NFL Playoff Betting Odds: Steelers And Saints Big Favorites

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints accumulated records that would have been worthy of a first round bye in the playoffs in previous seasons. This year, their combined 25-7 record left them playing on Wild Card weekend starting tomorrow.

The Saints will get to host a playoff game after winning their division at 13-3. New Orleans will welcome Detroit on Saturday, a team that is known more for their disastrous seasons than their playoff exploits over the years. The Lions went 10-6, but that still is only good enough to make them 11 point underdogs against the high powered Saints.

If New Orleans should win, they would be on their way to California, where they would face the second seeded San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. The Lions would head to Green Bay for their third meeting with the Packers if they can survive their evening in the Superdome on Saturday.

The other NFC wild card game features the NFC East champion New York Giants, and the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta is the fifth seed in the NFC, and will be three point underdogs in New York. The two teams have followed a similar path to the playoffs, playing inconsistent throughout the year, and getting hot down the stretch to secure playoff berths.

Over in the AFC, the Steelers went 12-4, the same record that earned them the number two seed last year. This season, two losses to the Baltimore Ravens kept the Steelers from winning the AFC North and capturing the top seed. Pittsburgh will be on the road Sunday in Denver to face a Broncos team that has lost three games in a row. Pittsburgh is a nine point favorite in Denver.

Houston, the team many analysts thought was the best in the AFC until injuries depleted the squad, hung on to win the AFC South for the first time ever. The Texans will host Cincinnati, the third team from the North division to make the playoffs in the AFC. Th Bengals are four point underdogs in Houston. The total for the game is 38.5.

New England and Baltimore await the winners of the wild card match-ups next weekend. The Patriots are the conferences top seed, with the Ravens holding the two seed.

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