NFL Playoffs: Beware These Divisional Underdogs

NFL Playoffs: Beware These Divisional Underdogs

Every day there is serious money to be made in the betting market, and we see underdogs win all the time. The challenge is finding the most likely underdogs to win, and picking them correctly can be difficult. Getting plus-money offers great value sometimes, and here we will take a look at some of the teams that offer good value at the current number.

In this special edition of 'Dogs, we'll be taking a look at some of the NFL playoff games this weekend where the underdog could be valuable.

BetQL has all the tools you need to find the most value possible every single day, so you can start picking underdogs like a pro and cashing in. Find what sides and totals the sharps are on, as well as the public, and see where the lines move in real time. Everything you need to start winning is at your fingertips, so let's get started and take it to the bank tonight.

Take advantage of BetQL's 3-day free trial and see all of today's best bets! 

Cowboys +172 (FanDuel) at 49ers

Welcome to today's special edition of Underdogs of the Day, where we'll start over on the golden coast of California, where the San Francisco 49ers will host the Dallas Cowboys in a massive divisional-round clash to decide who goes to the NFC championship game. I am inclined to like the Cowboys here getting some decent odds to win the game outright, but I have already placed a bet on them at +4. Everyone loves the 49ers here, with that side getting 65% of the bets and 68% of the handle, so this would certainly be a fade of the public. The line has fluctuated between 3.5 and 4 most of the week heading into this matchup, so it is hard to get a read of what side the sharps are on exactly.

I personally think this could be the game where San Francisco QB Brock Purdy finally shows that he is indeed a rookie, and that inexperience is what will inevitably do the 49ers in. While it's always worrisome trusting Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy to win a playoff game, they managed to do so last week against the Buccaneers. Dallas absolutely steamrolled them, and the final score of 31-14 is misleading; it was much worse than that.

The Cowboys' defense was able to confuse Tom Brady several times in the game, and as we all know, the pass rush for Dallas is fantastic. Micah Parsons will be key here, as his ability to get pressure on the QB is imperative to making Purdy uncomfortable in the pocket and throwing him off his rhythm early on. If the rush can get to Purdy, that secondary loves to take the ball away, and the Cowboys take risks in exchange for turnovers. It's boom or bust, but I think this could be the game where Purdy shows his youth. If Dallas can also bottle up Christian McCaffery and the 49ers rushing attack, there could be an upset.

Jaguars +400 (Caesars) at Chiefs

I'll be honest, the Jaguars give off serious 2021 Bengals vibes. Could this be a team of destiny? I have no idea, but what I do know is that this is one of two games this weekend that doesn't have reverse line movement, which tells me that the Jags at least have a shot at this one. The Giants are getting 61% of the money and 69% of the bets against the Eagles, yet the line moved from -7 to -7.5. The Bengals are getting 58% of the money and 72% of the bets, yet the line has moved from Bills -4 to -5.5. That tells me that the Eagles and Bills are winning, while the Jags and Cowboys are the two teams with legitimate shots at pulling off an upset.

They certainly can win this game, as the Chiefs are really only threatening on offense. The Kansas City defense is actually one of the worst units in the NFL, as it gives up a ton of yards and points. Jacksonville tends to start off slow, so I wouldn't be shocked to see the Jags get down early. That might be an even better opportunity to take the Jags, as if they go down by a TD, you can get some serious value here. Patrick Mahomes should be able to have quite a day against this Jaguars' defense, as their secondary is pretty bad, but the pass rush should at least invite a scare. Josh Allen and Co. are ferocious up front, and the underrated Roy Robinson-Harris is a beast in the middle.

I would also expect Travis Etienne to get a lot of attention in this game. K.C. ranks 28th against passes to running backs, and 20th against the pass as a whole. If Trevor Lawrence doesn't have a meltdown like he did at the beginning of last week's game against the Chargers, he should have success through the air.

NFL PREVIEWS: JAGUARS-CHIEFS | GIANTS-EAGLES | BENGALS-BILLS | COWBOYS-49ERS

BetQL subscribers get more betting trends and all of our best bets, including player props, with star ratings for every pick. Take advantage of BetQL's free trial today!