Following the last full week of regular-season games in Week 17, the six top teams in each conference begin the quest for a Super Bowl title. The NFL postseason consists of three rounds leading up to the Super Bowl.
The top two division winners in the AFC and NFC get a first-round bye. The next two division winners take on the two wild card teams in that first round of games. The winners advance to the Divisional Round to determine which two teams face off against one another in each conference championship game. The winners of each conference play in the annual Super Bowl.
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For avid NFL bettors, the playoffs are one final chance to cash in on the games. Past the Super Bowl on the first Sunday in February, there is a long and grueling seven-month wait before a new NFL regular season gets underway.
When it comes to handicapping NFL playoffs, you should stick to the same basic strategy you have been using all season long. The goal is to break down the games you bet on to come up with a probable winner.
The big difference in the playoffs is the competitiveness of the games. Even though there are still blowouts, these are the best teams in the league facing off against one another. Some teams expect to go all the way and others are just happy to be there. The cream does tend to rise to the top with the best teams advancing to the later rounds. However, upsets happen every year as it is rare for the No. 1 seed in each conference to meet in the Super Bowl.
Since there are only four games in each of the first two rounds, parlays come more into play at many of the top online sportsbooks taking action on the games. Mixing in picks on the total line with picks against the spread, you can put together some bigger parlay plays.
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Some online books may even offer a slightly better return on a parlay play if you pick all the games. You can also extend a parlay play by using a few weekend games from other sports. The goal is to come up with your most confident plays and then decide how you want to group them in a parlay. You never want to force your own hand with an added play that you are less than confident in.
Recent betting trends tend to take a bigger role in handicapping NFL playoff parlay plays. Teams new to the postseason are often at a slight disadvantage against veteran playoff teams. Given the do or die emotion that is built into playoffs, home teams have more of an edge than the regular season. Most of the big upsets happen in the opening Wild Card Round. The Divisional Round and conference championships tend to go chalk straight-up. Many times the winning team will also cover against the closing spread.
The use of NFL money lines with bigger parlay plays is another viable strategy. If you are betting favorites, the overall return will be much lower. Yet, a multi-team parlay of favorites on the money line tends to be easier to cash in.
