Prediction markets have been a hot topic of discussion in sports, gambling and media sectors in 2026, and they show no sign of slowing down any time soon. These platforms combine financial trading with predicting event outcomes – including sports – all without being federally defined as gambling.
Although New York state is contesting their legality in court, prediction markets remain active in the state for now while legal proceedings unfold. Plenty of New York state residents – likely in the tens if not hundreds of thousands – will be using them this year to put money down on NFL markets like Bills, Giants or Jets matches. This is what you need to know about the popular NFL options within each platform and why traders flock to them.
What are Prediction Markets – a Quick Explainer
Prediction markets let customers (often called “traders”) put money down on real world event outcomes. Prices will be between $0.01 and $0.99 each – with the changing share price determined by market opinion. Once the event is settled, correct holders are paid out $1 per share.
If you bought 100 shares in the 1-4 Houston Texans (as of Week 5) to win the 2027 Super Bowl, that would cost $1. Because they are currently rated as having a 1% chance to go the distance by the markets. If they did win the league, you would make $100 for a $99 profit. On the other hand, 100 shares in the currently 5-0 San Francisco 49ers to be Super Bowl LXI winner at 13%, would mean putting in $13. A correct prediction would pay back $100 for an $87 profit.
Unlike sportsbooks you can buy more or sell your shares at any time, and you can also put money down on the Yes or No side of any market. This allows traders to use financial trading strategies like arbitrage, adding another layer of complexity to proceedings. Crucially, it also turns them into what the platforms say are financial products, regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and not state gambling regulators.
This has made them very popular with NFL fans. According to recent figures from research by Bloomberg, top prediction market competitors Kalshi and Polymarket totalled $8.5 billion in trading volume across the early October weekend – and at Kalshi in particular a lot of that has been attributed to the NFL and NCAA.
Futures Markets Are Usually the Biggest in Volume
As with sports betting, futures markets are the easiest and most accessible kind of prediction to make. For that reason NFL futures are always among the popular choices at Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction platforms.
The biggest markets are the long-term futures. Despite all the complexity of trading, you can simply treat prediction markets as a set-and-forget wager if you so wish. The 2027 NFL Champion market already has $176 million in trading volume at Kalshi, despite the early stage of the season.
Other popular prediction futures include:
- The next Super Bowl winners
- Regional division and championship winners
- MVP Award winners
- Teams to make playoffs
- Will x player throw/rush/receive x yards over the season
One interesting futures market for New York NFL fans, is will the New York Giants and Jets both make the playoffs? Traders overwhelmingly expect not, with 97% in the negative on that question even at this early stage.
One thing to note is that, as with sportsbooks, promotions and offers can make a difference to a value proposition. For an example of the offers available right now, consider this Novig promo code review on Covers.com. These expert reviewers break down every aspect of this and other platforms’ offers and general features, helping traders identify the top deals in an increasingly crowded market.
Individual Game Winners and Unique Markets
Outside of futures, markets on the results of individual games are also a very popular and simpler option.
The Eagles vs Bears game from Week 3 of 2026 generated $157 million in trading volume on Kalshi alone. The Colts vs Chiefs from Week 2 ($140 million in volume) was a close second, followed by the Rams vs the Broncos in Week 3.
These markets are closer to what you’d find at traditional sportsbooks, such as predicting the game winner or the under/over. However, some unique contract options you’ll find at prediction markets that are different from most sportsbooks include:
- Last undefeated team (only the Vikings, Chiefs and 49ers left as of Week 5)
- Last team to win a game (The Miami Dolphins 47% favorite at Kalshi, if you were wondering)
- Which division will have the most or least wins
- Highest scoring team in each week
- Any team to get 15/16/17+ wins
- Number of ties over the season
One interesting market only really available at prediction markets are player stat ladders. With these markets you buy a contract in a players total passing/rushing yards, or many other stats. You get paid per yard or whatever stat they make, up to the maximum of $1 per contract.
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