The Eagles had earned a first-round bye with their 13-3 record and even though they had lost starting quarterback Carson Wentz to a season-ending injury he didn\u2019t believe they should not be favored at home, even with backup Nick Foles struggling.<\/p>\n
Andrews told Vegasinsider.com that he was surprised to see the number when it came out. It is the first time since 1990 a No. 1 seed has not been favored.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t agree with the number at all,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a huge overreaction. \u201cPhilly is solid up and down that whole line up, it\u2019s not just at quarterback. I know Foles has not looked great, but he\u2019s had a couple weeks now at starter, and I really like the coaching staff for Philly.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe line has even moved up to three at some casinos and if last week is any indication, betting on the underdog might not be a bad play.<\/p>\n
Underdog Sweep<\/h2>\n
In the Wild Card round last weekend all four of the favorites lost against the spread, much to the delight of Las Vegas sports books.<\/p>\n
They were still smarting from last year when all four favorites covered during Wild Card weekend.<\/p>\n
Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook VP Jay Kornegay told Vegasinsider.com that the reversal of the underdogs was nice to see.<\/p>\n
“It seems like we’ve had more losing Wild Card weekends than wins over the past five or six seasons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hoping Trend Continues<\/h2>\n
Will the four divisional playoff games follow the same pattern? Odds makers are counting on it.<\/p>\n
The Atlanta-Philadelphia game seems the most likely for an upset. The Eagles are 2-1 with Foles and home field advantage is usually considered good for three points, so the game is essential a pick \u2019em. Andrews likes the Eagles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Foles will play well,\u201d he told Vegasinsider.com. \u201cI was thinking pick \u2018em, and that, \u2018Boy, I would still play Philly at pick \u2018em.\u2019 And here we are at 2.5.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe other three games are not as clear, especially with the large lines in two of them. In the New England-Tennessee match up on Saturday the line is a bulky 13 \u00bd. But bettors shouldn\u2019t be scared off by the double-digit odds. The Patriots are 3-2 against the spread<\/a> when they were favored by 10 or more points, including the last two games of the season.<\/p>\nSunday\u2019s games are a bit tighter. Pittsburgh is a 7 \u00bd-point pick to defeat Jacksonville and their record ATS is not stellar. They are 3-4 ATS when favored by seven or more points this season. One of those games was against the Jaguars in Week Five and the Steelers lost straight up, 30-9.<\/p>\n
The last game of the night might be the closest one. Minnesota is hosting New Orleans and the Vikings are a four-point pick. Bettors are bullish on Drew Brees and believe the Saints quarterback can pull off the upset.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When South Point\u00a0sports book director\u00a0Chris Andrews saw that visiting Atlanta was a 2 \u00bd-point favorite over the Philadelphia Eagles in Saturday\u2019s NFC Divisional Playoff he couldn\u2019t believe it. The Eagles had earned a first-round bye with their 13-3 record and even though they had lost starting quarterback Carson Wentz to a season-ending injury he didn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":67143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1074],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Oddsmakers See NFL Underdogs Covering Spread Continuing in Divisional Playoffs<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n