2005 New York Giants NFL Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

After a disgraceful 2003 in which, by all accounts, they totally quit en route to a 4-12 mark both straight up and against the sports betting odds the 2004 New York Giants were at least expected to be ready to come to work under new head coach and taskmaster Tom Coughlin. The Giants had failed to win or cover their final eight games of 2003 and they were a decent value to start 2004.

After losing badly non opening day 17-31 at Philadelphia as 8.5-point dogs, the value of the Giants continued to increase as many sports betting players wanted nothing to do with them as far as football picks went. This set up a good run for the sharper members of the sports handicapping community.

After that bad first game, New York came home to host Washington, which was riding high after an opening day win in Joe Gibb’s opening game to start his “second coming” as coach of the Redskins. Public perception was completely out of whack with reality as the Redskins were installed as 3-point favorites at Giants Stadium by the sports betting odds makers, despite not having any real talent edge. This was a classic value play and the Giants won 20-14, which was the springboard to a four game winning streak both straight up and against the sports betting odds.

Then, just as favorable articles were being written about Coughlin and the Giants, and as many sports betting players were beginning to believe in the Giants and include them on their list of football picks, the “surprise” element was gone from New York, as was the sports betting value. Detroit came calling to Giants Stadium after a horrible home loss to Green Bay and many online sports betting blogs had posts guaranteeing a “lock” on the Giants, who were installed as 7-point home chalks by the sports betting odds makers, making for another excellent value play except this time AGAINST the Giants, who lost 13-28. After a nice recovery at Minnesota (a 34-13 win) the Giants collapsed with an 0-6 streak both straight up and against the sports betting odds as Coughlin panicked and replaced starting quarterback Kurt Warner with rookie Eli Manning in the midst of the team being in playoff contention. After their sports betting value and appeal was nuked, the Giants, incredibly enough, beat the sports betting odds in their final three games of the season which is yet another sports handicapping lesson to never write an NFL team off when making football picks as the sports betting odds makers will have made adjustments