The NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday, April 25, and the evaluators weighed in right away via knee-jerk draft grades and a mountain of analysis and commentary. You know who else is telling us what they think? Gamblers. And the New York Football Giants received some noteworthy action in the week following the draft.
Specifically, both DraftKings and BetMGM reported late last week that on their platforms, the Giants are the most-bet team to win the Super Bowl since the draft (more money came in on Kansas
City, but more bets came in on New York). DraftKings also reported that the Giants are the most-bet team to win the NFC Championship since the draft.
Why the sudden surge in these bets? For one thing, the Giants have long odds to win the NFC and Super Bowl, so this isn’t so much a case of the public thinking the Giants are going to the Super Bowl as it is a value play on a trendy long-shot at attractive odds. On FanDuel, New York’s odds to win the NFC are +3500 (35-1). That’s tied with the Falcons and Panthers, and only the Saints and Cardinals have longer odds. Before the draft, only the Cardinals had longer odds than Big Blue – so, wagering on the G-Men is moving the needle. The FanDuel odds for New York to win the Super Bowl are +7000 (70-1). That ranks 23rd out of 32 teams, and again, those odds are down a bit since the draft as money has come in on the Giants.
If the Giants somehow do make the Super Bowl this coming season, it will be the first time a team went from a 4-13 season to winning a conference champion a year later since (checks notes)… last season. The memory of the 2025-2026 New England Patriots is fresh, and there are quite a few similarities between the two situations: A brand new head coach with an excellent and proven track record, a promising second-year quarterback who did everything you could want as a rookie except win games, an improved roster, a favorable schedule (the Patriots had the league’s easiest schedule last season, while the Giants are middle of the pack this year, but had the NFL’s hardest schedule heading into last season), and nowhere to go but up after finishing last in the division. Shockers like the 2025 Patriots almost never happen. But if you ask NFL analysts to pick this year’s Patriots, the answer you’ll hear the most is the Giants.
Another factor is the draft class. The Giants were the only team with two top-ten draft picks last weekend, and their overall draft was widely praised after the dust settled. Ed Valentine posted this summary of draft grades last week. The Giants roster got better on paper last weekend, in large part because of their Day 1 and Day 2 picks, all of whom have a real chance to be impactful starters right away (linebacker Arvell Reese, offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, cornerback Colton Hood, and wide receiver Malachi Fields).
Interestingly, the odds around the Giants’ over-under win total haven’t moved that much, but that could change over time. In mid-March, I wrote this column discussing the FanDuel NFL win totals, which had just dropped. As noted in that column, New York’s number (7.5) represents a very big jump from the 2025 offered total (5.5) and the actual win total from last season (4).
Here is the movement since then:
March 6:
Over 7.5 Wins: (+110)
Under 7.5 Wins: (-130)
May 2:
Over 7.5 Wins: (+105)
Under 7.5 Wins: (-125)
This shows the public being a bit more optimistic around the team hitting the over, but honestly, it’s not much of a change. Other FanDuel odds of note: The Giants are +600 to win the NFC East, which is the biggest number in the division, and they are +285 to make the playoffs, which is one up from the bottom of the conference (Arizona). Still, overall gambling sentiment clearly favors the Giants being among the NFL’s most-improved teams in 2026. Is it worth sprinkling a few bucks on them to make a very deep playoff run? I’m not offering gambling advice. Just know this: If you do decide to take a swing, you aren’t alone.
