Historic Divisional Weekend on Tap for NFL Playoffs

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Four NFL Playoff games this weekend feature four of the closest matchups in NFL history, according to analysts TheLines, which tracks odds in the U.S. regulated sports betting market.

This year's Divisional Weekend shows a combined opening point spread of just 14 points in the four games, according to a consensus of that nation's largest legal online sportsbooks — including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, and PointsBet. Historical data shows that the lowest combined points for the four-game Divisional Weekend came in 1971 when the four games featured combined odds of 13.5 points.

To put the number in perspective, the average combined point spread for the Divisional Weekend for the past 15 years is 27 points, and the lowest combined point spread in that 15-year span was 21 points last season. The opening odds for this weekend show a sharp contrast coming off the Wild Card Weekend in which five of the six favorites won outright with four of them winning in double-digit blowouts.

The Cincinnati Bengals will play at the Tennessee Titans on Saturday to open the action and the Titans opened as a consensus 3.5-point favorite. The Bengals' win over the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend marked the first playoff victory in 31 years for the franchise.

The Saturday evening matchup features the Green Bay Packers playing host to the San Francisco 49ers, who were the only underdog to cover and win outright in the Wild Card Weekend. The Packers, who own home-field advantage on the NFC side of the playoffs, had a bye last weekend. And several of their stars — including MVP frontrunner Aaron Rodgers — saw limited action in Week 18, so Green Bay should be well rested.

Sunday opens with the Los Angeles Rams traveling to face the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are coming off blowout victories last weekend and oddsmakers have installed the Bucs as 2.5-point favorites to open the week.

The final game of the weekend is perhaps the most anticipated matchup as the Buffalo Bills travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs, with the Chiefs sitting as a 2.5-point favorite. The game features the highest over/under total of the weekend at 55 points.

"All four of these games have the potential to be classic NFL Playoff games and we expect to see bettors pay significant attention to this weekend," said Brett Collson lead analyst for TheLines.com. "The home team is the favorite in all four games, but the relatively narrow lines show just how tight these matchups could be."

The current odds for each playoff team to win Super Bowl LVI as of Tuesday, Jan. 18 (with preseason odds):

• Green Bay Packers +375 (+1400)
• Kansas City Chiefs +400 (+500)
• Buffalo Bills +500 (+1150)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +550 (+650)
• Los Angeles Rams +750 (+1500)
• Tennessee Titans +750 (+3000)
• San Francisco 49ers +1000 (+1400)
• Cincinnati Bengals +1200 (+15000)

The consensus point spreads for the Divisional Weekend, as of Tuesday, Jan. 18:

• Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans (-3.5); over/under 47
• San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (-5.5); over/under 47.5
• Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5); over/under 48.5
• Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5); over/under 55

To access updated NFL playoff lines and Super Bowl odds, and for more analysis, visit TheLines.com/odds/nfl-playoffs.

About TheLines.com:

TheLines.com is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated sports betting in the United States. Affiliated with the PlayUSA.com Network, TheLines.com provides original daily reporting and offers player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online sports betting. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.

Contacts:
Zack Hall, Catena Media, 775-338-0745, [email protected]

SOURCE TheLines.com