The NFL regular season has wrapped up and we now know who, when and where for each playoff game. As usual for this time of year, weather could be a factor and it looks like it will be for a couple of Wild Card games.
Orchard Park, New York is where the Bills play, and it is known for bad weather, especially lake effect snow. The oddsmakers likely knew the weather concerns when setting the odds, but bettors appear to be even more concerned, as the point total for the Bills-Steelers matchup fell from 43 all the way to 37.5 from Sunday night to Monday morning.
Weather for Bills vs. Steelers in Wild Card round
Forecast
January, 11th update — Today, NOAA is forecasting — Snow showers. High near 25. Windy, with a west wind 25 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Okay, now we have some dedicated wind speeds and it’s not looking good. Add in the possibility of snow blowing horizontally on the field and it could be tough to see the ball, let alone move an offense while holding onto the ball.
January, 10th update — Today, NOAA is forecasting — Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 25. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Not a lot of change in the forecast, but the little change there has been isn’t positive, as the temperature has dropped a bit and the chance for snow has increased a bit. It looks like winds could be 15 mph sustained with gusts up to 30 mph. Not as cold as the Kansas City game, but likely windier and snowier.
January, 8th — It’s still six days from the Steelers-Bills game, so exact snow reports, temperature and wind speeds are going to change as the forecast is refined. But, overall, we can have a good idea of the general weather pattern these teams will face.
At this moment, NOAA is forecasting — Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 27. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
The concern here is not so much the temperature, as it is snow and wind. We will need to keep an eye on the forecast as we get closer, but at this point I would agree that the point-total should have come down due to this forecast. But, there still is a chance that by 1 p.m. on Sunday, there won’t be any precipitation and the winds won’t be gusty.
