Well would you look at that? The New York Football Giants, according to the math whizzes over yonder at FiveThirtyEight, have an 86% chance to make the playoffs.
Impressive, especially according to the sportsbooks of America, as the Giants are 10-4-1 against the spread this year. They’re continuing to get Rodney Dangerfield’d this week on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, as the G-Men are 4.5-point underdogs at -110 at DraftKings — though if you want just four points, PointsBet is offering -107 odds.
On the moneyline side, the Giants are +185 at PointsBet.
The over/under for this matchup is juicy, however, with the number pegged at 48 and PointsBet again offering the best odds at -107 on either side.
While the Vikings have little to play for — they’ve clinched the NFC North and have a near-zero chance of wresting the first-round bye from the Eagles — the Giants, obviously, have plenty to play for. A victory gets them to 99%+ in the FiveThirtyEight model. In fact, a Giants victory coupled with any two-part combination of Washington, Detroit, or Seattle losing clinches a spot for the Daniel Jones-led squad.
A loss? Not terrible, but still not great, as their odds to make the playoffs would fall to 81%.Â
So, will the Giants win?
Wink Martindale on going up against Kevin O'Connell's Vikings offense:
"It's unfair. I'm the blue-collar guy going against Harry Styles" 😂 pic.twitter.com/olk4Utpzoy
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 21, 2022
Pass the ball!
While crystal balls remain in short supply, the clearest path for the Giants is to attack the Vikings down the field. However, the Giants aren’t exactly built to attack down the field.
But assuming Brian Daboll is rational — and he certainly seems to be one of the more rational minds in the NFL coaching ranks — he’ll let Jones and Co. go deep and see what happens. This could bode well for Darius Slayton, as he is currently the best deep threat the Giants have. And if you think he might get loose, over 48.5 yards (-110 at bet365) would seem like a smash spot. So would his anytime touchdown prop, as high as +290 at FanDuel.
If you’re feeling super frisky, Isaiah Hodgkins — the other boundary receiver — has an anytime TD prop of +400 at BetMGM. And while we’re on the passing tip, Jones’ passing touchdown prop is set at a (for him) lofty 1.5, but it pays +175 at bet365.
Want to be super-duper frisky? Mash the Slayton and Hodgkins touchdown props on FanDuel for a +1850 single-game parlay on FanDuel. The books also expect Saquon Barkley to have at least some success on the ground, with his rushing prop set at 70.5 yards, with -110 on the over at PointsBet.
It’s not the end of the world if the Giants lose this game, but a road win against the Vikings can only help – in the standings, of course, but also psychologically speaking.
Photo: Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY
