Giants-49ers opening odds: Is a blowout imminent?

It took the New York Giants six quarters of football to finally score a point in the 2023 season. On Thursday, their offense will face arguably its toughest test yet against the San Francisco 49ers’ star-studded defense.

Oddsmakers aren’t giving the Giants much of a chance this week: They’re 10-point underdogs with +360 odds on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 45 points.

There are only two games in Week 3 with larger spreads than the Giants’. The Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears are both 12.5-point underdogs.

Still, there remains some reason for optimism. The Giants proved their offense at least has the potential to be electric by putting up 31 points in the second half against the Cardinals in Week 2. The 49ers showed some vulnerability by allowing 23 points to the Los Angeles Rams, despite Matthew Stafford’s accuracy issues and Cooper Kupp’s absence.

However, it’s possible that San Francisco’s defense is more like the juggernaut that held the Pittsburgh Steelers to seven points in Week 1. If that’s the case, the Giants won’t be able to wait until the second half for their offensive gameplan to finally click. With Saquon Barkley suffering an apparent leg injury and his status uncertain as of Sunday night, things could get dire for New York.

The Giants are heading into a brutal stretch of the season, with four straight games against 2022 playoff teams. Three of those will come on the road. Barring an upset on Thursday, the Giants may have to get used to being the underdogs for the foreseeable future.