Finally, the postseason has arrived.
After 17 weeks of the NFL’s regular-season action, the actual season begins. And after 17 weeks, it would seem cruel to put this off any longer.
So, with 12 teams still alive for runs at Super Bowl LIII (including the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, despite owning the longest odds of the bunch), it’s time to examine the NJ sports betting landscape for wild-card weekend.
In doing so, we turn to FanDuel Sportsbook (All point spreads and moneylines are as of Thursday.).
Add ’em to your NJ sports betting slip
Indianapolis Colts (10-6) at Houston (11-5)
The AFC South title came down to the final week of the regular season. (Houston Texans claimed it with a win over Jacksonville before Indianapolis even kicked off.)
It makes sense that the top two teams from that division face off in the AFC playoffs.
In the two regular-season meetings, the road team pulled out three-point victories: Houston (37-34 in OT) in Week 4, Indy (24-21) in Week 14.
After opening the year 1-5, the Colts turned the tables and head into the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the league with nine wins in 10 games.
That kind of roll leads to visiting Indy standing as only a one1-point underdog on the road. The Colts sit at +102 on the moneyline.
Of course, the Texans will have their hands full with Indy QB Andrew Luck, who torched Houston for just shy of 400 yards in the Colts’ Week 14 win.
Along those lines, FanDuel offers a player prop parlay, among several others, that pays +280 should Luck pass for 300 or more yards to lead the Colts to a win. The QB has reached that mark seven times this season, and while Indy has just three wins to show for it, they have come over the last three times Luck eclipsed 300.
Other player parlays include Colts wide receiver TY Hilton recording 100 or more receiving yards in addition to the Colts winning (a +290 payout). Indianapolis has gone 4-1 in such games.
On the other side, a 275-yards-or-more outing by Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson paired with a Texans victory pays +260 (Texans are 3-3 in those games); and a 100-yard game by wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins combined with a Houston win goes for +260 (Houston is 5-2 in such games).
Seattle Seahawks (10-6) at Dallas (10-6)
For the first time in 12 years, the Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys square off in the playoffs. And fortunately for Dallas, Tony Romo is not present to botch the hold for the winning field goal.
A Week 3 rematch, in which Seattle won 24-13 at home, the Seahawks come in as 2.5-point underdogs and sit at +106 on the moneyline. (FanDuel also expects a lower-scoring game: The under 42.5 points pays +100.)
Like the other wild card games, this showdown features a vast array of player prop parlays; though, perhaps more than the other games.
Take Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, for example. Bettors taking him to pass for more than 250 yards to lead the Hawks to victory will enjoy a +280 payday.
Additionally, Seattle wideouts Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin net +280 and +330 payouts, respectively, with either hauling in 75 receiving yards in a Seahawks win.
For what it’s worth, Wilson has reached 250 passing yards just three times this season. Seattle won two of them, including in Week 16, when both Lockett and Baldwin went for 75 receiving yards. So it’s happened. And recently.
An intriguing Dallas prop comes with running back Ezekiel Elliott. With 100 rushing yards in a Cowboys win, FanDuel pays +235, while 50 receiving yards in a Dallas victory goes for +260. Elliott has hit the century mark seven times this year (Dallas went 6-1) and hit 50 receiving yards five times (Dallas 4-1).
Of note, in three of Elliott’s games of 50 receiving yards, he also rushed for more than 100. And two of those matchups came at home.
Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) at Baltimore (10-6)
Up until the last week of the regular season, the Chargers were in contention for the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
The Chargers, though, fell short in that quest. As a result, LA assumes the role of wild-card entrant on the road against a division foe. And an underdog, at that.
This matchup comes just a few weeks after the Chargers, still with an AFC West title within grasp, were tamed by the Baltimore Ravens 22-10 in Baltimore. LA quarterback Philip Rivers was picked off twice in that game, the signal caller’s second in a string of three such games.
As 2.5-point dogs, the Chargers not only pay +100 to cover but also +128 for a straight-up win. Considering LA enters with a 7-1 road record (no team has fared better), taking the Chargers seems more than reasonable.
As for the props, a variety of parlays await bettors.
Confidence in a Chargers’ win, paired with the game’s total points —hitting the over 41.5 points — nets a +300 win. (Five of LA’s road victories hit the over on that total.) On the flip side, however, Baltimore has gone 6-2 at home this season; five games hit the over, and the Ravens won four.
Consider, too, the first-half moneyline and first-quarter winner props.
- First-half moneyline: LA +114, Baltimore -138 (The Chargers held the halftime lead five times in eight road games this season; Baltimore went 7-1 at home.)
- First-quarter winner: LA +112, Baltimore -130 (Interestingly, LA went only2-5-1 in opening quarters while Baltimore went 3-3-2.)
In addition, FanDuel set the first-quarter points total (7.5) and first-half total (21).
For what it’s worth when combining the averages of both LA and Baltimore in such situations, the outlook looks like this: First quarter with 10.88 points, first half with 28.75 points.
Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) at Chicago (12-4)
Déjà vu all over again. Without their franchise quarterback, relying on an overlooked and underappreciated signal-caller, the Eagles enter the NFC postseason on a roll.
The winner in five of the last six, Philly has a chance to become the first franchise since the 2004-05 New England Patriots to repeat as Super Bowl champs. (Fun fact: Twice in the past four Big Games the opportunity to repeat was live.)
So, yes, Philly has a chance. Though as six-point underdogs, the Eagles have no room for error. (An outright Philadelphia victory pays +210 on the moneyline.)
Magic-man Nick Foles has, again, filled in as a quarterback with aplomb. Despite an injury late in the regular season, Foles should be back for this game.
And with FanDuel, bettors can take Foles to throw for 300 yards in a Philly win. Such a feat results in a +480 payout. (Fun Fact No. 2: Foles has eclipsed 300 yards twice in five games this year, during which the Eagles went 1-1; he did it in two of three playoff games last year, all of which were Philly wins.)
On the other side, Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky reaching 300 yards, which he’s done four times this year, in a Chicago win goes for +205. The Bears were 2-2 in those big Trubisky showings.
One parlay that lures interest includes Philadelphia covering a spread of 5.5 points parlayed with the over/under of 40.5 points:
- Eagles cover and hit the over: +260 (Three times in seven road games, Philly covered the 5.5 and hit the over.)
- Eagles cover and hit the under: +270 (This happened just once for Philadelphia.)
- Chicago cover and hit the over: +240 (Four of Chicago’s eight home games were decided by six points or more with the total going for at least 41 points.)
One other parlay to consider: Team to lead at the half and the game result.
A Philly-Philly outcome pays +330 (the Eagles led just three times at the half in seven road games). At home this season, Chicago trailed at the half just once. It was a loss.
But should the Bears enter the half behind and rally for a victory, those bettors will net +650.
Super Bowl odds + wild-card promo at FanDuel
As noted above, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles hold the longest odds to lift the Lombardi Trophy.
That could be due to the near-impossible nature of repeating, and also due to Philly’s struggle through the meat of its schedule.
Regardless, as has been the case for most of the year, the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams stand as the favorites to win the Super Bowl, per FanDuel.
- New Orleans Saints +230
- Kansas City Chiefs +470
- LA Rams +500
- New England Patriots +600
- Chicago Bears +1,000
- Baltimore Ravens +1,500
- LA Chargers +1,600
- Houston Texans +2,200
- Dallas Cowboys +2,600
- Seattle Seahawks +2,600
- Indianapolis Colts +2,900
- Philadelphia Eagles +3,400
As for the front-runners for the NFC and AFC titles:
- AFC: Kansas City +145, New England +200, Baltimore +700, LA Chargers +700, Houston +1,400, Indianapolis +1,400
- NFC: New Orleans +120, LA Rams +200, Chicago +550, Dallas +1,400, Seattle +1,700, Philadelphia +2,200
Additionally, at FanDuel, the sportsbook offers what it dubs wild card parlay insurance. Within this promo lies a risk-free bet for users, allowing them to receive up to $25 back if their bets don’t pay out.
To take advantage of this promo, which is only live for wild-card weekend, bettors must log into their accounts and opt into the promo.
Where else to bet online in New Jersey
As it has been well-documented, New Jersey features an array of mobile sports betting options.
Eight mobile sportsbooks complement the nine retail operations in the Garden State. A ninth NJ online sportsbook, PointsBet, is in a soft launch phase:
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- PlayMGM Sport
- SugarHouse Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- William Hill (Caesars NJ)
- Caesars Sportsbook
- 888 Sportsbook
- BetStars NJ
The list of NJ sportsbook apps includes a deep variety of traditional moneylines, parlays, in-game betting and futures.