far from an elite quarterback, if he can take care of the football on Sunday, he should be able to do enough to lead the Broncos to their first victory of the season. The return of Miller will fortify a Denver defense that struggled to get off of the field on third-down last fall—allowing a 40.2 percent conversion rate. Expect that percentage to improve closer to Denver’s 2019 numbers this year. The Giants might be an improved team in 2021, but this is a very difficult matchup for them to start the season, despite the fact that they are at home. The Broncos are rightfully favored in this one.
PICK: Broncos -3 (-110)
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