Wild Card weekend is set and the odds favor the home teams in three of the games that open the NFL playoffs.
2014 NFL playoffs, wild card opening odds; Saints, Eagles, 49ers small betting favorites
NFL Wild Card betting changes wildly year to year, but favorites have been hot lately. The 49ers, Colts, Eagles and Bengals are favored this weekend, according to the opening lines from Odds Shark.
Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE
Only the San Francisco 49ers, who opened as 2.5-point chalk at Green Bay, are favored on the road, according to OddsShark.com, which provides sports odds to SBNation.
Indianapolis (-2 vs Kansas City), Philadelphia (-2.5 vs New Orleans) and Cincinnati (-7 vs San Diego) are all favored at home with the Bengals the biggest chalk of the opening weekend.
Betting on favorites has been profitable the past two Wild Card weekends as chalk went 7-1 ATS. And home NFC teams have been a great bet as well, going 7-3 ATS over the past five NFL post-seasons.
All four games went UNDER the total last season, but many of the NFL’s top-scoring teams are in action this weekend, forcing the totals higher in all games. The Eagles-Saints tilt has the highest opening number at 54.5.
Fresh Super Bowl betting odds are already posted after Week 17 and the field will be trimmed by four this week. The most bizarre streak in recent memory remains intact with San Diego’s inclusion in the final 12 teams.
For the past four seasons, the team that played in Philly’s home opener has gone on to win the Super Bowl. Who played in Philly’s home opener a year ago and were not favored to win the title? Baltimore. Guess who played in Philly’s home opener this year? San Diego.
Kansas City +2 at Indianapolis, total 46.5 - Matchup Report
Trends:
Chiefs are 0-7 SU and ATS in the playoffs since 1990 (three losses to Indy)
Chiefs are 2-12 SU, 3-11 ATS vs the Colts since 1990
Five of past six meetings played UNDER the total
Chiefs are 7-1 ATS on the road in 2013
Colts are 11-3 ATS past 14 home games
Colts are 10-3 favoring the UNDER in playoffs since 2005
New Orleans +2.5 at Philadelphia, total 54.5 - Matchup Report
Trends:
Five of the past six meetings played OVER the total
Saints are 2-9 ATS past 11 road games
Saints are 1-6 SU and ATS past seven games as underdog
OVER is 10-1-1 past 12 Saints playoff games since 1991
Saints are 1-5 SU on the road in playoffs since 1980
Eagles won last four home games (3-0-1 ATS)
Eagles won six of past seven games as favorite
San Diego +7 at Cincinnati, total 46.5 - Matchup Report
Trends:
Bengals 0-5 SU & ATS past five playoff games
Bengals are 5-1 ATS vs the Chargers since 2002
OVER is 7-2-1 past 10 meetings
Chargers are 8-3-1 ATS past 12 games as underdogs
Bengals are 11-1 SU and ATS past 12 home games
Chargers are 3-1 ATS past four playoff road games
San Francisco -2.5 at Green Bay, total 48.5 - Matchup Report
Trends:
Teams have played six straight OVERs since 2006
49ers are just 1-8 SU at Green Bay since 1996
49ers are 10-3-1 ATS past 14 road games
49ers are 8-1 SU and ATS past nine games as road chalk
Packers are 1-7 ATS past eight games as underdogs
Packers are 5-1 ATS as home dog with Rodgers as QB
Packers are 5-2 ATS past seven playoff games
49ers lost five of past six playoff road games SU
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