The Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to avenge a stunning 30-9 loss to Jacksonville in Week 5 when they take on the Jaguars on Sunday in an AFC divisional round playoff clash as 7.5-point favourites on the NFL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Pittsburgh responded to that loss by recording eight consecutive straight-up wins, but has picked up just one victory in five home dates with Jacksonville going into Sunday afternoon’s Jaguars vs. Steelers betting matchup at Heinz Field.
The Steelers are coming off their best regular season since 2004, winning 13 games to finish atop the AFC North standings for the third time in four years. However, in addition to their loss to the Jaguars as 7.5-point chalk in early October, the squad also dropped a 27-24 Week 15 decision as 2.5-point home underdogs to the New England Patriots, whom they are favoured to face in next weekend’s AFC Championship Game.
Pittsburgh also dropped a 31-29 decision in its only previous playoff matchup with the Jaguars 12 years ago, and continues to lag on the Super Bowl LII odds, pegged at +500.
The Jaguars make their first AFC divisional playoff appearance in 10 years after eking out a 10-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills as 8.5-point home chalk on wild card weekend. Jacksonville has struggled on the road, losing SU in three straight, and has also failed to cover in its past three outings overall.
However, the Jaguars emerged as a defensive force this season, ranking second with just 16.8 points surrendered per game, and have garnered attention as a lengthy +1800 bet to claim their first-ever Super Bowl title.
Later on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings host the New Orleans Saints as 4-point chalk in an NFC divisional playoff matchup.
Minnesota enjoyed a bye last weekend after closing out its campaign with three straight victories while surrendering just 17 total points during that stretch. Pegged as a +375 Super Bowl bet, the Vikings have not surrendered more than 19 points per game during an 8-1 SU run at US Bank Stadium, but are winless in their past three post-season appearances.
The Saints posted a 31-26 win over Carolina as 6.5-point home chalk last weekend, but are winless SU and ATS in three straight road dates, and have posted just one SU win in seven visits to Minnesota since 1993.
NFL divisional playoff action gets underway on Saturday, when the Atlanta Falcons visit the Philadelphia Eagles as 2.5-point favourites, while the Patriots look to bolster their short +200 Super Bowl odds as they battle the visiting Tennessee Titans as 13-point home chalk on Saturday night.
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