Sunday should be interesting for sports betting fans watching and wagering on the NFL. There's one game everyone's talking about. The other...isn't exactly a dream matchup. Can you guess which is which?
Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
Sunday, January 16, 1:00 p.m. ET
Betting favorite: Bears -10
Over/Under: 41
Despite pulling off an amazing NFL betting upset against New Orleans last week, the trends don't favor the Seattle Seahawks as they visit Chicago. Though Seattle is 5-1 against the spread in its last six January games, it's 3-12 ATS over its last 15 road games against teams with winning records. The Seahawks are still just 2-5 ATS over their last seven as an underdog and 2-10 ATS over their last 12 games on grass.
The Bears are 5-1 ATS over their last six on grass and 6-2-1 over their last nine games overall. But are they chokers? Chicago is 1-4 ATS over its last five playoff home games and 2-8 ATS over its last 10 when favored by 3.5 to 10 points.
The trends point largely toward the OVER here. The last five Bears/Seahawks meetings have gone over the total. The Over is 4-1 over Chicago's last five playoff home games.
On paper, we know the Seahawks ain't pretty. Of 32 NFL teams, these guys are 28th in offense and 27th in defense. They scored 19.4 points per game and allowed 25.4. Yet they somehow reached the playoffs. Kudos, Seahawks.
Believe it or not, even under offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz, the Bears finished just 30th in total offense, including 28th in passing. Defense is the key for Chicago; it ranks ninth overall and second in the NFL with just 90.1 rushing yards allowed per game.
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Sunday, January 16, 4:30 p.m. ET
Betting favorite: Patriots -9
Over/Under: 45
The Jets and Patriots show some very intriguing and contradictory betting trends entering Sunday's showdown. The Jets are 11-4 ATS over their last 15 road games and 12-5 ATS over their last 17 as an underdog. Yet they're also 5-11-1 ATS over their last 17 meetings with New England.
The Patriots are a frightening 0-5 ATS over their last five playoff games. However, they're 13-3 ATS over their last 16 games when favored at home by 3.5 to 10 points.
Pretty much every sportsbook trend suggests this game will fly OVER the total. The over is 3-1-1 over the last five meetings; It's 12-2 over the Patriots last 14 games as favorite; and it's 9-1 in the Jets' last 10 road games.
Thanks largely to their No. 4 rushing attack, the Jets have the 11th-ranked offense in the NFL. Defense is their forte. The Jets are strong in every facet of "D" – third overall, sixth against the pass, third against the run and sixth in points allowed.
New England is the NFL's highest scoring team at more than 32 points per game, five more than the next closest team. The Patriots' defense is beatable, ranking 30th in the league with 258.5 passing yards allowed per game, but it improved down the stretch and it bends without breaking. New England is eight in scoring defense, allowing 19.6 points per contest.
