The 2024 NFL regular season ends and the playoffs will begin this weekend. Kansas City and Detroit are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. They have a bye this weekend and will wait to face the lowest remaining seeds in the AFC and NFC. Six playoff games will be played between Saturday and Monday to determine who will advance to the divisional round.
ESPN Stats and Information Research Producer Evan Kaplan has interesting information about this weekend’s wild-card game. Adam Schefter tweeted a message from Kaplan saying home underdogs are 16-14 in the wild-card playoffs. In the 2024 wild card round, there are two home disadvantages. Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams. Can these two teams pull off an upset this weekend?
Note: Odds obtained via BetOnline. Accurate as of January 9, 2025
The Texans and Rams both have home-field disadvantages in the 2024 wild-card round
Each one also has a loser’s note. @EpKap: Home-underdogs are 16-14 in wild-card playoff games, and both home-underdogs won last season (Texans and Buccaneers).
The Texans and Rams are both underdogs at home this weekend.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2025
The Houston Texans host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. In 2024, the Texans went 10-7 and won the AFC South title. That gives Houston the right to host the 2024 playoffs. However, Houston didn’t end the 2024 season on a strong note. They have lost four of their last eight games. Three of those four losses were to 2024 playoff teams. All of these factors factor into the Texans’ (+136 ML) game at home against the Chargers this weekend. These odds are determined by Online betting. In the 2023 playoffs, they lost to the Browns at home and eventually won the game. Can C.J. Stroud make another comeback for Houston against the tough Chargers in the playoffs?
The second home loser in the wild-card round is the Los Angeles Rams. After starting the season 1-4, the Rams fought back to finish the season 10-7 and win the NFC West. Sean McVay and the Rams ended the regular season winning six of their last eight games. They played their best football when it mattered most. However, Los Angeles will face a 14-3 team that just missed out on the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Minnesota lost to the Lions in Week 18 and are a formidable No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Rams are (-102) at home against Sam Darnold and the Vikings. Can a home underdog pull off an upset in the 2024 Wild Card Round?
