New York Giants fans got a surprise yesterday, but they also got their wish: They will be playing the Minnesota Vikings in the wild card round.<\/p>\n
And Monday brought another surprise: The odds on New York winning the NFL championship range from +3500 to +6600. And, yes, shopping around is a necessity for Giants believers whose beliefs are the stuff of Big Blue dreams.<\/p>\n
Here are the Giants’ championship odds at the nine licensed New York sportsbooks:<\/p>\n
That BallyBet note is noteworthy because it is yet another sign that Bally’s is in trouble. They were the only New York sportsbook that did not come online on Day 1 of legalized sports gambling in New York nearly one year ago, but that is a story for another day.<\/p>\n
What’s important to New York fans is whether the Giants can reverse the outcome they had against Minnesota two weeks ago and win a postseason game for the first time since 2011, when they won the Super Bowl. The line has opened at Vikings -3.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/twitter.com\/Giants\/status\/1612307325108232193<\/p>\n
What did we learn from the Giants losing to Philadelphia on Sunday? In a word: “Nothing.” Or perhaps a better word is “Little.”<\/p>\n
Coach Brian Daboll surprised everyone by leaving backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor on the bench alongside Daniel Jones. He elevated third-stringer Davis Webb from the practice quad and gave the 2017 3rd-round draft pick his first meaningful playing time of his NFL career. Davis was 23-of-40 for 168 yards and did not get a chance to go for a go-ahead touchdown in the final 1:36 after Graham Gano’s onsides kick traveled only 8 yards and the Eagles recovered.<\/p>\n
New York was already locked into the sixth seed and had nothing to play for, while the Eagles wrapped up the No. 1 seed and now get a bye week. Giants fans did not want to see their team play the San Francisco 49ers in the wild card round, and that wish came true when the 49ers defeated the Cardinals while the Vikings were defeating the Bears. Both of those teams finished 13-4, and San Francisco won the tiebreaker because of a better conference record.<\/p>\n
Jones, Saquon Barkley, and a bunch of starters will enter this playoff game rested after Daboll kept them on the sidelines. He thereby avoided a similar fate to what we are seeing with the Los Angeles Chargers, after coach Brandon Staley played his starters despite being locked into the No. 5 seed and lost wide receiver Mike Williams and two other starters to injuries that could jeopardize their availability for Saturday night’s playoff game against Jacksonville.<\/p>\n
The first order of business today is reviewing the videotape of the Giants’ 27-24 Christmas Eve loss to Minnesota. That’s when Greg Joseph kicked a team-record 61-yard field goal as time expired in a 27-24 victory. Three plays killed the Giants in that game: A fumble by Daniel Bellinger, a fourth quarter interception by Jones, and a blocked punt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to have our best week of preparation,\u201d Daboll said, and then, recalling the first time the Giants faced the Vikings this year, he said: \u201cWhen you play a team close all the way to the end, usually the team that makes a few more plays wins, and they did. All our prep will be geared to that team.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the first guy they need to figure out how to stop is wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who caught 12 passes for 133 yards, including a crucial 17-yard gain on third down that enabled Minnesota to get close enough for the game-winning kick.<\/p>\n
\n.@FAUFootball<\/a> alum & #Vikings<\/a> K Greg Joseph kickers a career long 61-yard field goal to beat the #Giants<\/a> at the last second pic.twitter.com\/ckgOU6x6qz<\/a><\/p>\n
— Sleeper Athletes (@SleeperAth1etes) December 24, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n