Big Favorites Bengals, Bills & 49ers Drawing Wild Card Round Interest
The NFL playoffs are set to kick off on Saturday afternoon, and bettors have already started to stake their claims as to how the games will play out.
Much of the early action has come in toward the Cincinnati Bengals, hosting the Baltimore Ravens, and the San Francisco 49ers, who’ll take on the Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals split their season series with the Ravens, while the Niners swept the Seahawks.
BetMGM’s Most Bet Games (tickets)- Ravens-Bengals
- Seahawks-49ers
- Dolphins-Bills
- Bengals -9.5
- Bills -13.5
- 49ers -9.5
- 49ers -9.5
- Bengals -9.5
- Bills -13.5
Along with the Bengals and 49ers, the Buffalo Bills are also a team bettors are bullish on heading into the opening round of the NFL playoffs. All three are laying points, with the Bengals and 49ers as 9.5-point home favorites, while the Bills are priced as a 13.5-point home favorite.
After knocking off the Ravens 27-16 last weekend, there’s merit in the tickets and money flowing in the direction of the Bengals to win by double-digits. The line opened at 5.5 but has risen with the expected absence of quarterback Lamar Jackson for the Ravens.
The interest that has backed the Bengals has been substantial, with 80% of tickets and 81% of the handle in favor of the home side. In addition to the questions at quarterback for Baltimore, Cincinnati has won eight straight games, which explains why the money has followed the Bengals.
With the Dolphins preparing to start their third-string quarterback, the Bills have been gaining steam in the betting markets, as the line has jumped from -10 to -13.5. Buffalo has generated 86% of tickets and 91% of the handle on the spread, the highest percentage of any team this weekend.
With San Fran’s two decisive victories over the Seattle Seahawks and their current win streak of ten games, bettors are bullish on the Niners in this Wild Card matchup. The 49ers are drawing significant interest as favorites on the spread, with 78% of tickets and 88% of the handle.
The more substantial money has been coming in with their moneyline price, which opened at -200 and has rocketed to -500. Only 45% of tickets have gone towards the NFC West champs on the moneyline, but they represent a whopping 76% of the handle.
