Wild-Card Round Betting Handles: Public Riding With Favorites

The NFL playoffs get started with six games on tap for this wild-card weekend. Let's break down the bet and handle percentages for each spread and total for every game, as per BetMGM. Some of these lines have moved, but these insights still offer insight into how the public has bet on these contests.

Los Angeles Rams vs Carolina Panthers

Rams vs Panthers Betting Handle
Team	Spread	% Bets	% Handle	Total	% Bets	% Handle
Los Angeles Rams	-10	52%	52%	O46.5	57%	78%
Carolina Panthers	+10	48%	48%	U46.5	43%	22%

The total bet volume and handle turn out to be identical for the spread, with 52% of bettors siding with the Rams. Things are a little stranger on the total side, though, as there's a significantly larger handle (78%) than total bets (57%) on the OVER.

Check out our full Rams vs Panthers preview here.

Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

Packers vs Bears Betting Handle
Team	Spread	% Bets	% Handle	Total	% Bets	% Handle
Green Bay Packers	+1	29%	35%	O46	31%	55%
Chicago Bears	-1	71%	65%	U46	69%	45%

The public is all over the Bears in this one, with 71% of the bets and 65% of the handle on Chicago. While the public is all over the UNDER with 69% of the tickets, the OVER actually has a 55% handle. That leads us to believe that sharp money is on the OVER for this one.

Check out our full Packers vs Bears preview here.

Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Bills vs Jaguars Betting Handle
Team	Spread	% Bets	% Handle	Total	% Bets	% Handle
Buffalo Bills	-1.5	46%	48%	O51.5	67%	75%
Jacksonville Jaguars	+1.5	54%	52%	U51.5	33%	25%

Jacksonville has earned some love from the public, narrowly beating out the Bills in both bet and handle percentages. The OVER has appealed to the majority of bettors, with both the total volume and handle coming in over two-thirds betting on plenty of points.

Check out our full Bills vs Jaguars preview here.

San Francisco 49ers vs Philadelphia Eagles

49ers vs Eagles Betting Handle
Team	Spread	% Bets	% Handle	Total	% Bets	% Handle
San Francisco 49ers	+3.5	65%	60%	O46	15%	3%
Philadelphia Eagles	-3.5	35%	40%	U46	85%	97%

The 49ers are underdogs, but that hasn't stopped bettors from siding with them. This game features the single largest handle percentage for any pick, with a whopping 97% of the handle betting on the UNDER. That comes in 12% higher than the total number of tickets wagered on the UNDER.

Check out our full 49ers vs Eagles preview here.

Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots

Chargers vs Patriots Betting Handle
Team	Spread	% Bets	% Handle	Total	% Bets	% Handle
Los Angeles Chargers	+3.5	32%	34%	O46	85%	88%
New England Patriots	-3.5	68%	66%	U46	15%	12%

There's very little separating the bet percentage from the handle for this AFC matchup. The OVER is one of the public's favorites bets for this weekend, with the vast majority of the tickets and handle fading the UNDER.

Check out our full Chargers vs Patriots preview here.

Houston Texans vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Texans vs Steelers Betting Handle
Team	Spread	% Bets	% Handle	Total	% Bets	% Handle
Houston Texans	-3.5	74%	80%	O39.5	28%	7%
Pittsburgh Steelers	+3.5	26%	20%	U39.5	72%	93%

Houston is getting a strong majority of the volume and handle despite playing on the road. We see another massive handle for the UNDER in this game, though, narrowly trailing the UNDER's handle from the 49ers-Eagles contest. The 93% handle is notably higher than the 72% ticket percentage, so some big wagers have been made on this game's UNDER.

Check out our full Texans vs Steelers preview here.

Ticket Trends

Most bet games: Packers vs Bears, Bills vs Jaguars, Rams vs Panthers
Most bet spreads (tickets): Patriots -3.5, Bears +1, Texans -3
Most bet spreads (handle): Chargers +3.5, Eagles -5, Packers -1
Most bet totals: Chargers vs Patriots OVER, 49ers vs Eagles UNDER, Bills vs Jaguars OVER
Most bet underdogs: Jaguars, Panthers, 49ers