Preseason games can be unpredictable in any number of ways but with Tyrod Taylor under center and some quality receiving options in the lineup, the Giants should be able to get out to a strong start. Read more in our Giants vs. Lions betting picks below.

The New York Giants and Detroit Lions will kick off their 2023 preseason on Friday night at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. 

Both of these teams were a pleasant surprise last season with the Giants going 9-7-1 and the Lions going 9-8 despite their preseason win totals being set at 6.5 wins apiece. They’ll both be looking to continue that positive momentum into this season with several young stars on each side. 

Typically, the first preseason game of the year for NFL teams will not feature any of the established starters. However, both of these teams have some young players that will be fighting for playing time and the coaching staffs will want to see them in game action.

I analyze the point spread and total and give my best NFL picks and predictions for the Giants vs. Lions below.

Giants vs Lions odds

Giants vs Lions predictions

Being the first preseason game means several established starters will sit out. However, both teams have plenty of young guys that will be looking to get their feet wet in NFL game action. There are also several position battles that will lead to competitive and exciting football. 

On the Detroit Lions‘ side, they plan to sit several starters including Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery. These two teams practiced against each other twice this week and head coach Dan Campbell believes many of the starters got enough similar work in an environment that is more controlled than a preseason game. 

However, newly-signed Teddy Bridgewater should be the starting quarterback with Nate Sudfeld and Adrian Martinez also seeing some game action.We’ll also likely see Jameson Williams, who’s suspended for the first six weeks of the regular season. Defensively, we’ll certainly not see Aidan Hutchinson as well as veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone. 

On the New York Giants side, we likely will not see much — if any — of Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Darren Waller, and several of the defensive starters. We’ll see a lot of Tyrod Taylor at quarterback as there are several wide receiver battles. New York likely has the deepest wide receiver room in the league. 

Wan’Dale Robinson is unlikely to play due to injury, but veterans Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton will be fighting for roster spots to go along with regular-season playing time. Rookie Jalin Hyatt will also be looking to show out to find a spot in the rotation. All things considered, we’re going to see more from the Giants’ offense than that of the Lions.

For that reason, I like the Giants to get out to a strong start. If we see a full half of Taylor and the main group of wide receivers, they’ll be able to put up points against mostly the second unit on defense for the Lions. 

My best bet: Giants first half -1.5 (-108 at DraftKings)

Giants vs Lions spread and Over/Under analysis

The problem with preseason games and betting full-game spreads and totals is most people will look at who’s starting for each team and make their selections there.

However, as we saw last week in the Hall of Fame game, the second half will likely be extremely different from the first half. It’s vital to look at the full depth chart and the likelihood of how long those starters will play. 

Last week, I was big on the Jets -2.5 because of Zach Wilson starting and believing he would lead some solid drives, which he did. However, the Browns dominated the second half and ended up winning and covering. That is why it is so important to dig into depth in these games.

While I like the Giants in the first half, they’ll be at a big disadvantage when they go to the third-string QB and the backups at other positions. The Lions have higher-quality players as backups and have more depth under center with Sudfield as their third string. I’d lean on the Lions to cover even after losing the first half. 

With the total, you’ll always see low numbers in the preseason. Teams will not be running their full offenses and there will be little to no up-tempo play. Also, the talent level drops a ton from what you see in regular-season games. That’s why the total is set at 35.5.

I believe we’ll see enough scoring early here to still get the Over. We’ll likely need a couple of scores in the second half to get over the line, but I believe we’ll get that. Last week’s preseason game saw 14 points in the second half and I think we’ll see a similar effort here.

Giants vs Lions betting trend to know

The Over has hit in four consecutive Giants preseason games and in four of the last five Lions preseason games. Find more NFL betting trends for Giants vs. Lions.

Giants vs Lions game info

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