The 2024 NFL regular season is over and playoffs start this weekend. Kansas City and Detroit were the #1 seeds in their respective conference. They each have a bye this weekend and will wait to face the lowest remaining seed in the AFC and NFC. Six playoff games will happen between Saturday and Monday to determine who will make it to the divisional round.
ESPN stats and information research producer Evan Kaplan had interesting information for the wildcard round this weekend. Adam Schefter tweeted information from Kaplan and it said that home underdogs are 16-14 outright all-time in the wildcard playoffs. In the 2024 wildcard round, there are two home underdogs. The Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Rams. Can either team make an upset this weekend?
Note: Odds via BetOnline. Accurate as of Jan. 9, 2025
Texans and Rams are home underdogs in the 2024 wildcard round
One more underdog note, per @EpKap: Home underdogs are 16-14 outright all-time in the Wild Card Playoffs, and both home underdogs won last season (Texans and Buccaneers).
The Texans and Rams are both home underdogs this weekend.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2025
On Saturday, the Houston Texans will host the Los Angeles Chargers. The Texans finished 10-7 in 2024 and won that AFC South. That gave Houston the right to host a playoff game in 2024. However, Houston did not end the 2024 season on a strong note. They lost four of their last eight games. Three of those four losses were to teams in the 2024 playoffs. All that factors into the Texans being (+136 ML) at home this weekend vs. the Chargers. Those odds are via BetOnline. In the 2023 postseason, was a home underdog to the Browns and won the game outright. Can C.J. Stroud deliver in the playoffs again for Houston vs. a tough Chargers team?
The second home underdog in the wildcard round is the Los Angeles Rams. After a 1-4 start to the season, the Rams battled back and finished the year 10-7 and won the NFC West. Sean McVay and the Rams won six of their last eight games to end the regular season. They’re playing their best football when it matters most. However, Los Angeles will be facing a 14-3 team that just missed out on having the #1 seed in the NFC. Minnesota lost in Week 18 to the Lions and they’re a daunting #5 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Rams are (-102) at home vs. Sam Darnold and the Vikings. Will a home underdog be able to pull off the upset in the 2024 wildcard round?
