NFL Divisional Round Betting Tips
Home teams dominated in the first round of the NFL playoffs as five of the six higher-seeded teams won on Wild Card Weekend.
The Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans advanced to the Divisional Round in the AFC, while in the NFC the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles lived up to their seeding and the Washington Commanders provided the only away win of the week when overcoming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in the only matchup decided by fewer than 12 points.
Lying in wait for two of those winners are the top seeds in each conference, with defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs joining the fray this week in the AFC, while Super Bowl favourites the Detroit Lions begin their playoff run in the NFC.
Here are our favourite bets for the Divisional Round action.
Tip 1 - Under 41.5 points in Kansas City Chiefs vs Houston Texans - 10/11
Home teams winning and unders on total points was the story of the Wild Card round as both bets went 5-1 over the weekend.
The highest-scoring game of the playoffs so far was the Houston Texans' 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, which crept over its low expected total thanks to an 18-point fourth quarter, but a lower score is likely when the Texans face the Chiefs on the road.
The teams both featured in the top 10 defences in terms of yards per game allowed and the Chiefs conceded no more than 19 points in five straight games before resting all their starters in Week 18.
The Texans' defence showed up impressively in last week's win over the Chargers, with four interceptions of Justin Herbert and four sacks, and while the champions should find a way to win at home, it's not likely to come in a free-flowing offensive battle.
Tip 2 - Washington Commanders +9 vs Detroit Lions - 10/11
The Washington Commanders defied the trends to win on the road with a rookie quarterback in the Wild Card round, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in the only close contest of the week.
Now the NFC sixth seeds - the sole non-division winners still alive in the playoffs - face an even more daunting task as they visit the rested first seeds, the Detroit Lions.
The Lions have had a fantastic season and they have also won six of the teams' last seven meetings, but the Commanders are worth backing as underdogs in receipt of a big handicap start.
Dan Quinn's team have not lost by a double-figure margin since Week 1, and even when they have been beaten by other playoff teams, they have kept the score respectable against the Ravens (lost by seven points) and the Eagles (lost by eight points).
As impressive as the Lions have been this year, their last six games include one defeat and three wins of six or fewer points.
Tip 3 - Los Angeles Rams +6 vs Philadelphia Eagles - 10/11
The Philadelphia Eagles have already beaten the Los Angeles Rams this season and it was a convincing victory - a 37-20 road success in Week 12.
However, the Rams have done little wrong since then and should at least be able to make it a much closer contest against the Eagles this time around.
The Rams produced one of the best performances of Wild Card weekend when they thrashed the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 on Monday, even after having to give up home advantage and play at a neutral site in Arizona due to the California wildfires.
They sacked Viking QB Sam Darnold nine times, while Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looked a little rusty on his return to action against the Packers having missed the two previous games.
Tip 4 - Baltimore Ravens to beat the Buffalo Bills - 17/20
The NFL has saved the best for last this weekend with its Sunday night showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC.
Both teams cruised through their opening playoff tests as the Ravens crushed their AFC North rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14, while the Bills sauntered past the Denver Broncos in a 31-7 home win.
The Ravens have been made slight favourites after extending their winning streak to five games, and that seems reasonable when you consider their 35-10 victory over the Bills in Week 4.
That was Buffalo's worst result of the season by some distance, but having crushed the Texans 31-2 in their last road trip on Christmas Day, the Ravens should be travelling with plenty of hope.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation