Betting on the 2024-25 NFL Playoffs

The thrilling aspect of sports betting lies in its multiplicity. There are over a thousand ways to place your wager and win consistently. All successful bettors possess different strategies and considerations for identifying potential and earning money. However, a few fundamental elements play a role in every successful bettor’s strategy.

That includes the NFL playoffs where the number of games each week is limited. Maximizing profit involves staying away from dumb mistakes. Here are five core ideas that can help any bettor attack the 2024-25 NFL playoffs. 

Be Patient

Take your time and find where the value is. That’s exactly what oddsmakers are working to avoid. Keep in mind that with only four or fewer games weekly, oddsmakers have more time to refine the odds before finalizing them. Essentially, NFL playoff odds are pretty sharp. Plus, if there are any discrepancies, odds and lines are going to shift very quickly to make them sharp.

Betting excessively early is not advisable during the NFL playoffs. The only times you will bet early are those where you can be part of any initial adjustments. If you find a line on a favorite at -3.5, for example, you may choose to jump on that before it corrects to -3.

Being patient also allows bettors to gather more information. As the week rolls on, you’ll learn more about each team. You’ll get more information on any injuries, the weather, etc. Bottom line – be patient when betting on the NFL playoffs.

You Don’t Have to Bet on All Games

Just because the card is smaller, it doesn’t mean you have to place a bet on each game. It can be tempting to put a wager on each game, especially if you’re a bettor that will wager on four or five games during the regular season. Remember, you are searching for value and you may only find that in one playoff game.

Keep in mind, a bettor that wagers on four games over a 16-game NFL weekend is only betting on 25 percent of all games. Maintaining that type of approach during the postseason should be maintained. There may even come a time when a bettor chooses not to place any wagers on an NFL playoff weekend. When in doubt, stay out. Don’t place an NFL playoff bet just for the sake of making one.

Home Field Advantage

Be careful of being influenced by factors like home field advantage. Is home field advantage a thing? Yes, it is. Ask any NFL player and they would probably rather play at home in front of their own fans. However, just because teams are on the road doesn’t mean they can’t win or cover. 

Last year, Kansas City went on the road in the divisional round and beat Buffalo. Then, the very next week the Chiefs beat Baltimore on the road in the AFC Championship game. Over the last few seasons in wild card games, home teams only cover at about 55 percent. The same is true of NFL playoff favorites. Over the last few seasons, they cover about 50 percent of the time.

Avoid being influenced by these factors. Handicap each game individually. If the value is there, place the bet. If it isn’t, move on to the next game and repeat the process.

Recency Bias

This is another one to be wary of. It’s hard not to consider what teams have done recently prior to the NFL playoffs. The focus should be more on how teams ended their season and how healthy they are. Bettors will find all sorts of data about teams covering or not covering in their final regular season game. It’s really not significant in terms of betting on the playoffs.

Over the past four seasons, teams that covered their first playoff game didn’t cover their final regular season game. Just because a team went 1-4 ATS over its last five regular season games doesn’t mean they aren’t going to cover in their playoff game. Again, it comes down to analyzing a game individually. The playoffs are separate from the regular season. That’s why we see upsets.

Don’t Forget to Manage Your Bankroll

Unsuccessful bettors often treat the playoffs the same as any other game weekend. This is not the right approach. Successful bettors view the playoffs as a separate season. That means you need to determine a new playoff bankroll. You’ll also need to consider the ideal bet size based on the bankroll.

Bettors should also examine their playoff goals. All of these should be addressed throughout the playoff season. If you can stick to these core principles, betting on the 2024-25 NFL playoffs should be a success.