Four teams opened as big home favorites as NFL divisional playoff betting lines went up Sunday night, while one division champ opened as a small home underdog.
2014 NFL playoffs: Betting odds open with Patriots, Broncos, Seahawks as big favorites
Carolina is a surprise home underdog while the other three divisional playoff betting lines see the home teams as big favorites. See the opening NFL odds report from Odds Shark.
Dustin Bradford
A week after all four road teams covered the spread on Wild Card Weekend, Seattle, New England and Denver opened as favorites of at least seven points. In Carolina, the Panthers opened as two-point home underdogs to San Francisco.
Updated playoff bracket
SB Nation’s beautiful playoff app has you covered with full recaps and an updated bracket after wild card weekend. New Orleans will try to make it consecutive road wins in Seattle, and they get eight points from most sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Saints are rarely big underdogs, and they are 0-4 ATS when getting eight or more points since 2005.
Indianapolis, +7, must avoid a letdown from their epic rally against Kansas when they visit New England. The Colts are 4-1 ATS in their past five trips to New England, a team that has slumped to a 2-6 ATS mark at home in playoffs since 2008.
San Diego is the biggest underdog and they won outright in Denver in this same situation a month ago, upsetting the Broncos. They get nine points to work with after upsetting Cincinnati Sunday to run their recent playoff road mark to 4-1 ATS.
And San Francisco -- fresh off a frosty last-minute win over the Packers -- are small favorites again at Carolina. The Panthers have absolutely owned the 49ers at the pay window over the years with a 15-3 ATS mark.
Carolina is hot at home and the Niners are hot on the road, which sets up a terrific matchup.
New Orleans +8 at Seattle -8, Total 47.5 - Matchup Report
Trends: The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 5 games on the road.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle’s last 5 games .
Indianapolis +7 at New England -7, Total 53 - Matchup Report
Trends: Indianapolis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games .
New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
San Francisco -2 at Carolina +2, Total 43 - Matchup Report
Trends: San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games .
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
San Diego +9 at Denver -9, Total 54.5 - Matchup Report
Trends: San Diego is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games .
Denver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home.
