Betting public favors Patriots, 49ers

By Jeff Adcox | Jan 18, 2014

Jan 11, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) walks off the field after defeating the Indianapolis Colts 43-22 to win the 2013 AFC divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /

Gamblers looking for a pay day this weekend during the AFC and NFC Championship games are placing most of their wagers on the road underdogs.

In the AFC, the Denver Broncos are favored at home by 5.5 points over the visiting New England Patriots. That seems to be a pretty enticing bet when it comes to the public. According to data provided by Sports Insights to TheSpread.com, a whopping 70 percent of wagers on the AFC Championship game are currently being placed on the Patriots to cover the spread.

Peyton Manning notwithstanding, here are a couple things to keep in mind when it comes to betting on a Broncos-Patriots matchup.

New England is 4-0 against the spread versus Denver over the last three seasons
New England is 4-0 straight up against Denver over the last three seasons
The final score in all games in this series have gone over the total in the last three seasons

Over on the NFC side of the coin, the San Francisco 49ers are getting most of the love from the betting public. As 3.5 point road underdogs, the 49ers are currently getting 68 percent of the wagers against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game. This percentage may be a shock to some considering that Seattle is 15-1 over the last two seasons at home.

Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to betting on a 49er-Seahawk matchup.

Seattle is 5-1 against the spread versus San Francisco over the last three seasons
San Francisco is 4-2 straight up against Seattle over the last three seasons
Three of six games in this series have gone over the total in the last three seasons

Good luck!

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