NFL Betting Trends in AFC Playoffs

The NFL betting trends in the AFC playoffs include streaking teams such as Kansas City, Houston and Pittsburgh.

Kansas City rides into Houston Saturday on a hot streak, winning 10 consecutive games after a 1-5 start. Andy Reid was projected to be on his way out after Week 6. Now, he is in contention for NFL coach of the year.

The same rags-to-riches story can be written about Houston coach Bill O’Brien. After the Texans started 2-6 reports indicated O’Brien was interested in the University of Maryland coaching vacancy. The Texans won seven of their last nine games.

The Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game includes matchup of two coaching adversaries in the AFC North – Marvin Lewis of the Bengals against Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin overcame a slow start at 4-4 as Pittsburgh won six of its last eight games, including a 33-20 win at Cincinnati on Dec. 13. In Lewis’ 11 seasons as Cincinnati’s coach he has yet to win a playoff game. The Bengals have lost seven consecutive playoff games.

The following is a look at some of the NFL betting trends pertaining to the AFC playoff matchups this weekend:

Kansas City (-3) at Houston

Over/under: 40 points

Kansas City is 10-0 straight-up (SU) in its last 10 games. The Chiefs are 4-1 against-the-spread (ATS) in their last five games. The closest call was a 17-13 win over visiting Cleveland in which the Chiefs almost squandered a 17-3 lead.

The total has gone over in four of Houston's last five games when playing at home against Kansas City. Can the same thing happen Saturday when the Chiefs face J.J. Watt and the Texans?

Although Kansas City has the longest winning streak entering the postseason, Houston is a scary 4-1 ATS in its last five games at home.

Historically, the Chiefs are chokers in the same mold as Cincinnati when it comes to the playoffs. Kansas City is a miserable 3-12 SU and ATS all-time in the playoffs. The Chiefs are 2-7 SU and ATS all-time in the wild card round.

More bad trends for Kansas City: The Chiefs are 0-4 ATS (2-2 SU) as a favorite in the postseason. They haven’t won a road playoff game since the 1993-94 season at Houston – when the franchise was called the “Oilers”.

Pittsburgh (-3) at Cincinnati

Over/under: 45.5 points

Pittsburgh is synonymous with postseason success unlike the Bengals. Historically, the Steelers as road favorites in the playoffs are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS. They are 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS vs. divisional opponents in the postseason.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 10-5 SU and 9-6 ATS in his playoff career. Roethlisberger is even better as a favorite going 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in the postseason.

Going head-to-head with Cincinnati, Pittsburgh is an incredible 13-2 SU in its last 15 games on the road against the Bengals. The Steelers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games when playing at Cincinnati.

Conversely, the Bengals have become juggernauts at home this season, going 7-2 there. Lewis’ team is also a respectable 12-3-1 ATS in its last 16 games.

Will that be enough to clear the Bengals’ skeletons from their postseason closet?