Early NFL Divisional Round Betting Odds, Lines, and Picks

Wild Card Weekend produced some blowouts, but the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs should offer more competitive games. We track the opening lines, totals, and odds for the Divisional Round in the NFL.

While an expanded playoff schedule means more meaningful games, this year it did not necessarily mean more good games.

The Steelers lost by 21, the Patriots lost by 30 & the Cardinals lost by 23 during the opening weekend of the playoffs.

It’s the 2nd instance in NFL postseason history of three teams losing by a margin of 20 or more during the opening round of the playoffs, & first since 1982 pic.twitter.com/vGolxKdQ3c

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 18, 2022

Having rid the playoffs of some excess weight, there should be better matchups this week. The lines indicate as much, with the spreads for the four games ranging between 2.5 and 5.5 points.

The top seeds, the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers, join the playoff fray after a bye week and they should have some advantage in terms of home field, rest, and better health.

Here’s a look at the early NFL odds for the Divisional Round, along with my picks based on the opening lines (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale):

Early NFL Odds, Lines, and Picks for Divisional Round

Bengals (11-7 SU, 11-7 ATS, 8-10 O/U) vs. Titans (12-5 SU, 10-7 ATS, 8-9 O/U)

Opening line: Titans -3.5
Opening total: 47

The Cincinnati Bengals continued their impressive late-season play by taking care of the Las Vegas Raiders in the wild-card round. As QB Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase evolve, Cincinnati has an offensive explosiveness that could challenge Tennessee. Where the Bengals could be vulnerable is along the defensive line as tackle Larry Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury against Las Vegas that has landed him on IR and pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson suffered a concussion. The Bengals had better hope Hendrickson can play Saturday.

Having earned a bye as the top seed in the AFC, the Titans are not the most electrifying team, but they play hard football and if running back Derrick Henry is ready to go, having been out since October with a foot injury, he is the epitome of the physical style upon which this Titans team has been built. The Titans should not be underestimated, even if they don’t necessarily profile as a typical No. 1 seed, but they could have their hands full with the surging Bengals.

Pick: Bengals +3.5 (★★★), Over 47 (★★★)

SEE ALSO: NFL Draft Futures

49ers (11-7 SU, 10-8 ATS, 8-10 O/U) vs. Packers (13-4 SU, 12-5 ATS, 8-9 O/U)

Opening line: Packers -5.5
Opening total: 47.5

After going on the road to win at Dallas, the San Francisco 49ers get to increase their level of difficulty in the divisional round at Lambeau Field. Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo has quieted critics with solid play, and he has weapons. From wideout Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle to receiver Brandon Aiyuk and rusher Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco has players that can help Jimmy G move the ball down the field.

As well as San Francisco played in the wild-card round, going into Green Bay to face a Packers team coming off a bye week is going to be a whole new challenge. QB Aaron Rodgers, running back Aaron Jones, and receiver Davante Adams are premier players at their respective positions and as well as Garoppolo has played recently, he’s not Rodgers. Who is?

Pick: Packers -5.5 (★★★★), Over 47.5 (★★★)

Rams (13-5 SU, 9-9 ATS, 9-8-1 O/U) vs. Buccaneers (14-4 SU, 10-8 ATS, 9-9 O/U)

Opening line: Buccaneers -3
Opening total: 48.5

After a convincing win against Arizona in the wild-card round and a strong finish to the regular season, the Rams will travel to Tampa Bay and hope that they can knock off the defending champions on their home field. The emergence of running back Cam Akers, who missed all but one game in the regular season with a torn Achilles, has added another element to the Rams’ running game. And their passing attack is tough to handle now that a rejuvenated Odell Beckham Jr. offers a legitimate threat across from NFL leading receiver Cooper Kupp.

The Buccaneers continue to win in the playoffs, and they make it look easy. Considering their injuries – down a couple of running backs and a couple of wide receivers in the wild-card round – it is remarkable that they don’t seem to miss a beat. The Rams will provide a better test, especially if the Bucs’ offensive line injuries (most notably to right tackle Tristan Wirfs but center Ryan Jensen was banged up, too) end up having any effect this week because the last thing that Tom Brady needs is a depleted offensive line when the Rams are bringing all-world defensive lineman Aaron Donald to the party.

Pick: Buccaneers -3 (★★), Over 48.5 (★★★)

Bills (12-6 SU, 10-6-2 ATS, 9-9 O/U) vs. Chiefs (13-5 SU, 9-9 ATS, 11-7 O/U)

Opening line: Chiefs -2.5
Opening total: 54.5

With their perfect offensive performance against the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills cemented their status as bona fide Super Bowl contenders. Their reward is a trip to Kansas City to face a Chiefs team that was suitably dominant in a wild-card win against Pittsburgh.

The @BuffaloBills literally played the perfect offensive game.

h/t @BrettKollmann | #SuperWildCard pic.twitter.com/MIbsmJAFia

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 16, 2022

The Chiefs do have an improved defense, but it is hard to get a real gauge on last week’s performance because it was against a Steelers team that has struggled offensively for most of the season. The Chiefs defense will face a much tougher test against Buffalo but the same goes for the Bills defense, who will have to contend with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and wideout Tyreek Hill. That trio gives Kansas City an elite passing game when everything is working. This one could be wild and there is a lofty total reflecting those expectations.

Pick: Bills +2.5 (★★★), Over 54.5 (★★★)

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

NFL Divisional Round odds made 1/18/2022 at 9:43 a.m. ET

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