NFL Betting Odds: Trend Suggest Bettors Should Steer Clear of Road Favorites in Wild Card Round

Road favorites have struggled in the NFL Playoffs over the last 10 seasons.

The Minnesota Vikings are road favorites in the wild card round. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NFL Playoffs are here, and the wild card round features two teams that are road favorites.

The No. 5-seeded Los Angeles Chargers are favored by 2.5 points against the Houston Texans at DraftKings Sportsbook and the Minnesota Vikings are 1.5-point favorites against the Los Angeles Rams.

On the surface, this may seem like a positive sign for both the Vikings and Chargers that Vegas expects them to win and advance.

However, since 2014, teams that are favored on the road in the playoffs have covered the spread just three times in 15 tries (3-10-2 ATS). With both of these spreads being less than a field goal, that could spell trouble for the chances that these road teams pull out a victory.

Since 2014, road favorites in the NFL Playoffs are 3-10-2 (23%) ATS per @Bet_Labs ❌

Wild Card Road Favorites

▪️ Chargers -3 at Texans
▪️ Vikings -1.5 at Rams pic.twitter.com/ko3VuPxh5d

— John Ewing (@johnewing) January 7, 2025

Now, betting on historical trends is not the only thing bettors should look at. These teams are both different than the previous 15 before them, and their opponents are as well.

Still, it's important to know the whole picture (which includes trends like these) before wagering on any game.

This season, the Vikings did lose their lone matchup against the Rams while the Chargers went an impressive 5-1 against the spread when favored on the road.

If you're looking to bet on either of these games, SI Betting's NFL betting insider Iain MacMillan made picks for every playoff game this week which are available here.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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