The NFL Playoffs begin this weekend and one of the best games on the slate is the matchup between the Jaguars and Bills. Currently, Buffalo is a 1.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at 51.5.
Here are the betting splits and most popular player prop bets for this all-important Wild Card matchup.
Betting Splits
The Bills and Jaguars face off in what should be one of the best games of Wild Card Weekend. Both teams have a real chance to win the AFC. Josh Allen and the Bills are trying to capitalize on the fact that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are finally not in their path through the AFC . Meanwhile, the Jaguars have finally broken through in the AFC South and might have their toughest matchup of the playoffs in this first round. If they can get past the Bills, they could roll all the way to the Super Bowl.
Bettors are perfectly split on the spread in this game. The Bills are short road favorites in this game and are getting exactly 50% of the bets. However, the Jaguars are getting 55% of the handle, indicating that bigger bettors are leaning slightly towards the Jaguars. On the Moneyline, the Bills are getting 53% of the bets and 50% of the handle. Once again, bettors are almost perfectly split on this game with a slight edge to the Jaguars from bigger bettors.
When it comes to the total, there is a much bigger discrepancy in the bet count. The over accounts for 68% of the bets and 71% of the handle. That means that the public is hitting the over hard, with bigger bettors also agreeing that it is the way to go. The Jaguars should be able to pick up big chunks of yardage on the ground against the Bills, and Josh Allen seemingly always gets his numbers in the postseason. Based on the betting splits, it should be a competitive shootout between these two teams.
Most Popular Player Props
Here are the top five most-bet player props for Sunday’s game:
- James Cook Anytime TD Scorer (-150)
- Josh Allen Anytime TD Scorer (-135)
- Dalton Kincaid Anytime TD Scorer (+240)
- Travis Etienne Jr. Anytime TD Scorer (-145)
- Trevor Lawrence Anytime TD Scorer (+175)
The public always enjoys betting on touchdown scorers, especially with two offenses full of great skill position players. The top three most bet-on players are all Bills, however. Unsurprisingly, the NFL’s leading rusher, James Cook, is the most bet-on player to score. Cook had 14 total touchdowns in the regular season and always has a great chance to score. Following Cook is his quarterback, Josh Allen. The reining MVP has the same number of rushing + receiving touchdowns as his running back, with 14 rushing scores on the season. He likes to rely on his legs in the playoffs, rushing for six touchdowns in his past seven postseason games. The final Buffalo player on the list is tight end Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid led the Bills in receiving touchdowns with five, but Josh Allen distributes the ball to so many different receivers that it’s hard to trust any Bills pass catcher to score.
From the Jaguars, bettors are backing Travis Etienne Jr. and Trevor Lawrence to score. The Bills have one of the worst run defenses in the league, so Jacksonville should be able to move it on the ground. Lawrence actually led the team with nine rushing touchdowns, followed by Etienne with seven. Based on the odds, that would make Lawrence the better bet for this game. However, the only concern is that Bhayshul Tuten, the backup running back, has five rushing touchdowns as well. The Jaguars should mix him in once in a while, so there is a chance that he poaches a rushing score from Etienne and Lawrence.
