Giants vs. Bills Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 1 Odds, Prediction
Buffalo again has the Super Bowl in its sights after losing, again, to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. MVP Josh Allen returns to lead a vaunted Bills offence.
Meanwhile, New York Giants coach Brian Daboll is squarely on the hot seat following a 3-14 campaign that netted them perhaps the most dominant defensive player in college football, Penn State’s Abdul Carter.
New York is a 1.5-point favourite to win on the NFL odds, with the total set at 37.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
It’s preseason, so take these historical numbers with a grain of salt, as the current rosters and team situations always dictate preseason strategy. Buffalo coach Sean McDermott has done quite well, going 15-9 against the spread in his preseason career. Daboll is at the other end of the spectrum, going 1-8 ATS in the preseason.
The Bills went 1-2 in the preseason last year and lost their opener to the Chicago Bears, 33-6. The team scored 35 total points across their three preseason contests. The Giants weren’t any better, going 1-2 and scoring 30 total points in three games. The Giants defeated the Detroit Lions, 14-3, in their preseason opener last year.
New York Giants
The Daboll era in East Rutherford started so well. He led the Giants to a 9-7-1 record in 2023-24, winning the franchise’s first playoff game in 11 seasons, and was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year.
However, New York fell to 6-11 the following season, and after allowing running back Saquon Barkley to walk to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, they dropped to an NFC-worst 3-14 last year.
Daboll and the Giants did gain a Pro Bowl-calibre receiver in Malik Nabers, who had 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. He’ll have Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston or rookie Jaxson Dart throwing to him this year.
The Giants have a stud on offence, and now they should have one on defence as well. The team drafted Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick. The 6’3”, 250-pound Carter had 23.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks for the Nittany Lions last year.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are by far the class of the AFC East, having won the division in each of the last five seasons. However, Buffalo cannot solve the Kansas City Chiefs, losing to them in the playoffs in four of the last five years, twice in the AFC Championship game. Coach Sean McDermott (93-52, eight seasons) knows only a Super Bowl appearance will satisfy the Bills Mafia.
League MVP Josh Allen (3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns passing, 531 yards, 12 touchdowns rushing) returns after leading the team to a franchise-record 525 points. James Cook, despite contract rumblings, tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns last year.
Buffalo turned the ball over an NFL-low eight times, while its 32 takeaways were second in the league. The Bills also surrendered a league-low 14 sacks.
NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Giants vs. Bills?
It’s hard to make an opening preseason game attractive to bettors. Starters rarely play much, if at all. There’s only been a handful of practices under the players’ belts. The games in the first week are often sloppy, low-scoring affairs. Look for Unders, and look for road underdogs, which is just what the Giants are in this situation.
The Bills are already set under centre and will be looking primarily on the defensive side, where the team took five of their first six draft picks last April.
New York, meanwhile, is trying to figure out its starting quarterback and will be more diligent in its offensive sets to see who should get the nod. Look for the G-Men to take a 17-14 decision at Highmark Stadium on Saturday.
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