NJ Sports Bettors Go (Gang) Green In NFL Preseason Showdown

Written By Marco Cerino on August 27, 2018

For the third week in a row, the betting public backed the New York Jets, according to data released by FanDuel Sportsbook. In the preseason showdown with the New York Giants, over two-thirds of the money went towards the Jets at the sportsbook in the shadows of MetLife Stadium.

In Friday’s tilt in East Rutherford, three trends continued from the previous week:

  • First, the line that pitted the Giants as an underdog didn’t move. FanDuel opened the games Jets -3.5 and there it stayed until Friday’s kickoff.
  • As they have all preseason, the betting public put most of their money on the Jets. 70 percent of the money bet went towards the Jets, which was the lowest share they’ve garnered this preseason.
  • The teams continued their outright and ATS trends from last week. The Giants covered the spread and won 22-16.

This was the first week a noticeable difference emerged between the local bettors and the pricing in Las Vegas. Most books didn’t move the price after the open. While a few closed at Jets -3, the majority stayed at -2.5 for the spread. At no point did any Vegas book match the 3.5-point spread offered in North Jersey.

Jets action impacting lines

The public money favoring Gang Green at FanDuel Sportsbook has more than likely led to the markup-up in the spread versus the Vegas consensus. In the first two weeks, bettors moved the line four and six points in the Jets’ favor, respectively. This game against the Giants was also the second the G-Men played without No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley.

The stats suggest the bettors have bought the Sam Darnold hype and have more excitement about the Jets than their MetLife co-tenants. However, the futures markets has belonged to Big Blue. FanDuel and other outlets have seen the Giants bet from 50-1 down to 15-1 as Super Bowl Champs. The Jets? Not so much excitement for the team stuck in the same division as Tom Brady and the mighty Patriots.

Both teams are currently favored heading into their preseason finales. The Giants will host the Pats, while the Jets travel to Philadelphia. For Week 1 of the regular season, both teams will be in marquee match-ups where they’re currently listed as underdogs. The Giants welcome Jacksonville (yes, they don’t have to play the Cowboys in Week 1!) for a Sunday afternoon game, while the Jets head to Detroit to usher in the Tessitore-Witten era in Monday Night Football’s season-opener doubleheader.

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