NFL Betting Splits: Public is Backing Patriots and Seahawks on Championship Sunday

We are just days away from Championship Sunday in the NFL as the final four teams fight it out for a spot in Super Bowl 60 in San Francisco.

You can find my best bets for this weekend's game in the Road to Super Bowl 60, but what about the public? Where are the majority of people placing their money ahead of this weekend's action? DraftKings Sportsbook has released its betting splits ahead of Sunday's duo of games, so let's take a look at the numbers.

NFL Conference Championship Betting Splits

The numbers below are subject to change

AFC Championship Betting Splits

Moneyline:

Broncos +195 (36%)
Patriots -238 (64%)

Spread:

Broncos +4.5 (30%)
Patriots -4.5 (70%)

Total:

OVER 42.5 (84%)
UNDER 42.5 (16%)

The majority of the money in this game is on the Patriots to win (64%), to cover (70%), and for the total to go OVER (42.5%). The number isn't surprising, as most NFL games see the favorite and the OVER get the bulk of the money, and it's even less surprising considering the Broncos have to roll with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback after it was announced Bo Nix will miss the rest of the playoffs with an injury.

With that being said, we saw a shift in the spread today from Patriots -5.5 to -4.5, despite the majority of bets coming in on New England to cover. That's typically a sign that professional bettors are taking the points with the Broncos, causing the line to shift toward them. Remember, it's not the amount of money bet that causes sportsbooks to shift the odds, it's who is the one that's betting it.

NFC Championship Betting Splits

Moneyline:

Rams +120 (41%)
Seahawks -142 (59%)

Spread:

Rams +2.5 (9%)
Seahawks -2.5 (91%)

Total:

OVER 46.5 (43%)
UNDER 46.5 (57%)

The most popular bets in the NFC Championship are for the Seahawks to win (59%), the Seahawks to cover (91%), and the total to go UNDER (57%). The money coming in on the spread and moneyline isn't surprising. It's common to see in games where the spread is less than three for most people betting on the favorite to lay the points, and most people betting on the underdog simply take them on the moneyline instead of with the 2.5 points.

What is a bit surprising in this game is that the UNDER is the more popular bet than the OVER. It's not uncommon in the NFL, but it typically happens when a game features at least one elite defense, which is actually the case in this scenario. It's no secret that there's a strong argument to be made that the Seahawks have the best defense in the league, which has led bettors to expect a low-scoring game.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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