NFL Opening Night Odds - Giants vs. Redskins Preview

[Qbins Missile Crisis]

NFL: Defending champs favored against rivals

The New York Giants start their defense of the Vince Lombardi Trophy as 4 ½-point favorites against their NFC East rivals from Washington on opening night of the 2008 NFL Season.

The Giants turned their 2007 season around with a 24-17 comeback win in Washington in Week 3. This year, they open their season at home against the Redskins in an opening week matchup between two playoff teams from last season.

We’re less than a month away from the start of training camps and with the season fast-approaching, you can bet on Week 1 matchups here at Sportsbook.com. You can also wager on the most anticipated Games of the Year, along with a wide variety of Futures Odds.

New York’s success at the end of the 2007 regular season and into the playoffs was in large part due to a defense that found its game pressuring the quarterback, stopping opposing offenses by not letting them get into a rhythm.

The defense has undergone some major changes heading into the new season. Along with the retirement of future Hall of Famer, defensive end Michael Strahan, the Giants will be without several other key contributors to last year’s Super Bowl run.

Linebackers Reggie Torbor and Kawika Mitchell went separate ways in free agency. Torbor signed a $14 Million deal with Miami while Mitchell went to another AFC East team, signing a $17.5 Million deal with Buffalo.

The biggest off-season signing went to free safety Gibril Wilson who signed with Oakland for $39 Million over seven years.

New York opted not to make a big splash in free agency to replace their stars, instead opting to give those on the roster a chance to impress in the upcoming season while signing reasonably priced veterans in safety Sammy Knight and linebacker Danny Clark. They also hope to have filled some holes with prospects in the draft.

Offensively, the Giants should be much the same aside from the high expectations for quarterback Eli Manning following his improbable postseason. What may surprise people is that last season was the worst statistical regular season of Manning’s three seasons as a starter.

Manning threw 20 interceptions, the most of his career, and just 23 touchdowns, one less than he threw in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, Manning threw for 426 more yards than he did last year and his 73.9 quarterback rating in 2007 was the lowest of all three years as a starter.

In Washington, Jason Campbell enters his second full year as the Redskins’ starting quarterback. The former Auburn Tiger, whose season ended with an injury against Chicago in Week 14, never got to play in the Week 15 victory over New York last season.

In his 13 games as the starter, Campbell threw for 2,700 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a passer rating of 77.6.
Offensively and defensively, the Redskins roster should look much the same as most starters remain with the team.

An already tough defense should be improved, having had most of a season to adjust to playing without safety Sean Taylor.

As always, the offense will likely need Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts to provide a running game for this team to be successful and the big question mark for Washington continues to be at wide receiver and quarterback.

The team is hoping for big strides from Campbell behind center and focused its attention to wide receiver in the draft.

The Redskins got rid of journeymen receivers Keenan McCardell, Reche Caldwell and Brandon Lloyd in the offseason and drafted a pair of wide receivers in the second round of the draft. Draft picks Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly join Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El on the depth chart in what appears to be a thin receiving corps unless the rookies can step in and impress right away.

Find out how the rookies do and how the defending champs start their season.

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