The regular season is over and Bodog is here to get you ready to bet on NFL playoff matchups, starting with a preview of the Saturday matchups. We also offer many prop bets for the wild card games, so make sure you check out all your betting options for this weekend.
Tennessee Titans @ Kansas City Chiefs
Favourite: Chiefs -9
The first playoff game of 2018 will be an AFC affair held at Arrowhead, with the fifth-seeded Tennessee Titans paying a visit to the No. 4 seed Kansas City Chiefs. The Titans managed to squeeze into the playoffs by beating the Jaguars 15-10 in Week 17 when the Jags had nothing to play for. It was an uninspiring effort by Tennessee, who only managed 232 yards in the contest, but a win is a win and this is their first playoff appearance since 2008.
The Chiefs have had a shaky season as well. They started 5-0 and looked like the unstoppable force of the league, but then promptly lost six of their next seven games, putting their season in jeopardy before rebounding with four straight wins. Dangerous offensive weapons like Alex Smith, Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce are reasons why NFL playoff odds have the Chiefs as 9-point favourites in the first ever playoff matchup between the two teams.
Atlanta Falcons @ Los Angeles Rams
Favourite: Rams -6
The second part of the Saturday doubleheader will shift to the NFC and feature the sixth-seeded Atlanta Falcons travelling to Los Angeles to face the third-seeded Rams at the Coliseum. This is the second ever playoff matchup between the Falcons and the Rams, with the Falcons prevailing 47-17 over the Saint Louis squad in the 2004 playoffs.
With both teams fielding potent offenses, the total is set at 48.5 points. Falcons vs. Rams odds favour the 11-5 Los Angeles team by a 6-point margin, as they had a fairy tale turnaround from the 2016 season where they went 4-12. Head coach Sean McVay will be looking to deploy running back Todd Gurley, who finished second in the NFL in rushing at 1,305 yards and scored a mind-blowing 19 touchdowns between rushing and receiving. Gurley is favoured to rush for the most yards this weekend at +250, while Atlanta’s Julio Jones is the receiving yards equivalent at +350.
The defending Super Bowl runners up will need key stops on defense and a sound offensive game plan to compete with the mighty Rams, who led the league in scoring offense this season. The Rams’ Super Bowl 52 odds are set at +800 as we go to press. Be sure to tune in to this highly anticipated Wild Card matchup, especially if you’re a fan of offensive production.
*Odds as of January 4, 2018