Will Either Major New Jersey Team be Worthy of Backing Next Season?

New Jersey is one of the few states in the USA that boasts a fully-fledged sports betting scene. Having become the second state to legalise the gambling activity following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter in June 2018, which you can read more about here, New Jersey is now seen as the home of the new wave of legal betting. As much as the citizens of the Garden State can revel in the fact that they can back their hunches when it comes to fantasy betting next season, fans of the local sports teams have an uncomfortable decision to make.

A choice to make when the 2019 seasons start

When it comes to fantasy and betting, each sports fan knows their own team better than any other. Aside from a little added belief which can slightly shroud judgement, most fans know the strengths and weaknesses of their team and roughly how they’ll fare in each game and over the season.

This is where some hometown fans in New Jersey may find themselves in a bit of bother. Leaving last season and throughout their respective offseasons, the New Jersey Devils and New York Giants don’t look to be in the best shape. Both have some top-quality players, but the teams might struggle again next season.

With New Jersey bookmakers like DraftKings, who are fantasy and betting experts, residents of the state can bet on any sports from collegiate to the pros, including the NHL and NFL with prop bets, money line bets, under/overs, and point spreads. You can read more about fantasy betting here, but it looks as though New Jersey-based fans won’t be able to back their home teams as often as they’d like.

New Jersey Devils could make a comeback

In 2017/18, the New Jersey Devils soared to the playoffs with the rebuild looking as though it was progressing much faster than expected. Last season, however, the wheels fell off. Formerly top goalie Cory Schneider struggled following offseason hip surgery, and the skating corps was riddled with injuries. Of the eventual top ten scorers, only five of them played 75 games or more. Taylor Hall, who finished fifth in the scoring for the Devils, only played 33 games.

There is hope on the horizon this season, though. The primary hope being that the star players will stay fit this season. If they do, the Devils could be in with a shot of a playoff place, especially if they use their lucky number one pick, which is detailed in this piece, to take Jack Hughes. However, there is a wave of emerging teams in the Eastern Conference, with the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Florida Panthers – all who missed the playoffs – so the Devils will be in a heated battle for a postseason place.

Should the New York Giants even show up?

Only last season, the team boasted a record-breaking rookie running back in Saquon Barkley as well as one of the most potent wide receivers in the league in Odell Beckham Jr. Many thought that the team merely needed to bring in a top talent at quarterback and add some offensive line reinforcement to take another step forward, but general manager Dave Gettleman begged to differ.

It was an offseason which turned much of the fan base against the front office. Trading away Odell Beckham Jr and Olivier Vernon was the first ill-advised move, along with letting Landon Collins stay in a lost season and then leave for free. After that, fans hoped that they would perhaps draft Eli Manning’s successor with the obvious choice of Dwayne Haskins, but instead, Daniel Jones was reached for.

Overall, it was a very poor offseason for the Giants, as you can see by these grades, and they now seem more poised to have a winless season rather than better their 5-11 record of last season.

As exciting as it would be to do some fantasy betting on the hometown teams, it may be best to avoid the Giants next season. As for the Devils, perhaps give it a few weeks, see if the team stays fit, and then decide if they’re worth your wager.