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The Steelers opened as 13.5-point underdogs at BetMGM and
12.5-point underdogs at DraftKings ahead of Sunday night's game
at the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pittsburgh only advanced to the playoffs thanks to Indianapolis'
shocking loss at Jacksonville on Sunday and then Carlson's
game-winning field goal on the last play of overtime in Las
Vegas' victory over the Los Angeles Chargers later that night.
The Steelers are by far the biggest underdogs in the first round
of the playoffs, with the next-longest odds belonging to
Philadelphia against Tampa Bay. The Bucs are favored by 7.5
points at BetMGM and 8.5 points at DraftKings.
Pittsburgh is receiving some early support from the public, with
BetMGM reporting Monday that the Steelers have been backed by 60
percent of the bets while the spread-line money has been evenly
split.
That is not the case for the Eagles, who have been supported by
only 29 percent of the bets and 14 percent of the money, making
the Bucs the most one-sided bet at the sportsbook thus far.
The most evenly-wagered game has been the San Francisco 49ers
receiving 49 percent of the bets and 53 percent of the money as
2.5-point underdogs at the Dallas Cowboys.
After Sunday night's dramatic close to the regular season, the
Raiders play in the first playoff game at Cincinnati on Saturday
afternoon. The Raiders are 6.5-point underdogs at BetMGM and
6.0-point underdogs at DraftKings on short rest, with Cincinnati
backed by 59 percent of the early bets and 69 percent of the
spread-line money wagered.
The second primetime game on Saturday will feature a trilogy
game with the New England Patriots at the Buffalo Bills after
the teams split their regular-season meetings. After the New
England won 14-10 at home on Dec. 6, the Bills returned the
favor with a 33-21 win at Orchard Park the day after Christmas.
Buffalo is a 6.5-point favorite at BetMGM, but New England is
being backed by 53 percent of the bets and 69 percent of the
spread-line money.
Wild Card Weekend will conclude with another trilogy event as
the Arizona Cardinals face off against the division-rival Los
Angeles Rams on Monday night. The Cardinals have already won
once in L.A. this season, beating the Rams 37-20 on Oct. 3.
However, Arizona closed the regular season losing four of its
final five games, beginning with a 30-22 setback at home against
the Rams on Dec. 13.
The Rams are 4-point favorites at both sportsbooks. The action
has been fairly split with Los Angeles being backed by 56
percent of the bets and 52 percent of the spread-line money at
BetMGM.
--Field Level Media
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