The Loop
Eli Manning fans won't want to see this mind-bogglingly bad gambling stat
Adam Glanzman
If you were to bet on someone writing an Eli Manning post with a negative slant, I would be the longest of long shots. I love Eli The Great more than most members of the family (No, not you, mom. . . or dad. . . I think. . .) and will forever be grateful for the two Super Bowls he won for the Giants, while slaying those hated beasts from New England. But first and foremost, I'm a Big-J Journalist. And I came across a gambling stat before the start of the NFL season that is too good (or bad in ETG's case) to overlook. I know, I know, I'm impressed with my ability to be unbiased as well.
Anyway, the stat comes from BetOnline.ag and measures how point spreads would be affected if an NFL team replace its starting quarterback for a game. Now obviously, there's a lot to factor in here, and this is just for this upcoming season (and not for those two glorious SB runs), but essentially, the sportsbook is saying which starting QBs are the most—and least—valuable. As you can probably surmise from that opening, my sweet, sweet Elisha is the latter.
In fact, the Giants would actually be credited for an extra point if Manning were to sit. In other words, oddsmakers think the Giants would benefit by benching this aging legend. Sigh.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Green Bay Packers would be docked more than a touchdown (7.5 points) if two-time regular-season MVP Aaron Rodgers (Eli is a two-time Super Bowl MVP. Just saying. . .) didn't suit up. And reigning regular-season MVP Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and that old guy in New England who Eli beat in both Super Bowls would make a seven-point difference. Anyway, here's a look at the entire list:
All good things must come to an end, but. . . How depressing. And embarrassing for Eli. OR. . . MAYBE. . . are the bookmakers that bullish on Giants rookie Daniel Jones?! Yep, that's what it must be. I'm going with that. Nope, I'm not biased at all.