Strategies to Bet on the 2016 NFL Playoffs

Posted by Joe Solari on Wednesday,March 30, 2016 4:25, EDT in

In the NFL, reaching the playoffs is considered as a mark for distinguishing elite teams in the league, and rightfully so, but nothing spells greatness in the league than winning in the postseason games. The problem, however, is that handicapping the NFL playoffs is far from easy. Favorites and underdogs win and lose games interchangeably, in-form teams falter unexpectedly, cold teams get hot out of nowhere and the NFL lines shift like every other hour from one sportsbook to another. But then again, no one is complaining; all that unpredictability is the reason the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl remain popular in America and across the world, at large.

And as you’d expect, there’s no silver bullet that can be used to shoot down the problems and challenges in NFL betting during the playoffs, but using the tips below, we are confident that your wagers in the postseason NFL odds will change for the better.

Strategies to Bet on the NFL Playoffs

Never Underestimate the Power of Home Field Advantage

Playing at home often comes with huge benefits in the playoffs, no wonder the majority of teams have home field advantage in postseason games tend to go far. You need an example? Look at how the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers used their home field advantages in the 2016 NFL playoffs to cruise all the way to Super Bowl 50 at the expense of their equally-talented (maybe even better) opponents.

Best Teams (Favorites) Tend to Do Well Than the Rest

Like in college football, the top teams (favorites) in the NFL are the ones you should trust most for winning results in the NFL odds. Yes, underdogs and unproven teams can pull a couple of surprises, especially in instances that the teams have good players in important positions such as QB and WR. However, when all is said and done, it is the top teams that often come through to win it all in the Super Bowl, something that is affirmed by the manner in which big franchises like the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers have been dominant in winning the Super Bowl over the past decade.

History Often Repeats Itself in the NFL Playoffs

The NFL postseason games tend to have cyclic trends, with winningest teams continuing to win and struggling teams continually struggling in the playoffs. This, in essence, is why a team like Cincinnati is a perennial loser in the playoffs (in spite of making the postseason in each of the last five seasons) while New England Patriots are masters of success in the playoffs. When choosing your NFL playoff picks, be sure to keep an eye out for such histories as they are likely to repeat again in the future.

Experience and Talent Rules in the Playoffs

When picking between any two teams in the playoffs, lean on those with proven talent and experience over the ones that are rebuilding or starting to pick up. This is mainly because most—if not all—talented and experienced teams often know what it takes to calm down the nerves of the highly-intensive postseason games, thus predisposing them towards success than their under-experienced or under-talented opponents. Mind you, talent not only applies here to players alone; it extends to the management and coaching staff who also play a pivotal role towards the success of any team in the NFL Playoffs.

Research, Research and Research Again

You cannot have success with your NFL playoff bets without researching and studying the teams in question. So, either find the time to crunch the numbers and research on your teams or subscribe to a site or an analysis betting tool that will help you to get all the necessary research needed for success in playoff NFL betting.