The Green Bay Packers look to claim their first playoff victory in Dallas in 50 years when they visit the Cowboys on Sunday in an NFL divisional-round clash as 4.5-point betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Green Bay claimed a berth in Super Bowl I with a 34-27 road win over the Cowboys on New Year’s Day 1967, but takes a four-game straight-up (SU) road losing streak against Dallas in the post-season into Sunday afternoon’s matchup at AT&T Stadium.
The Packers have fared no better in regular-season visits to Dallas, going 1-6 SU and against the spread (ATS) in their past seven, but have been a team on a mission during their current seven-game SU win streak and have averaged over 29 points per game in three straight road wins.
The Cowboys have stumbled to 2-2 SU record in their past four games, and gone just 1-5 ATS in their past six outings. But Dallas has been a solid bet as a narrow playoff home chalk, going 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in their past four games as favourites of fewer than seven points.
Earlier in the day, the Pittsburgh Steelers aim for a ninth straight SU win as they battle the Kansas City Chiefs as slim 1.5-point road underdogs.
The Steelers have won outright in four straight road contests, all as favourites, but have struggled as underdogs away from Heinz Field, going 1-3 SU and 1-2-1 ATS over their past four, according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
The Chiefs’ current 10-2 SU run earned them their first AFC West crown since 2010. However, playoff wins have been rare for Kansas City, which is 1-9 SU and ATS in its past 10, including four straight home losses.
On Saturday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons host the Seattle Seahawks as 4.5-point favourites. The Falcons’ offence has been on fire during the team’s 4-0 SU run, averaging an impressive 38.5 points per game while holding opponents to 16 or fewer points in three of those outings.
The Seahawks claimed a 26-24 win over Atlanta as 6.5-point home underdogs back in mid-October but Seattle has faced some adversity on the road this season, claiming just three SU wins while scoring 10 or fewer points four times.
Saturday night betting action features the New England Patriots taking on the Houston Texans as massive 16-point home favourites.
The Patriots, also favourites on the odds to win Super Bowl 51, are 7-1 SU in their past eight home playoff games, scoring 41 or more points on four occasions, and have never lost a home game to the Texans, going unbeaten SU and ATS in four all-time meetings with Houston at Gillette Stadium.
