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2022 New York Giants Betting Preview: Picks And Predictions

Nick Galaida Tue 8/23 12:53pm PT
Our NFL experts are backing the New York Giants to go under the win total line set by Vegas oddsmakers.
Image Credit: Imagn

NFL betting expert Nick Galaida takes a look at the 2022 New York Giants and offers a free betting pick on their season win total.

The New York Giants finished 2021 with a disappointing 4-13 record, which secured their fifth-consecutive losing season, and their eighth-losing campaign in the last nine years. Six consecutive losses to end the year led to Head Coach Joe Judge being replaced by Brian Daboll this offseason. Daboll promises to bring a lighter touch to the locker room atmosphere, in stark contrast to the stringent culture fostered by Judge across the last two seasons – but will it be enough to turn this franchise around?

Let’s take a look at the Giants unit-by-unit to see what bettors should expect from this group this fall.

New York Giants 2022 Team Preview

Quarterback

Depth Chart: Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Davis Webb

During the offseason, General Manager Joe Schoen declined the fifth-year player option on Daniel Jones, deciding that this upcoming campaign will be a make-or-break season for the young signal caller. If Jones takes a notable leap forward, New York will be able to extend him or keep him on the roster by using the franchise tag. Yet, it is doubtful that the added motivation will be enough to keep Jones employed in New York beyond 2022.

The biggest issue for Jones has undeniably been his inability to take care of the football, throwing 29 interceptions and losing 20 fumbles in his first three seasons.

Last year, he also finished with a below league average passer rating on throws 20+ yards down-the-field, 10 to 19 yards from the line of scrimmage, 0 to 9 yards from the line of scrimmage, and behind the line of scrimmage.

He has been worse than league average against the blitz and from a clean pocket in each of his three seasons as a starter. Jones ranks 22nd in performance grading at his position since entering the league, per Pro Football Focus, and there is not much in the data to justify any optimism for Year 4.

Jones will have the benefit of two well-respected coaches this fall – Daboll, who called plays for the Bills, and Mike Kafka, who coached quarterbacks for the Kansas City Chiefs. If Jones does not thrive this season, it will not be due to inept coaching – it will be because he was never meant to be the franchise quarterback for the Giants.

Running Backs

Depth Chart: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Antonio Williams

Following three consecutive injury-plagued campaigns, Saquon Barkley told the media during training camp that he feels confident in his body heading into 2022. Still, there are more than a few reasons to temper expectations for the former first round pick ahead of this fall. Across the last two years, Barkley has played in only 15 games, totaling 627 rushing yards on 181 carries – 3.5 yards per carry.

This fall, he will once again be playing behind a lackluster run-blocking offensive line. A repeat of his sensational rookie campaign seems highly unlikely. Barkley could see an expanded role as a pass-catcher in the new offense, but his ceiling remains decidedly low. Matt Breida has averaged at least 4.3 yards per carry in each of his first five NFL seasons. He could realistically compete for a healthy amount of early-down work in 2022 if he stays healthy. 

Wide Receivers And Tight Ends

Depth Chart: Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, Ricky Seals-Jones

In 2021, Kenny Golladay led the Giants’ wide receiver room with a meager 576 receiving yards in 14 games. Only three members of this unit eclipsed 400 receiving yards for the season. Looking to add some explosiveness to this group in 2022, the front office drafted Wan’Dale Robinson out of Kentucky in the second round this past summer. Robinson excelled in the slot in college, but his limited catch radius and lack of size could keep him from being an every down option in the NFL.

Tight end Daniel Bellinger was selected in the fourth round out of San Diego State, but his upside as a pass catcher appears low. Per Pro Football Focus, he did not drop a single pass in 2021, but he only hauled in four balls more than 10-plus yards down the field. This unit is likely to be underwhelming once again for the Giants.

Offensive Line

Depth Chart: Andrew Thomas, Shane Lemieux, Jon Feliciano, Mark Glowinski, Evan Neal

Evan Neal was selected with the 7th overall selection this past summer by the Giants, hoping to improve an offensive line that finished a mediocre 16th in sacks per pass attempt in 2021. Neal was elite at Alabama, playing both right tackle and left tackle for the Crimson Tide. He figures to make an immediate positive impact for New York at right tackle in 2022.

At left tackle, the Giants have former first round pick Andrew Thomas, who many pundits wrote-off as a bust after a poor rookie year in 2020.

However, Thomas improved exponentially as a sophomore in the NFL, finishing the season ranked as the 12th-best pass blocking tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Still, the presence of Shane Lemieux, Jon Feliciano, and Mark Glowinski in this unit will keep this group from being in the top-half of the league in production. Lemieux is a capable pass-blocker, but struggles mightily in the run game.

Feliciano has been average or worse in both the run and pass game each of the last four seasons. Mark Glowinski is a solid run blocker, but a borderline liability in pass protection.

Base 3-4 Defense

Defensive Line

Depth Chart: Jihad Wad, Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence form a strong interior for New York’s defensive line. However, the Giants still finished 22nd in rush yards allowed per carry last fall. Jihad Wad is unlikely to make much of a positive impact this season after coming over from the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he totaled only 32 tackles and two sacks in 17 games. Since debuting in 2016, Ward has only 10 career sacks and has never graded as above average at his position in a season in which he played at least 10 games.

Linebackers

Depth Chart: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Tae Crowder, Blake Martinez, Azeez Ojulari

Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale has a reputation for exotic blitz packages, but it takes more than creative game plans and schemes to get to the quarterback in the NFL. In 2021, New York ended the regular season ranked 25th in sacks per pass attempt. Hoping to improve in this area for 2022, the Giants selected Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon with the 5th overall selection in this past summer’s draft.

Thibodeax finished his collegiate career with 22 sacks and 27 tackles-for-loss, but scouts commented on his perceived lack of moves when attacking opposing backfields, instead relying too strongly on his raw physical skill set. He could be a difference-maker for New York long-term as an edge rusher, but he is unlikely to be a star as a rookie. A knee injury in Week 2 of the preseason will cost him valuable reps as he prepares for his first NFL action, further diminishing the likelihood of stardom for Thibodeaux this fall. 

Azeez Ojulari was a second-round pick in 2020, but failed to make a positive impact as a rookie, grading below average in coverage, rushing the passer, and in defending the run, per Pro Football Focus. Still, he is only entering his sophomore campaign and did lead New York with eight sacks and eight tackles for loss last fall. He has plenty of room to improve, but the raw skills are there. Blake Martinez was limited to only three games played in 2021.

He had posted a productive first five years in the NFL, but is a question mark heading into the new season following an ACL tear last season. Per Pro Football Focus, Tae Crowder graded as the worst linebacker in football last year. In his rookie season, he graded as the sixth-worst linebacker in the league. There is little room for optimism that he figures it out as a junior in the NFL.

Secondary

Depth Chart: Aaron Robinson, Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, Adoree’ Jackson

Though the Giants have plenty of depth in their secondary, they do not have any elite talent beyond Adoree’ Jackson, who finished as the 4th-best coverage cornerback in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus. Aaron Robinson did not have an every down role in 2021, but for good reason – he was subpar both against the run and the pass. Julian Love had a promising rookie campaign in 2019, but has been one of the worst safeties in football the last two seasons. Xavier McKinney made significant improvements from his rookie year in 2020 to last season, but is still not in the truly elite tier of NFL safeties. Regardless of whether McKinney takes another step forward this fall, this unit has too many vulnerabilities to be a strength.

2022 New York Giants Outlook And Betting Pick

In the NFL if a team does not have a capable starting quarterback, they are likely to finish near the bottom of the league in wins, unless they have major strengths across the rest of the roster. In the case of the Giants, they have an underwhelming, turnover-prone quarterback who is surrounded by an inefficient running game, a weak wide receiver room, a porous offensive line, and a defense with holes at every level.

Factor in that New York has one of the most difficult projected schedules in the league this fall, and it becomes difficult to see a path to more than seven wins for this group. The under is the smart lean, with push potential if the Giants manage to stay near the .500 mark.