The public has gotten a deeper look at the Jets this season through HBO's "Hard Knocks," and the second episode of the show amazingly had an influence on sportsbooks.
As part of a team-bonding activity, New York brought in a magician. One of their tricks involved wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who was asked to predict who the Jets would beat in the Super Bowl. Hardman said the San Francisco 49ers, 31-21. The magician had a card on display, and he revealed the matchup and score Hardman said.
Now, whether this actually was magic or just a really good cold read is irrelevant. Everyone in the room enjoyed the trick, but those watching at home seemingly were inspired.
After that "Hard Knocks" episode premiered this week, 20% of bets were on the Jets to beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl at 80-1, which was the most action out of any other Super Bowl exacta, according to data analyst John Ewing. This means those that bet $10 will win $800.
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San Francisco is among the contenders for the Super Bowl, so it's not that crazy of a scenario, but it's another case of New York as one of the most popular bets this season. Sportsbooks saw a ton of money come in when Aaron Rodgers announced his intention to play in New York, and the Jets hype train continued into the offseason.
There's reason to believe things could fall apart for New York, but that hasn't stopped people from finding whatever angle they can to get some action on the Jets, which now includes things that happen on "Hard Knocks."
