Odds When the Giants Get First Win of 2020 Season – Open Against Steelers, Bears, 49ers
- When will the New York Giants record their first win of the 2020 season?
- Track record of futility in Week 1 adds value to wager on first victory coming in Chicago
- Read on for all the odds and insight into when the Giants will celebrate their first win this fall
Slow starts by the New York Giants have been nothing new in recent years. The Giants opened the 2019 campaign with lopsided losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, and have recorded just one Week 1 victory since 2010.
More of the same is expected this time around, as New York is pegged as a betting underdog in each of its first five contests in opening spreads for every week of 2020 NFL season. But with a favorable Week 1 matchup, the Giants are well positioned to end their run of season-opening futility when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers as early 3-point home underdogs.
Odds When New York Giants Will Earn Their First Win
| Week | Opponent | Spread | Odds to be Giants First Win | Odds to be Giants First Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | vs Pittsburgh | +4 | +150 | -175 |
| Week 2 | at Chicago | +5.5 | +280 | +240 |
| Week 3 | vs San Francisco | +7 | +700 | +700 |
| Week 4 | at LA Ram | +6.5 | +800 | +2500 |
| Week 5 | at Dallas | +7.5 | +1400 | +8000 |
| Week 6 | vs Washington | -3.5 | +750 | +40000 |
| Week 7 | at Philadelphia | +7.5 | +2900 | +20000 |
| Week 8 | vs Tampa Bay | +3.5 | +3900 | +50000 |
| Week 9 | at Washington | -1.5 | +4400 | +75000 |
| Week 10 | vs Philadelphia | +4 | +11000 | +100000 |
| Week 12 | at Cincinnati | -1 | +12000 | +125000 |
| Week 13 | at Seattle | +7 | +15000 | +150000 |
| Week 14 | vs Arizona | -1.5 | +15000 | +200000 |
| Week 15 | vs Cleveland | +2.5 | +15000 | +250000 |
| Week 16 | at Baltimore | +11 | +15000 | +300000 |
| Week 17 | vs Dallas | +4 | +15000 | +400000 |
Odds taken May 26th
Nowhere to Go But Up
Ranked 30th in the NFL last season with 28.2 points per game allowed and seven of their 12 defeats coming by double-digit margins, NYG limped to 4-12 last season.
The Giants also faced massive challenges on offense, scoring more than 21 points on just three occasions after rookie quarterback Daniel Jones took over the helm from now-retired Eli Manning.
Is @GeorgiaFootball's Andrew Thomas the answer to the New York Giants offensive line problems? pic.twitter.com/WQHni8bugC
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) May 22, 2020
While it remains to be seen how effective the team’s offseason overhaul will be, both Jones and running back Saquon Barkley should benefit from a dramatically improved offensive line, highlighted by Georgia OT Andrew Jones, the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft.
The offensive line will immediately be put to the test when the Giants welcome the Steelers to town for the season premiere of Monday Night Football. The Pittsburgh defense ranked among the best in the NFL last season, particularly against the pass, ranking third with just 194.6 yards passing per game allowed.
Rust on Roethlisberger?
The Steelers will also get a boost from the return of Ben Roethlisberger, who saw his 2019 season ended by an elbow injury in Week 2.
However, even with Roethlisberger back in the fold, the Steelers are far from a Week 1 lock. Now 38 years old, Big Ben has led Pittsburgh to winless records after two games in each of the past two seasons.
In addition, with Roethlisberger under center, the Steelers have tallied wins in just two of 10 road games played in Weeks 1 and 2 since the start of the 2009 campaign.
Ben Roethlisberger on rehab: "I was going to be ready to go for OTAs and the minicamps"https://t.co/Oq8BCAPW7V pic.twitter.com/ddd6wTrK6G
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 6, 2020
Add to that concerns about rust after Roethlisberger’s long layoff, as well as the likelihood of having limited on-field time to get reacquainted with his teammates prior to the season, and it is tough to sleep on New York against the Steelers.
Windy City Visit Best Value Bet for First Win
New York hits the road for a Week 2 matchup in Chicago, with the odds of their first victory coming at Soldier Field pegged at +280. Things get much tougher beyond that, with a Week 3 home date against the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers followed by road clashes against Dallas and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Giants have picked up just six total victories away from MetLife Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. That run includes a 19-14 loss to the Bears last season, extending the Giants’ decades-long struggle to score points in Chicago, where they have averaged just 17.4 points per game in 13 all-time road meetings.
Chicago Bears RB Tarik Cohen talked about the QB situation on ESPN's First Take…
On Trubisky: "That's my guy. He is ready to step up to the plate and battle for the spot."
On Foles: "Hearing him talk in the zoom meetings, he isn't going to lay down and sit on the bench."
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 22, 2020
But like the Steelers, the Bears enter the season as a team that could go either way. With Nick Foles’ arrival, a quarterback controversy has taken hold before the season has even started. And while there is no doubting the ferocity of Chicago’s defense, it is far from certain whether the Bears have done enough to upgrade a feeble offense that averaged just 17.5 points per game in 2019.
Those question marks leave the Week 2 matchup in Chicago as the best value bet for when the Giants will tally their first win of 2019.
Value Bet: First Win in Week 2 @ Chicago (+280)
Could NYG Be 2-0 Hosting San Fran?
While wagering on the Giants to get their first win of the season in Chicago offers the best value, betting on when the team will suffer their first loss of the season is not for the faint of heart.
The G-Men’s dismal 1-8 record in their past nine Week 1 contests, combined with the hype surrounding Roethlisberger’s return to action, have fueled short -175 odds of the team coming up short in their season opener. Those odds lengthen to +240 on New York’s first loss coming a week later in Chicago, but it is the Giants’ Week 3 home date with the Niners that represents the sweet spot.
The 49ers will play back-to-back road games at MetLife Stadium in Weeks 2-3, something the Bills (wins in Wks 1-2) and Dolphins (losses in Wks 14-15) each did last year.
The 49ers have played road games against the Giants and Jets in the same season just once previously (1992). pic.twitter.com/6unaN94wJe
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 8, 2020
New York has posted wins in six of nine regular-season meetings with San Francisco since 2002, but are likely to have their hands full against the road warrior 49ers, who suffered just one away defeat last season, and are a +700 bet to hand the Giants their first loss of the 2020 campaign.
Value Bet: First Loss in Week 3 vs San Francisco (+700)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
