Sports betting roundup: Favorites in the NFL playoffs struggle against the spread

Beginning with the College Football Playoff semifinals and continuing with the NFL wild-card round over the weekend, it was four days of thrilling action on the gridiron.

Here’s a look at how things played out from a sports betting perspective:

Trends of the Week

In the NFL, going into Monday night, favorites are 1-4 against the spread in the wild-card round. The lone favorite to cover was the Patriots, who won 16-3 as 3.5-point favorites on Sunday night. The Patriots took in 65% of the bets and 61% of the money.

In the second CFP semifinal, Indiana rolled to a 56-22 win over Oregon on Friday night. The Hoosiers took in 72% of the bets and 49% of the money. They will now face Miami in the national championship on Jan. 19.

Upsets of the Week

The biggest upset in the NFL on wild-card weekend was the 49ers beating the Eagles 23-19 on the road. The 49ers closed as 5.5-point underdogs and took in 62% of the bets and 72% of the money. They were +200 on the moneyline and took in 70% of the bets and 50% of the money.

Another upset on Sunday was the Bills’ 27-24 win over the Jaguars. Buffalo closed as a 1.5-point underdog and took in 52% of the bets and 51% of the money. Going into the game, Josh Allen was 0-4 in road playoff games, failing to cover the spread in all four.

Coming Up

With only one wild-card game remaining, the Rams and Seahawks are the current Super Bowl favorites at +300. The Bills are next at +550, followed by the Patriots at +650 and the Broncos at +700.

The Texans follow at +1300, with the Bears at +1400, the 49ers at +1700 and the Steelers at +5000.

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This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM online sportsbook.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports