The opening wild card round of the 2024 NFL playoffs produced some blowout wins and down to the wire drama. The higher seeds won 5-of-6 games, and betting favorites went 3-3 straight up (SU) and 2-4 against the spread (ATS). The leading online sportsbooks got the best of it in the wild card round, but more bettors will be looking to bounce back in the most anticipated divisional round.
The four divisional round games are set following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) 25-9 win as underdog over the Philadelphia Eagles, who started the season 10-1 and fizzled out losing six of their final seven games while going 0-7 ATS.
The Houston Texans continued their surprising season with a 45-14 win over the Cleveland Browns. The Texans made the biggest jump this season going from 3 wins last year to 10 this year plus a playoff win in a worst-to-first division turnaround. Now Rookie of the Year quarterback CJ Stroud and the Texans hit the road in the divisional round and try to tackle the Baltimore Ravens league-best rushing attack and MVP Lamar Jackson, along with the Ravens dominant top-tier defense.
The Detroit Lions dramatic, storyline-filled 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams also set a NFL Playoff Wild Card round ticket price record with the average price for seats surpassing $1,200. The Lions fans at Ford Field get another opportunity to show their spirit and support with a home game next Sunday, Jan. 21 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The No. 2 NFC seed Dallas Cowboys losing to the No. 7 Green Bay Packers as a 7-point favorite sets up the following divisional round matchups Jan. 20-21.
2024 NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Odds and Viewing Guide
Pro football odds from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. Point spreads listed on favorites. All times Eastern.
How to bet strategy guide and tips
- Line: Ravens (-8.5), Total 45.5 – Bet Ravens and under
- Saturday, Jan. 20 | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN/ABC
- Line: 49ers (-9.5), Total 50.5 – Bet under
- Saturday, Jan. 20 | 8:15 p.m. | FOX
- Line: Lions (-6) vs. Bucs, Total 48.5 – TBD
- Sunday, Jan. 21 | 3:00 p.m. | NBC
- Line: Bills (-2.5), Total 46.5 – Bet Bills and under
- Sunday, Jan. 21 | 6:30 p.m. | CBS
The adjusted Super Bowl odds favor the 49ers (+175) and Ravens (+280) with the Bills (+500), Chiefs (+700), Lions (+900), Buccaneers (+2500), Packers (+3000), and Texans (+3500) trying to win their way to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Two of the leagues best quarterbacks and a pair of dominant defensive tackles line up for another most anticipated divsional round matchup between the Chiefs and Bills. The winter storm and snow should clear later in the week with temperatures near 20 degrees and lighter wind (10 mph) for the Sunday night showdown.
This year’s Chiefs defense is the best in five years under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Led by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones, the Chiefs allowed just 17.3 points per game, 290 yards per game and 4.7 yards per play this season to rank top-3 in the league across the board. The Chiefs then shut down the Dolphins AFC-leading offense in yards and points to just 264 yards in a 26-7 wild card win.
“I talked about it, I think, in training camp,” Mahomes said in his postgame news conference. “I was like, ‘I really would not wanna play our defense.’ I mean, we have great players. We have great players all around. Every single level, you have players, you have depth. The guys rotate in. Can do it all. And then you have Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) and this scheme. All the guys are so well-coached in the scheme that they use it to their advantage.”
Defensive tackle Chris Jones added, “Absolutely, man. In defense I trust, baby. In Spagnuolo, I trust.”
Those defensive stats are all top-5 in the league, but the Bills bring their top-5 scoring (28.5 PPG), yards (375) and yards per play (5.7) offense to this most anticipated matchup. The Bills have also stampeded their way on the ground since Week 10 averaging a league-high 35.2 rush attempts per game since with six straight wins following Monday’s 31-17 wild card win over the Steelers. The Bills ran the ball 34 times for 179 yards, and QB Josh Allen passed for 203 yards and 3 TDs and rushed for 74 yards and another touchdown in the victory.
The Bills defense has held all six of those opponents during their current winning streak to 22 points or less. That includes the Chiefs in a 20-17 Bills road win in Week 14 when Buffalo controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes, but still grinded their way to just 327 yards at 4.5 yards per play. Then in Monday’s wild card win, DT Ed Oliver dominated on defense for the Bills, who are now 7-2 at home this season holding every opponent to 24 points or less.
The Chiefs now play their first road playoff game under Mahomes, who has played 11 straight playoff games at Arrowhead Stadium over seven seasons, plus three Super Bowls with two Super Bowl victories
Kansas City does have 8-days between playoff games to tackle the Bills, who have just 6-days prep since their wild card game was postponed to Monday with severe weather in Western New York.
Football fans and expecially Chiefs-Bills fans recall the epic 2022 AFC divisional round game when the Chiefs won 42-36 in overtime on an 8-yard TD pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. The teams combined for 25 points in the final two minutes or regulation with three lead-changing touchdowns including the Bills go-ahead TD with 13 seconds remaining. Too much times for Mahomes, who completed a pair of passes for 19 and 25 yards to set up the game-tying 49 yard field goal to send the game to overtime.
Recall too that the 2022 divsional round playoffs two years ago saw the Chiefs OT win follow three other divisional round games which ended with game winning field goals by the visiting teams including the LA Rams, who would go on to win Super Bowl LVI.
As the stakes rise and the NFL playoff excitement and betting action builds, fans are getting in the game with more betting opportunties including player prop bets to stay more engaged as they watch and wager on the NFL playoffs. The divisional round games are the most anticipated of the season, and the Chiefs-Bills rematch should be another NFL classic ahead of next week’s conference championship games and Super Bowl LVIII Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
You can bet on it.