The New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley is the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite and bettors should see him a fair amount on Friday night (if healthy) when Big Blue visits the Detroit Lions in Week 2 of the preseason. The Lions are short home favorites on the NFL odds.
Signed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in March, tight end Luke Willson reportedly is going to win the Lions’ starting job. He was expected to be pushed by sophomore Michael Roberts for it but Roberts has reportedly struggled in camp and Willson got the start in the preseason opener.
Star QB Matthew Stafford didn’t play in the preseason opener. Matt Cassel got the start and went 10 for 18 for 81 yards, leading Detroit to one score on three drives, with Ameer Abdullah capping it with a 1-yard TD run. Jake Rudock finished 12 for 19 for 84 yards.
Rookie defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand played 29 snaps in his preseason debut, finishing with three tackles, two solo stops and one quarterback hurry. He held up very well at the point of attack, and was a handful for Raiders offensive linemen to move off his spot, even when double teamed. The rookie has been steady throughout the course of training camp, and was awarded some first-team reps in practice Monday.
How to Bet Giants vs Lions 2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 Odds & Pick
- When: Friday, 7 PM ET
- Where: Ford Field, Detroit
- TV: NFL Network Replay
- Radio: Siriusxm
- 2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 Odds: Detroit Lions -3 (Total 40.5)
Why Bet on NY Giants?
The Giants lost their preseason opener 20-10 vs. Cleveland as Pat Shurmur made his Giants head coaching debut. Barkley rushed 4 times for 43 yards in the loss. Selected with the second pick of this year’s draft, Barkley wasted no time showing off his athleticism. His first NFL touch was a 39-yard run in which he reversed field, gave the impression he was going to break all the way to the right side and then made a jump cut upfield, buckling fellow first-round rookie Denzel Ward in the hole as he outraced defenders down the sideline before being forced out of bounds. He carried three more times for four yards, but Barkley flashed his immense upside on his two drives. Barkley seems a lock barring injury to be the Giants’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Ahmad Bradshaw in 2012. Barkley did have his leg wrapped with ice after leaving late during Monday’s practice. Barkley had to be stretched out after a play late in practice, and he had his left leg wrapped with an ice pack. He shed the pack before walking with his teammates back into the facility, however. Obviously worth monitoring. The Giants won’t play him Friday if there are any concerns. Star receiver Odell Beckham didn’t play in the opener but may here briefly. Shurmur has already stated an intention to be “smart” with Beckham Jr. this week and until the regular-season opener on Sept. 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Eli Manning played two series and hit 4 of 7 passes for 26 yards. Second-string QB Davis Webb struggled, going 9 of 22 for 70 yards. “He was a little too amped,” Shurmur said. Defensively, the Giants allowed a whopping seven pass plays of 19 yards or more last Thursday, which is far too many. In Monday’s practice, the Giants once again limited Manning’s reps, giving Webb an opportunity to play with the first group of wide receivers. It did not take him long to gain some chemistry with Beckham Jr. in red zone drills. Fellow QB Kyle Lauletta also got a series of plays with the ones. His best throw with that group came on a pass down the field to Barkley, who had gotten behind the defense. Webb and Lauletta, a rookie, are battling to win the No. 2 job. Webb threw 34 passes last year in the preseason and didn’t appear in a regular-season game.Why Bet on Detroit?
The Lions lost their preseason opener 16-10 in Oakland last Friday. Rookie running back Kerryon Johnson, a second-round pick finished with seven carries for 34 yards and four catches for 33 yards. Johnson was far and away the most impressive offensive player on the field for Detroit as the Lions played him for 40 snaps in his preseason debut. In the third quarter, he broke a 57-yard run. It started when he shot through a gap off left tackle, stiff-arming a potential tackler with his right arm to get clear of the line of scrimmage. Alas, it was reduced to two yards because rookie tackle Tyrell Crosby had been flagged for holding just as Johnson was breaking into the clear. Johnson began the game as Detroit’s third-down back behind LeGarrette Blount but shouldered the load for a majority of the second half. Blount should begin the year as a goal-line back.
Signed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in March, tight end Luke Willson reportedly is going to win the Lions’ starting job. He was expected to be pushed by sophomore Michael Roberts for it but Roberts has reportedly struggled in camp and Willson got the start in the preseason opener.
Star QB Matthew Stafford didn’t play in the preseason opener. Matt Cassel got the start and went 10 for 18 for 81 yards, leading Detroit to one score on three drives, with Ameer Abdullah capping it with a 1-yard TD run. Jake Rudock finished 12 for 19 for 84 yards.
Rookie defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand played 29 snaps in his preseason debut, finishing with three tackles, two solo stops and one quarterback hurry. He held up very well at the point of attack, and was a handful for Raiders offensive linemen to move off his spot, even when double teamed. The rookie has been steady throughout the course of training camp, and was awarded some first-team reps in practice Monday.
Latest NFL Betting Trends
- Giants are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 vs. NFC
- Lions are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NFC
- Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 vs. NFC
- Under is 4-1 in Giants last 5 road games
