Who does the public favor in XLVI?

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (The Spread) – Who know how the odds favor, but who does the public like between the Giants and the Patriots when it comes to Super Bowl XLVI?

The Patriots opened as a 3.5-point favorite at most sports books but the line has been bet down to 3 or even 2.5 at some places. The total, meanwhile, opened at 55.5 and has dropped to 53 at most places, although some books have bumped the over/under back up to 54 or 54.5.

And it would appear that no matter where the line is listed, the NFL betting public favors the G-Men.

Of the wagers on tonight’s Super Bowl, 61% of NFL public bettors currently favor the Giants. Granted, this information is subject to change the closer we get to kickoff. But at this point it’s clear that the public is backing the underdog Giants once again when it comes to the matchup between these two teams.

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Why wouldn’t they? The Giants have beaten the Patriots the last two times these two teams have met, which includes a 24-20 victory in New England during the 2011 regular season, and of course a 17-14 upset in the 2008 Super Bowl. Thanks in large part to the play of Eli Manning and their outstanding pass rush, New York has gotten the better of New England the past few years.

The trends favor the Giants as well. They’re 5-1 against the spread in their last six games against the Patriots while the underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings between these two teams. The Giants are also 5-0 against the number in their last five games overall, 8-1 ATS in their last nine playoff games and 8-0 ATS in their last eight playoff games as an underdog. The Patriots, meanwhile, are 1-6 ATS in their last seven playoff games as a favorite and 1-7 ATS in their last eight playoff games overall.

Victor Cruz and the Giants are the official underdog in this game, but they might as well be favored in the eyes of the public.

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