The Kansas City Chiefs will be gunning for their first victory in the postseason since 1994 when they visit the Houston Texans as early three-point betting favorites for Wild Card Weekend at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Chiefs have recorded eight straight losses in the playoffs, both straight up and against the spread, most recently dropping a 45-44 decision to the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC Wild Card Game in January 2014.
Unlike the 2013 NFL campaign, which it finished with five losses in its final seven regular season outings, Kansas City enters Saturday afternoon’s Chiefs vs. Texans betting matchup at NRG Stadium riding a 10-game SU winning streak, including four victories on the road.
The Chiefs have effectively contained opposing offenses in recent weeks, allowing fewer than 12 points per game over their past four, forcing the point total UNDER in three of those contests, but have struggled at the sportsbooks, where they are 1-3 ATS in their past four games.
The Texans return to the playoffs for the first time in three years after claiming the AFC South title on the strength of their current 7-2 SU run, including an impressive 3-2 SU and ATS record in five contests as betting underdogs.
Houston’s strong second half comes in stark contrast to its early-season struggles, during which it won just two of its first seven SU, including a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs as a one-point underdog in Week 1.
The Texans have come up short in their last two meetings with Kansas City but have never lost a playoff game at home, picking up a pair of wild card victories over Cincinnati in 2012 and 2013, easily covering in each of those contests.
In Saturday’s other AFC Wild Card Weekend matchup, the Bengals play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers as 2 1/2-point betting underdogs. Cincinnati has struggled since opening the season on an 8-0 SU tear, going 4-4 SU down the stretch while failing to cover in its past two home contests.
The Bengals have sorely missed quarterback Andy Dalton, who has been sidelined with a broken thumb that has kept him out of their last three games. Rookie AJ McCarron has stepped in for Dalton but has been unable to duplicate the veteran’s passing numbers, averaging just 187.3 yards per game in three starts.
The Steelers won six of eight down the stretch but have produced mixed results on the road, going 2-3 SU and ATS in their past five games, according to the OddsShark NFL Database, and are also struggling with a postseason losing streak, coming up short in each of their last three playoff appearances.
Thumbnail photo via John Rieger/USA TODAY Sports Images
