There’s simply no denying the fact that when it comes to the best record in the NFL, New Jersey stands alone. That’s right — New Jersey. As in the Giants and the Jets and their combined 11-3(!) record.
Soooo…
Technically the state of New Jersey has the most wins in the NFL
¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/oi8vIZI85Q
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 26, 2022
Even the most diehard fans of either of these two franchises could have never imagined that at this juncture of the season, they’d both be legitimate contenders. Of course, there’s plenty of season left, and the Jets just lost budding superstar Breece Hall to an ACL injury, and the Giants are winning each week with a wide receiver corps that could probably legitimately benefit from signing 65-year-old Phil McConkey. Actually, let’s pause for some McConkey …
G-Men delight
Starting with the 6-1 Giants, whose win total before the season was set at 6.5 at -135 at BetMGM. For the truly courageous, it was at 7.5 at FanDuel and PointsBet at +125 odds.
Clearly, the team is going smash those overs, and the NJ sportsbooks agree. In fact, at DraftKings, the over is now set at a whopping 10.5 at -110.
And if you think the magic is really going to continue, the squad is -300 at DraftKings to make the playoffs, +900 at DraftKings to topple the Eagles and take the NFC East, +2000 at Caesars to win the NFC, and +4100 at FanDuel to raise the (New Jersey-made, Parsippany represent!) Lombardi Trophy.
Fun Fact: The sterling silver Lombardi trophy is made by Tiffany in Parsippany, NJ. I've been to the foundry.
— 🎃 Ivan the K™🎃 (@IvanTheK) February 6, 2017
But to do all that, it would help to continue to win games. And this week, the Giants will be traveling to Seattle for a stiffer test than anyone could’ve thought possible before the season started against the upstart Seahawks.
In fact, the Giants are 3-point underdogs in this battle, with Caesars offering the best bang for the buck at +100. On the moneyline front, Caesars and bet365 are offering the best odds at +140. The over/under is set at a middling 44.5, with PointsBet at -107 offering the best odds on either side.
Jets! Jets! Jets!
Meanwhile, the Jets and their 5-2 record might be even more surprising. Heading into the season, their over/under on wins was set at 5.5 across all the books, mostly at -150 or so on the over.
Translation? They win this week against the Patriots — more on that in a moment — and they’ll be the first NFL team to beat their over this year.
Today, the books aren’t as aggressive on the Jets as they are on the Giants, with DraftKings posting an 8.5 win total for the Jets at -110. As for bigger dreams? Try +2000 on FanDuel to win the AFC East, +4000 on PointsBet to win the AFC outright, and +8000 at BetMGM to win the Super Bowl.
This week, the Jets take on their longtime divisional nemesis in the New England Patriots. And much like the Giants, the sportsbooks aren’t exactly seeing a path to victory for the Jets.
FanDuel is offering -106 odds and giving the Jets 2.5 points, and the moneyline is set at +120 on DraftKings for a Jets victory in a game with a groan-inducing over/under of 40.5.
It's Patriots week. pic.twitter.com/71cQjADqT1
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 26, 2022
There’s still a ton of football on the docket for both of these squads, and between the recent fortunes of the two teams — the last time either had a winning record, Barack Obama was still in the White House (the Giants were 11-5 in 2016) — and the somewhat, let’s say, “cynical” attitude of many in the New York metropolitan area, it certainly feels like this carriage could turn into a pumpkin at any moment.
But in the meantime, enjoy it. Big Blue and the J-E-T-S are the kings of New Jersey.
Photo: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
