• The Detroit Lions and New York Giants kick off their NFL Preseason Thursday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 
• The Giants and Lions have held joint scrimmage and practice this week and things have gotten quite chippy. Thursday’s game starts at 7 p.m. ET.
• Keep scrolling for a further look at the latest odds, best picks and a prediction for Thursday’s preseason opener.

The New York Giants host the Detroit Lions Thursday night to kick off their respective NFL Preseasons. It’s unlikely that starters get much run for either team, but as always it’ll be a good look at some players vying for a spot on the full roster come September.

Dan Campbell, the Lions head coach, said earlier in the week that the Lions would not start their first team on Thursday while Brian Daboll announced Thursday via SportsCenter that starters will not see the field this week either. The Lions and Giants have been holding joint practice this past week and things became chippy, to say the least.

Giants are officially 1-0 after this fight with the Lionspic.twitter.com/GigqlR61SJ

— Marshall Green (@MarshallGreen_) August 5, 2024

New York Giants vs Detroit Lions Picks, Prediction

• Lions ML +158
• O 34.5 points

Preseason matchups, with or without starters, is often hard to judge. Usually, the team that has the better 3rd string QB play wins the game, and I like the Lions QB situation more than New York.

Hendon Hooker is super talented and will be facing the Giants’ 3rd and 4th teams in the 3rd and 4th quarter, which gives Detroit just a massive advantage. The former QB out of Tennessee hasn’t gotten much shine at all with the Lions since he was recovering from a knee injury upon being drafted. Now is truly his time to shine.

At the same time, I’d expect the offense for both teams to be able to move the ball well, especially in the later stages of the game. 34.5 is a high total, but I think these teams surpass it with some comfort.

Detroit 24, New York 17

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Giants vs. Lions Odds (Caesars)

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The Giants are considered home favorites for tonight’s preseason matchup, with a 3.5 point spread and -190 odds to win straight up. Taking Detroit to win outright sits at +158 while Detroit to keep the game within 3 points sits at -115.

The Over/Under for Thursday’s game is 34.5 on Caesars.

New York Giants vs. Detroit Lions Names to Watch

• Dyontae Johnson, Giants LB
• Theo Johnson, Giants TE
• Hendon Hooker, Detroit QB

Preseason is a time for true nerds of the game to give close eye to positional battles within teams. The 3 guys listed above all most likely have an NFL job come September, but some could be big pieces for their respective team sooner rather than later.

Johnson is a perfect example. He’s been splitting first team reps as a 2nd year undrafted linebacker out of Toldeo, and word is that he’s been raising eyebrows in camp. Words like “thriving” have been thrown around to describe his fit in the Giants’ defensive system, and fans will get a look at the supposed knack for the defense on Thursday.

Johnson is another Giants player that has been seeing first-team reps and is considered in contention to earn a larger role. The former Penn State tight end hails from Canada and was drafted in the 4th round of this season’s draft.

Hooker has been mentioned before, but I think he has a chance to be the best quarterback on the field tonight. It’ll be his first NFL snap, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he could be a stout player on Day 1.

The post Detroit Lions vs New York Giants Predictions & Odds for Preseason Week 1 appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.