National Football League

NFL odds: Bet on this surprise team to win their division

Updated Jul. 6, 2022 10:37 p.m. ET

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By Jason McIntyre
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

When it comes to the NFC East, one team is too large to overlook. 

Although nobody wins a Super Bowl in the offseason, casual gamblers are gravitating toward the Philadelphia Eagles because they added star receiver A.J. Brown via a trade. As for the rest of the division, the Commanders upgraded — maybe? — at QB by acquiring Carson Wentz, who has Washington backers confident in a double-digit win season. And, as usual, everyone — except me — loves the Dallas Cowboys, "America’s Team."

Languishing at the bottom of the NFC East will be the New York Giants, right? They’re +800 to win the division, but I'm zagging when everyone else is zigging. Let's jump into why they are my best bet to win the division.

The first step in making NFL futures bets is to zoom out and look at the big picture. When it comes to the Giants, they play the easiest schedule in the league — when you look at opponents’ win totals last season. And, their non-divisional road schedule features the easiest slate in the league. In the two weeks before and after the bye, the Giants will face the four weakest teams in the NFL — Jacksonville, Seattle, Houston and Detroit. 

Besides having the easiest schedule in the league, their roster is also much improved. The moves weren't sexy, but they were significant. 

Giants fans should be extremely excited about new head coach Brian Daboll — who was perhaps the best offensive coordinator in the league the last two years, turning Josh Allen into an MVP candidate. Whether he can solve Daniel Jones (38 games, 36 fumbles, 29 interceptions) is anyone's guess, but he'll simplify the offense to get the ball in space to Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Sterling Shepard. 

Getting the ball to the team's best playmakers and limiting Jones' turnovers will be the focal point of this offense next season. This is why I'm expecting a marked improvement from the rotten, injury-plagued offense last year that failed to top 14 points in seven of their final eight games. 

On the other side of the ball, new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale came over from the Baltimore Ravens to run his smash-mouth schemes which featured lots of pressure on the quarterback. Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux, who will be chasing QBs with Azeez Ojulari and Leonard Williams, will feast in what could turn out to be a new Big Blue Wrecking Crew. 

Yes, I know the Giants have been one of the worst teams in the NFL over the last five years, going a staggering 22-59. The last time this team was respectable was in 2016 when Odell Beckham was a budding star. Of course, he then took the offense on a boat trip the week before the playoff game against the Packers. We all know what happened next, the Giants lost, 38-13, and have been in a tailspin ever since. 

However, that was then and this is now. With a healthy squad, new coaching staff and an easy schedule, it’s smart to bet on the Giants in a land full of dwarfs. "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum!" 

JMAC'S PICK: Giants to win the NFC East (+800 at FOX Bet)

Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports betting analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, "Coming Up Winners," in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.

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