Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will look to hold it down at home against Brock Osweiler and the Houston Texans in their AFC divisional round showdown on Saturday while Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs square off against Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in an even more anticipated divisional round matchup one day later.
If you’re ready to cash in on both affairs, let’s get down to business.
NFL Online Betting Odds: Pair Of AFC Divisional Round Matchups Take Center Stage
Houston Texans (10-7) at New England Patriots (14-2)
When: Saturday, January 14, 2017 at 8:15 PM ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
TV: CBS
NFL Odds: New England -15.5 / Total: 45
Analysis: It’s a damn shame, but the fact of the matter is that Houston Texans would have had a much better chance to cover the spread if Tom Savage were getting the start in this divisional round matchup instead of the pitiful Brock Osweiler. However, since Savage will be on the bench, I say play the Pats to win big and cover the largest playoff spread in almost two decades and 54 percent of the betting public agrees. The Texans are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against their AFC counterparts, an uninspiring 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games and a winless 0-5 ATS in their last five road games against a team with a winning home record.
Conversely, Tom Brady and the Patriots have gone 5-0 ATS in their last five games following an SU win, 4-0 ATS in their L/4 games against their AFC conference counterparts and a near-perfect 6-1 ATS in their L/7 games against a team with a winning record. The Texans have a very good defense, but they won’t be able to move the ball much, if at all with Brock Osweiler under center, making the Patriots the pick to record their second blowout win over Houston this season.
Pick: New England 28 Houston 10
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)
When: Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 1:05 PM ET
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
TV: NBC
NFL Odds: Kansas -1.5 / Total: 46
Analysis: The Chiefs have been one of my top AFC Super Bowl contenders all season long, but right now, I’m going to urge you to go with the 54 percent of public bettors that likes Pittsburgh Steelers to cover the spread at the very least.
I know the Steelers are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games against Kansas City and that the home team in this AFC rivalry has gone 7-1 ATS in their last eight meetings, but Pittsburgh is 3-0-1 ATS in their last four divisional playoff games, a robust 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games overall and 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games against their AFC counterparts.
With the Chiefs going 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games, 1-7 ATS in their last eight playoff games and 0-4 ATS in their last four home playoff games, I’m thinking the Steelers not only cover the spread, but do so by winning outright!
Pick: Pittsburgh 21 Kansas City 20
