NFL football is set to begin this week, even though we are still a month away from the start of the regular season. There are some interesting preseason Week 1 matchups on the schedule, but none bigger than the New York Giants hosting the New York Jets. There is no love lost between these two franchises, and there should be plenty of excitement and energy in the stands as well.
Both the Jets and Giants haven’t even sniffed the NFL playoffs in the last few years, and questions remain for each of them heading into 2019. The Jets come into 2019 trying to find a way to solve the New England Patriots, or at least sneak into the Wild Card position. The Giants are in a very winnable division in the NFC East, but they have been getting smoked by their rivals of late. The New York Giants are +1.5 home underdogs in the preseason opener.
Life Without OBJ Begins For Giants
The New York Giants will begin the 2019 season without Odell Beckham Jr. after trading him to the Cleveland Browns. OBJ had pretty much worn out his welcome with the Giants, but that will still take away an offensive weapon from their roster. Running back Saquon Barkley had a monster 2018 regular season with over 1,300 rushing yards, and he should be the featured player on this offense this season.
Eli Manning is still the starting quarterback in New York, but it appears that the Giants are planning to faze him out. The Giants selected Daniel Jones out of Duke in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he could end up starting by the end of the season. Jones will be given a ton of playing time in the four preseason games to get up to NFL speed in hopes of replacing Manning.
Jets Must Find Some Defense in 2019
The New York Jets gave up close to 30 points per game during the 2018 regular season, and fixing the defense has to be their top priority. New York decided to go with an offensive head coach in Adam Gase, but they did bring in a number of talented defensive players. The Jets were torched by opposing quarterbacks a season ago, and the secondary is going to have to improve in a hurry.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Jets are hoping that Le’Veon Bell can be the answer. Bell sat out the entire 2018 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was one of the top backs in the NFL in previous years. The Jets are planning on giving Bell some time this preseason in an effort to shake off some rust, but don’t expect to see him much in this one.
Giants Win Behind Young Quarterback
There will be a lot of practice players on the field in this game, with the starters chilling on the sidelines in street clothes. The Giants have made it known that Daniel Jones will play quite a bit, and that should give them the edge. The Jets will likely have the better regular season, but the Giants should take care of their rivals in this one. Bet the New York Giants +1.5 over the New York Jets.
