The New York Giants have made history this week, but not the kind Big Blue fans hoped to see. Vegas has favored the Baltimore Ravens by 16.5 points over Tommy DeVito and the G-Men, marking the largest NFL spread this season. The previous record this year was the Detroit Lions as 14-point favorites over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. The Lions easily covered, winning 52-6.
The last time a team was favored by more than 16 points occurred last season when the Dallas Cowboys covered a 17.5-point spread in Week 10 against the Giants—and ironically, DeVito was the starting quarterback. The Cowboys were dominated, 49-17. Tommy Cutlets earned the start because both starter Daniel Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor were injured.
Vegas insults Tommy DeVito and the Giants by making them 16+ point underdogs for the second time in consecutive seasons
DeVito will start again this Sunday in place of Drew Lock. The veteran is dealing with a heel injury and is wearing a walking boot. Giants head coach Brian Daboll stated earlier in the week that Lock would be the starter if healthy. However, after Lock failed to practice on Wednesday, the team officially named Tommy Cutlets this week’s starting quarterback.
Not only are Big Blue and DeVito 16+ point underdogs in back-to-back seasons, but this marks the first time in over 50 years the Giants are 14+ point underdogs at home. The last instance came in 1966 when the G-Men were 16.5-point underdogs against the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite losing 20-17, the Giants managed to cover the spread, offering a glimmer of hope for fans looking for history to repeat itself.
The New York Giants are 16-point underdogs against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) December 12, 2024
The Giants haven't been 14+ point underdogs at home since 1966 (50 YEARS).
They were 14.5-point underdogs against the St. Louis Cardinals and lost, 20-17. pic.twitter.com/4rkKGuPk7y
Typically, fans are inclined to back the home team against the spread, but the Giants have hit a new all-time low as a home team. Being this heavily favored against at home hasn’t occurred since 2021. Since 2019, only two of the seven largest home spreads have been covered, highlighting how rare and humiliating it is for a home team to face odds like these.
The Giants are 4-9 against the spread this season, tied for the second-worst record in the league behind the Tennessee Titans. Vegas has struggled to figure out Tennessee, as they are 2-11 against the spread this year. For the Giants, an eight-game losing streak looms large over Sunday’s matchup. However, DeVito and Big Blue will look to snap that streak and defy both the odds and the critics against a dominant Ravens squad.