It’s the moment people who bet on NFL football have been waiting for: The playoffs start this weekend. All the pretenders have been eliminated, leaving 12 quality teams on the road to Super Bowl 52 in Minneapolis. Four of those teams are in action Saturday – two from the AFC, and two more from the NFC. Make sure to check Bovada Sportsbook for fresh NFL game odds and props on all the Wild Card action this weekend; in the meantime, here’s a preview of what you can expect this Saturday.
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs (4:20 PM ET, ESPN/ABC)
The Chiefs (10-6 SU and ATS) have the No. 4 conference seed after winning the AFC West. The Titans (9-7 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) are the No. 5 seed, earning a Wild Card berth and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2008. These two franchises have met only once before in the playoffs, way back in 1993-94, when the Chiefs beat the Houston Oilers 28-20 as 7-point road dogs. Kansas City is laying nine points for Saturday’s rematch on the NFL betting lines, and the total is 44.5 points on what should be a sunny and cold day at Arrowhead Stadium.
While the Chiefs have looked like true contenders at times, they’re only +1800 on the Super Bowl 2018 odds list at press time. The Titans are tied for last at +10000 with Buffalo, and it looks like they’ll have to play Saturday without running back DeMarco Murray (torn ACL), although that will give Derrick Henry a chance to prove he’s the better running back at this stage of their respective careers. Henry racked up 4.2 yards per carry for Tennessee, while Murray was limited to 3.6 yards a pop.
Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams (8:15 PM ET, NBC)
This could be one of the best Wild Card games we’ve seen in a while. The Falcons (10-6 SU, 7-9 ATS) earned the last Wild Card spot in the superior NFC by winning six of their last eight regular-season games at 5-3 ATS. They’re 6-point underdogs against the Rams (11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS), who claimed the NFC West title and the No. 3 seed in their conference. You’ll also find a total of 48.5 points on the NFL playoff odds board. Mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70s are expected at the Coliseum.
As with the Titans vs. Chiefs odds, this matchup involves two teams who have only met once before in the postseason. Back in 2004-05, the Falcons crushed the St. Louis Rams 47-17 as 7-point home favorites. The relocated Rams should put up a better fight this time; they’re +800 on the Super Bowl 52 odds board, ahead of the Falcons at +1600. However, Pro Bowl kicker Greg Zuerlein is out for LA with a herniated disc, and back-up Sam Ficken hasn’t performed very well in his absence.
*Odds as of January 4, 2018