The New York Giants will travel to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans in the first game of the season for both teams on Sunday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes a Giants-Titans prediction and pick, laid out below.
New York has been one of the worst teams in the league for a long time recently and has now hired their third head coach since the 2018 season. Both Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge lasted just two seasons, going a combined 19-46 in those four seasons. Brian Daboll is supposed “the guy”, but seeing is believing.
Tennessee was brilliant again last season, going 12-5 to win the AFC South. While the team lost a 19-16 thriller against Cincinnati in the opening playoff round, this roster is talented enough to reach the playoffs once again. A healthy season from Derrick Henry will go a long way to ensuring a playoff berth.
Here are the Giants-Titans NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Giants-Titans Odds
New York Giants: +5.5 (-110)
Tennessee Titans: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 43.5 (-114)
Under: 43.5 (-106)
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
New York is once again turning to Daniel Jones to lead their recently lethargic offense. Jones was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft and has gone 12-25 in his 37 starts. The issue has been Jones' ability to stay on the field, as he has not spent a whole season as the starter yet. Jones has cleaned up the turnovers that plagued his rookie campaign, fumbling just seven times last season after totaling 29 in his first two seasons. Jones has accounted for 50 touchdowns in his career. Saquon Barkley will get the bulk of the carries out of the backfield and should be better in his second season back from a gruesome knee injury in 2020.
Kadarius Toney was used sparingly in his rookie season after being drafted in the first round. Toney has big play ability, and the addition of Wan'Dale Robinson should Toney see some open field. Kenny Golladay desperately needs to rebound from 2021, or he may run the risk of being off the 2023 roster.
New York's offense has struggled mightily in seasons past and allowed 24.5 points per game last season. Kayvon Thibodeaux was the team's second first-round pick, but will likely miss the first game with a knee injury. The pressure is now put on Leonard Williams to register some sacks, something he has been able to do with the club. Williams has 18.5 sacks in 41 games with the Giants. Xavier McKinney intercepted five passes last season and is back to anchor the secondary.
Why The Titans Could Cover The Spread
Tennessee welcomes back the majority of their offense, but most important is quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry. Tannehill has turned his career around in the Music City, going 30-13 in 43 starts, throwing 76 touchdowns and just 27 interceptions. Those numbers are a far cry from some bad Miami Dolphins teams with Tannehill at the helm.
With Henry lining up in the backfield, Tannehill is not always asked to take over games but rather is asked to control the ball and limit turnovers. Henry missed more than half the season last year but still totaled 937 yards in eight games. In 2019 and 2020, Henry led the NFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns both seasons. Henry is clearly the main component of this offense, and keeping him healthy is the key. Robert Woods will team with 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks to attempt to replace AJ Brown.
Jeffery Simmons returns after registering eight sacks last season, a career-high. Bud Dupree totaled three sacks in 11 games but totaled 39.5 in his tenure with Pittsburgh. Dupree and Simmons should combine to irritate opposing quarterbacks. Kevin Byard has been one of the best safeties in the league since 2017 and registered 88 tackles and five interceptions last season.
Final Giants-Titans Prediction & Pick
I would feel comfortable taking Tennessee at an even higher number.
Final Giants-Titans Prediction & Pick: Tennessee -5.5 (-110), under 43.5 (-106)
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