NFL odds: Lines on Saquon Barkley's next team, from the 49ers to Bills
Running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards in his rookie year with the New York Giants. But due to injuries and his significantly decreased production, there's a chance Barkley might not be in NY's backfield next season.
Per recent reports, Giants GM Joe Schoen is "open to anything" when it comes to trading players and shredding the team's roster. The recent cuts of running back Devontae Booker and of veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph prove that Schoen is serious about creating a new-look Giants team.
If Saquon — the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft — ends up being another salary-cap casualty or traded, where might the former Nittany Lion land?
For that, we spoke to FOX Bet sports trader AJ Devine who gave us hypothetical odds on the running back's next potential destination. Odds always tell a story, so let's jump into the list.
ODDS ON SAQUON BARKLEY'S NEXT TEAM*
Buffalo Bills: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
San Francisco: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Miami: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Arizona: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
New England: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
* Odds as of 3/3/2022
By drafting him second overall, New York bargained for a brighter future with Barkley at back. Instead, the franchise has suffered four consecutive losing seasons, going 19-46 straight up (SU) since Saquon has been on the roster.
Also from a gambling perspective, according to FOX Sports research, the Giants are 30-34-1 against the spread (ATS) during the highly touted running back's tenure in NY.
Injuries are to blame for Barkley's dwindling explosiveness each year. In 2019, his sophomore season in the League, his 1,003 rushing yards were 304 fewer yards than the prior year. After only playing in two contests, a torn ACL in Week 2 sidelined Saquon for the rest of the 2020 season.
In the 2021 season, the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year showed slight glimpses of his old self, rushing for 593 yards in 13 games played. But the 4-13 Giants still missed a chance to play for the Super Bowl by a longshot.
And speaking of the Big Game, bookmakers at FOX Bet currently have the G-Men's Super Bowl 2023 futures listed at +8500.
According to Devine, even if Barkley eventually suits up for one of the teams whose odds are listed above, it wouldn't matter much to how oddsmakers view New York's chances of winning it all.
"As for futures odds, outside of a quarterback, not many players will be able to move the needle too much," Devine explained.
"For someone like Barkley, we may make a slight adjustment, but let's say he ended up playing for the Cardinals and their current Super Bowl futures are +2500. Having Saquon on that team would not shorten their Super Bowl odds drastically or move them into the +1000 range."
So will Saquon Barkley be released or traded by the Giants this offseason, or does he still have a future in New York? Stay tuned!
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