The Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants game kicks off a 2021 season where both teams are facing immense pressure following several years of poor finishes. In fact, neither team has finished above .500 since 2016. Let’s take a look at the current NFL odds, TV channel, how to live stream, and a prediction for the Broncos vs. Giants Week 1 NFL game.
Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants | Week 1 preview and prediction
The Broncos made somewhat surprising news when they announced free-agent addition Teddy Bridgewater had beaten out third-year quarterback Drew Lock for the starting job. That said, Bridgewater is coming off a season in Carolina with career highs in passing yards (3,733), passing touchdowns (15), and yards per attempt (7.6).
There is no lack of talent around Teddy, as the Broncos added running back Javonte Williams with the 35th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He will be paired with veteran Melvin Gordon for a formidable RB duo.
On the outside, Denver welcomes back receiver Courtland Sutton after missing most of last year with a knee injury sustained in Week 1. He and second-year wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler will provide Bridgewater with plenty of weapons through the air, as Denver’s offense looks to support what should be an effective Denver defense in 2021.
The Giants, meanwhile, begin Year 2 of the Joe Judge era in much the same way they began Year 1 — wondering if Daniel Jones is their long-term answer at quarterback. Jones’ numbers through his first two seasons match that of his play — uninspiring and looking for more. New York added alpha wide receiver Kenny Golladay in free agency in hopes of kick-starting an offense that averaged 17.5 points per game in 2020, second-worst in the NFL.
Adding Golladay and also getting back superstar RB Saquon Barkley from injury should help a little. However, it will not help enough if the Giants’ offensive line does not perform better in 2021. Jones was sacked on 9.1% of his dropbacks in 2020, and the 2021 version of the OL has not performed much better in camp and the preseason, according to those who cover the team.
Broncos vs. Giants prediction
On paper, the obvious concern here for the Giants will be how to slow a talented group of pass rushers from getting to Jones early and often. New York will need to get the ground game going to prevent Jones from throwing 35+ times on Sunday.
For Denver, Bridgewater tends to be a streaky quarterback. But he has loads of talent around him and is facing a defense that is not particularly strong in any facet of the game. Look for Denver to control the game from start to finish and score a Week 1 road victory over the Giants.
Prediction: Broncos 21, Giants 17
How to watch Broncos vs. Giants
- Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- Start time: 4:25 PM ET
- TV channel: FOX
- Live stream:
- Sling
- Hulu + Live TV
- fuboTV
- YouTube TV
Check with your streaming service to confirm the availability of specific channels.
Odds for Broncos vs. Giants
Odds from DraftKings sportsbook
[bet-promo id=”149453″]- Spread: Broncos -3 (-105)
- Moneyline: Broncos -160, Giants +140
- Over/Under: 42 (Over -110, Under -110)
The Broncos are favored, but that is not necessarily a good thing for Denver if recent history is any indication. The Broncos are just 2-6 in their last eight games as a favorite. The Giants, though, haven’t covered a Week 1 spread in five years.
The total in this Broncos vs. Giants game is one of the lowest on the NFL’s Week 1 slate. Even with the low total, the under appears to be a strong play based on recent trends.
The under has cashed in each of the last four games in which Denver was a road favorite. Furthermore, the under is 8-2 in Denver’s last 10 games as a favorite. Similarly, the under has cashed in New York’s last seven games as an underdog and is 4-0 in the Giants’ last four home games.