NFL Betting Advice for the 2017 Postseason

With the NFL’s regular season winding down, it’s time to start thinking about NFL betting for the postseason. You can put down wagers on the eventual Super Bowl champion — right now, the New England Patriots (no surprise) are your favorite, with current odds sitting at 2-1. Behind them are the Pittsburgh Steelers, at 7-2. I have to admit that seeing the Steelers that high is surprising, given the issues that the Steelers have shown on defense. However, they have posted a 10-2 record, just like the Patriots. The top favorites in the NFC are Minnesota and Philadelphia, both 6-1. When it comes to betting the postseason, though, there are some tips that can help you maximize your winnings.

NFL Betting Advice for the 2017 NFL Postseason

4 games left. 15 AFC teams still in the playoff picture.

Predicting each AFC team’s chances of making the postseason: https://t.co/ePcyQRF5Cr (via @MarcSesslerNFL) pic.twitter.com/JUSiUQOG0Q — NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2017

Take the Patriots when they play at home

Ever since the Patriots knocked off the Oakland Raiders on January 19, 2002, they have gone 15-3 at home in the postseason. When Tom Brady came to New England, few people thought he would turn into one of the best quarterbacks of all time, but now he is one of the most reliable postseason finishers ever — particularly when the team is playing in Foxborough.

Don’t overestimate the power of the bye week

A lot of NFL teams spend a lot of time down the stretch working hard to earn that bye week. Then, while the wild card round goes on, these teams get to sit at home and rest up while the lower seeds in the playoffs battle for the right to travel to the home city of the teams that earned the bye and play. It sounds like a no-brainer, right? Except when it isn’t. The Dallas Cowboys have had the bye twice in the last decade and then lost that home playoff game both times. It has a lot to do with the mental toughness of your team. The bye week can lead to distractions, but it can also lead to mental pressure that players and coaches put on themselves. Teams that win in the wild card round have momentum and confidence, and they haven’t had to adjust their routine with an off week. So there’s an argument that the wild card is helpful as well.

Stay far, far away from the Chiefs

Kansas City just might win the AFC West. I think the Chargers will win the division, but when you have three teams at 6-6 (Kansas City, Oakland and the Chargers) sitting on top of a division, what you really have is a bucket of inconsistency. Remember, these are the Chiefs that embarrassed the Patriots in Week One and rolled to a 5-0 start to the season. Now they’ve lost six of seven — although Alex Smith looked like he had found his mojo this past week, leading the Chiefs to a big week offensively. Too bad the defense didn’t show up. So if the Chiefs end up winning that division and hosting a playoff game…don’t get fooled. The Jaguars, Ravens, Chargers and maybe even the Bills would beat them. In fact, Buffalo already has.

Don’t trust Seattle on the road

So, last week we saw just how well Seattle can play when all of their heads are on straight. They are using a second string secondary, but their pass rush and coverage combined to shut down a powerful Philadelphia offense. Their offensive line gave Russell Wilson enough time in the pocket to find receivers down the field, and they showed the rest of the league how to torch that Eagle coverage scheme. However, when they go away from home, they simply don’t do as well. Most teams have a dropoff, but the one in Seattle is significant. Since 2010, they have not lost at home in the postseason, but they are just 2-4 away from the Pacific Northwest. I don’t know if it’s the power of the 12th Man, or the distractions that come from travel, but the road is not a kind place for the Seahawks — and it will be especially unkind this year without Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman or Earl Thomas on the field.