Here's Who the Sportsbooks Need in Sunday's NFL Divisional Round (Rams-Bucs, Bills-Chiefs)
By Ben Heisler
Saturday was an excellent day for the sportsbooks.
With both No. 1 seeds falling in the Divisional Round, the underdogs paid off big-time for the books, as the handle was lopsided towards the favorites. According to WynnBET communications, 65.4% of the money was on the Titans -4, while 56.3% of the money favored Green Bay at -6.
The Sunday slate kicks off today at 3 p.m. ET when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the L.A. Rams as 2.5-point favorites at WynnBET Sportsbook, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Buffalo Bills as short 1.5-point favorites.
What two teams and totals are the oddsmakers hoping to hit? Here are the latest splits courtesy of WynnBET.
Rams vs. Buccaneers Betting Splits
After opening as a 3-point favorite at home, the line has shifted just slightly towards the Rams, moving to a 2.5-point underdog in Tampa.
Sean McVay and the Rams have beaten Tom Brady and the Bucs in two consecutive games, but as Brady has shown throughout his NFL and postseason career, previous results against him don't ever seem to play a major role in slowing him down.
The pros and public are fairly close together, with 55.6% of the betting tickets on Tampa Bay -2.5, as well as 53.5% of the money coming in on the Bucs.
There are some bets that are backing the Rams on the moneyline at +125, as 55.5% of the moneyline bets are on Los Angeles to pull off the upset; as well as 60.9% of the money.
As for the total, after opening at 48.5, the line shifted a full point down to 47.5, before a late push back to 48.
While 74.5% of the betting tickets expect the OVER to hit, only 57.7% of the money agrees, as the sharps helped move the line down in the first place.
Bills vs. Chiefs Betting Splits
Perhaps the most fascinating of both playoff games today, the Chiefs opened as 2-point favorites at WynnBET before going to -2.5 in the early portion of the week. However, WynnBET, along with several other books, made a rapid move towards Buffalo, moving the line a full-point the other way. The current spread sits at Chiefs -1.5, with -110 odds on both sides.
According to WynnBET, Chiefs -1.5 is the largest liability for them this week. Despite Buffalo receiving 52.7% of the tickets, the handle is on Kansas City to cover at a 70.5% clip.
On the moneyline, the Bills remain a popular short underdog, taking in 59.4% of the tickets as well as 65.9% of the money.
Lastly, the total has seen action on both sides. After opening at 54, the line shot up to 55.5 for much of the week before dropping back down to 54. 64.9% of the total bets are not surprisingly backing the OVER, but just 54.2% of the money is going in that direction.
For even more insight and analysis for both games, check out our Rams-Bucs and Bills-Chiefs betting cheat sheets, as well as our NFL hub for props, same game parlays plays, and more!