NFL Betting News and Notes Sunday, January 17

Divisional Playoff Notes
VegasInsider.com

Seattle at Carolina

Line Movement: The Panthers opened as 2½-point favorites and have moved to 3 (EVEN) at most betting shops. The total is holding steady at 43½ but a few outfits are holding 44.

Injuries: Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch (abdominal) didn’t make the trip to Minnesota last week and is ‘questionable’ for Sunday.

Seattle Road Record: 6-3 SU, 4-4-1 ATS
Carolina Home Record: 8-0 SU, 6-2 ATS

Head-to-Head: Carolina snapped a five-game losing streak to Seattle earlier this season with a 27-23 victory as a seven-point road underdog. In last year’s postseason, the Seahawks defeated the Panthers 31-17 in the Divisional Playoff round. In the last three games played at Carolina between the pair, Seattle has won all three but all of the games were decided by five points or less (16-12, 12-7, 13-9).

Playoff Notes: Including last week’s win, Seattle is now 7-2 in the postseason with Russell Wilson at quarterback and that includes a 3-2 record away from home. Carolina is 1-2 in the playoffs with Cam Newton under center and is 0-3 in its last three postseason games played in the Divisional Playoff round, two of those setbacks coming at home and all the losses were by double digits.

Total Notes: Seattle has watched the ‘under’ go 10-7 this season and the ‘under’ is on a 5-0 run headed into this week’s game. Carolina has the second best ‘over’ mark (10-5-1) this season and was 5-2-1 to the ‘over’ at home. The ‘over’ has cashed in the last two meetings between the pair, both of those games were played at Seattle. In the previous three games played at Carolina, the ‘under’ cashed in all three.

Pittsburgh at Denver

Line Movement: Sportsbook.ag opened the Broncos as three-point home favorites with a total of 40. The number has jumped up to 5½ at this shop. CG Technology in Las Vegas is holding Denver -6 and 5Dimes.eu has Denver -7 (+120) as of Sunday morning.

Injuries: Pittsburgh has three key players knocked up and all are listed as ‘questionable’ for Sunday. QB Ben Roethlisberger (shoulder), WR Antonio Brown (concussion) and RB DeAngelo Williams (ankle). Denver QB Peyton Manning was named the starter for this game after missing six games at the end of the season.

Pittsburgh Road Record: 5-4 SU, 4-4-1 ATS
Denver Home Record: 6-2 SU, 3-5 ATS

Head-to-Head: The Steelers defeated the Broncos 34-27 in Week 15 and failed to cover as 7½-point home favorites. This number closed high but most books had Pittsburgh -6 and -6½ prior to the late rush before kickoff. Prior to this result, the most recent meeting between the pair took place in the 2012 season when they squared off against each other twice. Denver won both games at home, 31-19 in the regular season and 29-23 in the playoffs, which was Tim Tebow’s signature win. The Broncos are 7-3 SU and 5-3-2 ATS in their last 10 games versus the AFC North. The ‘over’ has gone 8-2 during this span. Despite beating Denver this season, Pittsburgh is just 5-5 in its last 10 against the AFC West and only 2-7-1 ATS in those games.

Playoff Notes: Including last week’s win over the Bengals, head coach Mike Tomlin is 6-4 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in the playoffs for Pittsburgh. The victory at Cincinnati was just the second postseason win for Tomlin away from home. Since Peyton Manning joined the Broncos, the team is 2-3 in the playoffs which includes a pedestrian 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS mark at home. The ‘under’ has gone 3-1 in those four home playoff games. Denver head coach Gary Kubiak has been to the playoffs four times with the Houston Texans and went 2-2.

Total Notes: The Steelers have watched the ‘under’ go 11-6 this season and that includes a 7-2 mark on the road. Pittsburgh enters this game with a 3-0 ‘under’ streak. Denver has been an ‘under’ (9-6-1) team as well this season, especially at home where it owns a 5-2-1 mark.

Sunday's Playoff Action
By Sportsbook.ag

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (11-6) at CAROLINA PANTHERS (15-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Carolina -2.5, Total: 44.0

The Seahawks will be looking to make it to their third straight NFC Championship Game when they face the Panthers in Carolina on Sunday.

The Seahawks are fortunate to be playing in this game, as they really only defeated the Vikings in the wild card round thanks to a missed Blair Walsh chip shot. Seattle escaped with a 10-9 victory as a 4.5-point favorite, but the team will not be happy with the way that it played. The Seahawks must do better offensively against a Panthers team that went 15-1 this season.

Carolina lost only one game this season SU and was dominant ATS too, going 11-5 on the year. The team did, however, play a week schedule.

When these teams met in Seattle on Oct. 18, the Panthers shocked the Seahawks with a 27-23 victory as seven-point road underdogs. Seattle let that game slip away and is still 3-1 SU in this head-to-head series over the past three seasons. T

he Seahawks have won their last two games in Carolina and both of those contests went Under the total. One trend working in the Seahawks’ favor is that the team is 8-1 ATS after having won four of its past five games over the last two seasons.

The Panthers, however, were 6-0 ATS in games where the line was +3 to -3 this season.

TE Luke Willson (Concussion) and RB Marshawn Lynch (Abdominal) are questionable for Seattle and RB Jonathan Stewart (Foot) is questionable for Carolina.

The Seahawks have the league’s best defense and that is going to keep them in games. Seattle allowed just 17.3 PPG this season (1st in NFL) and they’ve allowed just 58 points over the past six games.

This team is clicking on defense and will just need Russell Wilson to lead the offense on a few scoring drives in this one. Wilson had a tough time getting things going against Minnesota in the wild card round, throwing for just 142 yards with one touchdown and one pick.

Wilson also wasn’t at his best the last time he faced the Panthers, going 18-for-30 with 241 yards and a touchdown in the loss. It wasn’t a poor outing for Wilson, but he did throw for 24 touchdowns and just one interception over the final seven weeks of the season and is capable of having some explosive games.

He’ll need to channel that type of play on Sunday or his team may be going home early. Doug Baldwin will be the guy that Wilson is looking at in this one. He caught five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings and emerged as one of the league’s top receivers late in the season. He’ll need to shake free for some big plays in this game.

The Panthers were one of the best teams in football during the regular season and the team did it on both sides of the field. Carolina was dominant offensively, putting up 31.3 PPG (1st in NFL) with Cam Newton leading the way. Defensively, the Panthers were giving up just 19.3 PPG (6th in NFL). It’s good that Carolina is balanced, as the team will need to bring it on both ends against this experienced Seattle team.

Cam Newton’s play will, however, determine the outcome of this game for the Panthers. When he faced the Seahawks earlier in the season, Newton threw for 269 yards, one touchdown and one interception and he also rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown. He was very good in that game, but turnovers were an issue. If he wants his team to avoid being the one that peaked in the regular season then he will need to take care of the football on Sunday.

Greg Olsen is Newton’s favorite target all over the field. He had seven catches for 131 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting with Seattle. If he can come anywhere near matching that production then the team should be in good position to win the game.

One big plus for the Panthers in this game is that Jonathan Stewart is set to make his return. Stewart rushed for 989 yards and six touchdowns this season and really adds another element to the Carolina offense. If he is healthy then he will really help the team in this one.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (11-6) at DENVER BRONCOS (15-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Denver -6.5, Total: 40.5

The Broncos host the Steelers on Sunday and a spot in the AFC Championship Game will be on the line.

The Steelers are coming off of an 18-16 victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati in the first round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh drove down the field and won on a field goal by Chris Boswell that would have been a lot further away had it not been for a few boneheaded penalties by the Bengals.

The Steelers have now won two straight games and they are allowing just 14.0 PPG in those contests.

The Broncos, meanwhile, have not played since defeating the Chargers 27-20 as 10-point favorites at home in Week 17. Denver won each of its final two regular season games, but the team did not cover in either.

The Broncos and Steelers met in Week 15 and Pittsburgh came out on top in that one. The Steelers won 34-27 as seven-point home favorites in that game and it was the only meeting between these teams in the past three seasons.

Denver is, however, 5-2 SU and 4-3 ATS when facing Pittsburgh in Denver since 1992. There are a few trends in this game that bettors will want to be aware of. The Broncos are just 0-6 ATS in home games after gaining six or more yards per play in two straight games over the past three seasons.

It isn’t all bad for Denver, though, as the team is 7-0 ATS after failing to cover the spread in three of its past four games over the past three seasons.

RB DeAngelo Williams (Ankle) is questionable for the Steelers and both QB Ben Roethlisberger (Shoulder) and WR Antonio Brown (Concussion) are listed as questionable, but are expected to suit up in this game.

For Denver, LB Demarcus Ware (Knee) is listed as questionable, but it would be surprising if he doesn’t play in this one.

The Steelers were able to escape Cincinnati with a victory, but the team suffered a number of injuries in the process. Both Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown got hurt and it would be a major blow to Pittsburgh if those guys weren’t playing at the level they are capable of. Roethlisberger will almost certainly have some trouble in this one, as he could barely throw the ball down field when he came back in against the Bengals.

The Steelers will have to simplify the playbook and work in a lot of screen passes and short timing routes to allow Roethlisberger to take it a bit easy in this one. Antonio Brown, meanwhile, should be able to play like his normal self as long as he is cleared for this game.

Brown had 16 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns the last time these teams played and will certainly be all over the field in this one.

Defensively, Pittsburgh will need to step it up with Roethlisberger injured. The Steelers cannot expect as many points as usual and will need to prevent the Denver offense from exploding on Sunday.

The Broncos finished the season with two wins and Peyton Manning is back under center for Denver. Manning entered the game after Brock Osweiler struggled against the Chargers and the veteran quarterback completed 55.6% of his passes for 69 yards in relief of him.

Manning read the defense well and showed enough to prove to Gary Kubiak that he should be starting in this game. One thing Manning will need to do is avoid turning the ball over. Manning threw for just nine touchdowns this season and had a miserable 17 interceptions.

He cannot afford to put the ball in the hands of Ben Roethlisberger, no matter how healthy the Steelers quarterback may or may not be. Another thing Manning will need to do is target Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders lit up the Steelers the last time these teams met, hauling in 10 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 24 yards in that game. The Broncos will need to get him involved in this one.

The running game will also need to be strong on Sunday. Ronnie Hillman and C.J Anderson combined for just 62 yards on 18 carries the last time these teams met and they will need to be a lot better with Peyton Manning playing quarterback.

NFL Conference Semi-Finals

Seahawks (11-6) @ Panthers (15-1) -- Carolina (+7) won 27-23 at Seattle coming off its bye in Week 6, with four 80+-yard TD drives, three in second half. Win ended 5-game losing skid vs Seahawks, who beat Panthers 31-17 in LY's playoffs and are 7-3 overall vs Carolina, with three straight wins in Charlotte by 4-5-4 points (average total, 23.0). Panthers are 15-1 with only loss in Atlanta threee weks ago; they're 5-2 as home favorites. Seattle won seven of last eight games, losing only to Rams in Week 16; they held five of last six foes to 13 points or less, are 1-1-1 as an underdog this year. NFC's #1 seed is 21-4 SU in this round since 1990, winning last three by 2-8-14 points (1-4 vs spread in last five). Newton is 1-2 in his playoff games; Russell Wilson is 7-2 in playoff games; Seahawks won NFC last two years.

Steelers (11-6) @ Broncos (12-4) -- How badly hurt is Big Ben? Antonio Brown? Osweiler might not be available, so what if Manning gets hurt? Steelers (-6.5) rallied from being down 27-13 at half to beat Denver 34-27 at Heinz in Week 15, nine of their four TD drives were longer than 60 yards (won field position by 11 yards). Roethlisberger has damaged shoulder but led winning drive LW; he is 11-5 in playoff games. Steelers are 2-6 in last eight visits to Denver, losing playoff game here in '11-- they're 3-4 in playoffs vs Broncos. Pitt won five of last six games overall; they're 3-3-1 as an underdog this year, but they did beat a backup QB in Cincy LW. Rookie Semien could be Denver's backup QB; Broncos are 5-4 last nine games after a 7-0 start; they're only 1-5 vs spread as a home favorite this season.

Armadillosports.com

Total Talk - Sunday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com

Sunday’s Divisional Playoff action features a pair of rematches from this year’s regular season and three of the four teams have been familiar with the second round of the postseason recently.

Denver will be playing in its fifth straight Divisional Playoff game and the ‘over’ has gone 2-2 in the previous four while the Broncos are just 1-3 straight up.

Seattle beat Carolina 31-17 in this round last year and the ‘over’ (40) connected with a late fourth quarter surge. This will be the fourth straight Divisional Playoff game for the ‘Hawks and just the second time they’re on the road. The lone road game during this span watched them lose 30-28 at Atlanta in the 2012-13 playoffs.

Along with the aforementioned result, the Panthers played in the 2013-14 Divisional Playoff round and lost 23-10 at home to San Francisco.

Pittsburgh hasn’t advanced this far in the postseason since the 2010-11 season and it defeated Baltimore 31-24. The ‘over’ cashed in that game and is 3-1 in the last four Divisional Playoff appearances for Pittsburgh.

Some bettors and handicappers don’t buy into trends and you can understand why sometimes due to other key factors such as injuries, which is what Pittsburgh is dealing with on Sunday.

Seattle at Carolina

Most shops sent this total out at 44 and its held steady all week. There’s a chance of some rain in Charlotte but temperatures are expected in the mid-forties and not too much wind (5 to 10 mph).

Carolina enters this game with the best scoring offense in the league (31.2 points per game) and it’s been better lighting up the scoreboard at home (33 PPG) than anybody too. Seattle was held in check last week at Minnesota to 10 points, which was its lowest output of the season.

Was that weather related or is Minnesota’s defense that good? The temperatures played a factor and the Vikings unit is solid but Carolina’s unit was statistically greater in total yards (322 YPG) and just behind them in scoring (19.2 PPG).

Prior to being stifled in the Wild Card round, QB Russell Wilson and company closed the season by scoring 29-plus points in seven of their final eight games. On the road, the team averaged 36.6 PPG in three games during this offensive run.

While the ‘Hawks offense has been great, the defense has been better. They’ve held five of their last six opponents to 13 points or less and that’s helped the ‘under’ go 5-1. Seattle’s defense (285 YPG) ranked second in total yards and first in points allowed (16.8).

In the first meeting between the pair in mid-October from CenturyLink Field, the Panthers dropped the Seahawks 27-23 and this game was on an ‘under’ pace as Seattle led 10-7 at halftime. Carolina had more yards (383-334) and first downs (25-14) in the game but the biggest difference for the Panthers was red zone touchdowns (3-1). Make a note that Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham (8 receptions, 140 yards) had his best game of the season in the loss and he’s done for the season due to an injury.

Will the ‘Hawks be able to convert in the second go ‘round on the road? Their last three trips to Carolina resulted in wins and ‘under’ tickets with the winning touchdown being scored in the fourth quarter of all three victories.

2014 – Seattle 13 Carolina 9 UNDER 44.5
2013 – Seattle 12 Carolina 7 UNDER 44.5
2012 – Seattle 16 Carolina 12 UNDER 42.5

There is no doubt that Carolina is much improved and QB Cam Newton is the likely MVP of the regular season. His crazy numbers were the main reason that the Panthers were the second-best ‘over’ team in the league this season with a 10-5-1 record and that included a 5-2-1 mark at Bank of America Stadium.

However, it’s hard to forget that Newton is 1-2 all-time in the playoffs and his TD-INT ratio is 5:5. The ‘over’ has gone 2-1 in those games.

Fearless Predictions: In last week’s installment, I touched briefly on Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch and how he might screw up the offensive chemistry. He didn’t play but he’s expected to suit up Sunday and I’m going to guess that he’ll silence everybody this weekend. Seattle is 2-0 this year when he touches the rock 20 times or more, the victories by 20-3 and 13-12. In playoff games with the ‘Hawks, the club is 5-1 when he gets over 100 yards and you can probably figure out the loss (SBXLIX). In these six games, Seattle has averaged 27 PPG. I’m buying Seattle Team Total Over 21 on Sunday and Over 44 for the game as well.

Pittsburgh at Denver

The total on this game is hovering between 39 and 40 points and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it drop by kickoff. The Steelers won’t have wide receiver Antonio Brown or running back DeAngelo Williams available, plus quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is ‘questionable’ but dealing with a serious shoulder injury.

If all three were healthy, you’d be staring at a total in the mid-forties maybe higher since QB Peyton Manning is back under center for Denver and Pittsburgh’s defense is very suspect, especially if they can’t get pressure on the quarterback.

The Steelers beat the Broncos 34-27 in Week 14 at home but Denver led 27-13 at halftime and backup QB Brock Osweler lit them up for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Big Ben got his too (380 yards, 3 TDs) but Brown compiled a monster game (16 receptions, 189 yards, 2 TDs) against Denver.

Denver’s defense didn’t have a great day versus Pittsburgh but it’s only allowing 18.5 PPG at home and it enters this game very healthy. The Broncos watched the ‘under’ go 5-2-1 at home this season and the Steelers enter this game with an 11-6 record to the ‘under’ and that includes a 7-2 mark on the road.

Including the result from this past December, the ‘over’ has cashed in three straight meetings between the pair and eight of the last 10 going back to 1997. The last playoff encounter between the two teams took place in the 2011-12 playoffs and Tim Tebow helped Denver beat Pittsburgh 29-23 in overtime at home.

Since Manning arrived in Denver, the club is 2-2 at home in the playoffs and the ‘under’ is 3-1 in those games. Mike Tomlin ‘over’ record with Pittsburgh in the playoffs stands at 8-1-1 in 10 games after last week’s ‘under’ result versus Cincinnati.

Fearless Predictions: Everybody is expecting Denver to rip a short-handed Pittsburgh squad and it very well could. However, when Big Ben missed four games in the regular season the defense for the Steelers stepped up and only allowed an average of 19.8 PPG and that includes a 13-point effort against a quality Arizona squad. In four home games with Peyton starting at QB, Denver only averaged 21 PPG. I think this game will be tighter than expected and the Broncos struggle offensively. With that being said, I’m leaning Denver Team Total Under 24 in this game.

Sunday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Seahawks at Panthers (-1½, 44)

The weekend’s most intriguing matchup takes place in Charlotte as both these teams can be considered the hunter and the hunted.

Seattle is the hunted due to winning the last two NFC championships, while Carolina finished with a league-best 15-1 record and came within two weeks of finishing undefeated. Seattle is the hunter as Pete Carroll’s team is back on the road for the second straight week and won’t be able to play any home games this postseason, while Carolina is looking for its first appearance in the NFC Championship since 2005 – when they lost at Seattle.

The Seahawks (11-6 SU, 8-8-1 ATS) dodged a bullet (and elimination) by rallying from a 9-0 deficit in frigid Minnesota to knock out the Vikings, 10-9 in the Wild Card round. Seattle failed to cover as four-point road favorites, but the Seahawks’ defense held Minnesota out of the end zone and received great fortune when Blair Walsh hooked a 27-yard field goal wide left in the final minute.

The game-changing play took place in the fourth quarter when Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson turned a huge loss into a substantial gain when he recovered an errant snap and found wide receiver Tyler Lockett for 35 yards to set up Seattle’s first touchdown. The Seahawks improved to 7-2 in the playoffs with Wilson under center since 2012, but Seattle hasn’t cashed in its last three postseason contests.

The Panthers (15-1 SU, 11-5 ATS) are coming off their third straight NFC South championship after more than doubling their win total from 2014 (7-8-1 record). Carolina won its first 14 games prior to a 20-13 defeat at Atlanta in Week 16, but Ron Rivera’s team became the sixth team ever to finish a regular season at 15-1. The last team to go 15-1 was the 2012 Packers, who were tripped up at home by the Giants in the divisional playoffs, 37-20.

Quarterback Cam Newton put up MVP numbers by throwing 35 touchdown passes and rushing for 10 more scores. The Panthers had only one player finish with at least 1,000 yards either rushing or receiving, as tight end Greg Olsen hauled in 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns, while running back Jonathan Stewart compiled 989 yards on the ground in spite of missing three games.

One of Carolina’s signature victories came at Seattle in Week 6 as the Panthers rallied for a 27-23 triumph as seven-point underdogs. Seattle built a 20-7 third quarter lead before Carolina put up three touchdowns in the final 18 minutes of the game, capped off by a Newton to Olsen 26-yard connection with 32 seconds remaining. Both Wilson and Newton threw for less than 300 yards, while each team’s star tight end racked up at least 100 yards receiving (Olsen and Jimmy Graham), as the Panthers overcame a pair of Newton interceptions.

The Seahawks eliminated the Panthers from the 2014 postseason with a 31-17 divisional round victory. Seattle managed to cash as heavy 13 ½-point favorites as safety Kam Chancellor’s 90-yard interception return for a touchdown with six minutes remaining gave the Seahawks a commanding 31-10 lead. Prior to Carolina’s win over Seattle earlier this season, the Panthers owned an 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS record in Newton’s first four starts against the Seahawks, including three defeats at Bank of America Stadium.

Carolina swept its home schedule this season, while covering six times at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers have lost two of three playoff games in Newton’s short career with the lone victory coming against Arizona in the Wild Card round last season, 27-16 as 5½-point favorites. The Seahawks have won six of nine games away from the Pacific Northwest this season, while allowing double-digits just once in its last six road victories.

Steelers at Broncos (-7½, 40½)

It’s amazing how fortunes change quickly in the NFL as Denver was two weeks away from potentially missing the playoffs, but the Broncos ended up clinching the top seed in the AFC with a 27-20 home victory over the Chargers in Week 17. Peyton Manning rescued the Broncos by leading to 10 straight points in the fourth quarter in place of the ineffective Brock Osweiler. Manning and the Broncos face a Steelers’ squad that is missing their big play wide receiver and have a banged-up All-Pro quarterback.

Pittsburgh (11-6 SU, 9-6-2 ATS) squandered a 15-0 lead in last week’s AFC Wild Card matchup at Cincinnati, but the Steelers took advantage of two personal foul penalties on the Bengals to pull out an 18-16 victory. Antonio Brown was knocked out by Cincinnati’s Vontaze Burfict on the second-to-last play of regulation, as the Steelers’ standout wide receiver will not play on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger overcame a right shoulder injury to lead Pittsburgh on its game-winning drive, but the Pittsburgh quarterback suffered ligament damage on a hit in the second half and should start on Sunday.

The Broncos (12-4 SU, 8-8 ATS) overcame a mid-December two-game losing streak to beat the Bengals and Chargers at home to finish tied with the Patriots for the best record in the AFC. Denver owned the head-to-head tiebreaker after rallying past New England in overtime, 30-24 in Week 12 to hand the Patriots their first loss of the season. The Broncos didn’t perform well in the home favorite role this season, posting a 1-5 ATS record with that lone cover occurring in a Week 1 comeback victory over Baltimore.

The Steelers rallied past the Broncos in their most recent matchup in Week 15 at Heinz Field, 34-27. Denver jumped out to a 27-10 advantage, but the Broncos were held scoreless in the second half as they still managed the cover as 7½-point underdogs. The Steelers will definitely miss Brown, who hauled in 16 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns, while Roethlisberger threw all three of his touchdown passes in the second half. Pittsburgh rushed for just 23 yards on 17 carries, as running back DeAngelo Williams will miss his second straight game with ankle injury.

The last time the Steelers faced the Broncos in the playoffs came back in the 2011 Wild Card round. Tim Tebow led the Broncos to a thrilling 29-23 overtime victory as 7½-point home underdogs after hitting Demaryius Thomas on an 80-yard touchdown strike on the first play in the extra session. Since that win, the Broncos own a 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS record at home with Manning under center, as Denver has failed to cover in the divisional round all three times.

Pittsburgh has covered in four of six opportunities as a road underdog this season, including outright victories at Cincinnati, San Diego, and St. Louis. The last time the Steelers were listed as an away ‘dog in the playoffs came back in the 2005 AFC Championship against who else, but the Broncos. Pittsburgh crushed Denver, 34-17 to cash as three-point underdogs, as the Steelers are listed as an underdog in the playoffs for the third time in Mike Tomlin’s tenure (0-2 SU, 1-1 ATS).

The Steelers are currently riding a three-game ‘under’ streak, while drilling the ‘under’ in seven of nine games away from Heinz Field. The ‘under’ has hit in five of eight home games for the Broncos, including a 3-0-1 mark to the ‘under’ when Manning started at Sports Authority Field. Temperatures shouldn’t be a factor on Sunday as highs are expected in the mid-40’s while there is no threat of snow or rain.

Sunday's NFL Divisional Betting Preview
By Covers.com

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers (-2.5, 40.5)

The Seattle Seahawks escaped a near-certain defeat in the opening round of the playoffs and continue their bid for a third straight trip to the Super Bowl when they visit the top-seeded Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Seattle squeezed out a 10-9 victory at Minnesota last weekend when Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field-goal attempt in the final minute.

The sixth-seeded Seahawks now get a chance to avenge a regular-season home loss to the Panthers, who erased a 13-point, second-half deficit in a 27-23 victory at Seattle in Week 6. The Seahawks have reeled off six consecutive road wins, surrendering a scant total of 43 points in that stretch. Carolina, which won its first 14 games and pounded Tampa Bay 38-10 in the season finale, was expecting a rematch against Seattle. "After we played them, we said, 'We'll see you again in the playoffs,'" Panthers star cornerback Josh Norman said. "It's cool. Fate gives you these chances to prove yourself worthy."

LINE HISTORY: Since opening as 3-point home favorites, the Panthers were bet all the way down to -1, before bouncing back to -2.5. The total has yet to move off its opening number of 44.

INJURY REPORT:

Seahawks - DE M. Bennett (probable Sunday, toe), RB M. Lynch (probable Sunday, hernia), TE L. Wilson (probable Sunday, concussion), FB W. Tukuafu (doubtful Sunday, hamstring).

Panthers - LB D. Mayo (probable Sunday, hamstring), S K. Coleman (probable Sunday, foot), WR T. Ginn (questionable Sunday, knee), LB A. Klein (questionable Sunday, hamstring), RB F. Whittaker (out Sunday, ankle).

WEATHER REPORT: It could be wet in Charlotte on Sunday. It will be partly cloudy wuth a 54 percent chance of rain. Temperatures will be in the low 40's and there will be a 5-7 mile per hour wind gusting towards the southeast end zone.

POWER RANKINGS: Seahawks (-6) - Panthers (-5.5) + home field (-3) = Panthers -2.5

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We opened Panthers pick'em and that number got decimated by the public, forcing us to get to 3 within hours of opening our number. We got to 3 flat before the sharp's got involved, they took +3 -110, +3 -115 and +3 -120, at which point we went down to 2.5 and eventually 2 flat. Then the public got involved again and we got back to 2.5 flat and then -2.5 -120, which is our current number. This game has seen some serious line movement and I honestly hate our position going into tomorrow. This should be a very closely contest matchup and I could see 3 coming into play quite easily. In fact, it's a game that has Panthers by 3 written all over it, and if it lands 3 as of now we get crushed. We've only written Seahawks money at the number 3, so all that money would be refunded and all the action on the Panthers that drove us to 3 would cash." - Pete Childs, supervisor of risk management for Sportsbook.ag.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (11-6, 8-8-1 ATS, 7-10 O/U): After surviving ice-box conditions in Minnesota, Seattle is hoping for the return of running back Marshawn Lynch, who practiced fully last week for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery on Nov. 25 but said he wasn't ready to go against the Vikings. Russell Wilson, who threw for 241 yards and a touchdown in the earlier meeting, had 24 TD passes and one interception in a seven-game span before being limited to 142 yards against Minnesota. As good as Seattle's defense has been on the road, it allowed four 80-yard TD drives to the Panthers in Week 6.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (15-1, 11-5 ATS, 10-5-1 O/U): Cam Newton was picked off twice in the first matchup, but he has thrown for 21 touchdowns and only one interception over his last eight games. Greg Olsen continued a trend of tight ends burning Seattle's defense by hauling in seven passes for 131 yards, including the go-ahead 26-yard TD with under a minute to play. Jonathan Stewart, who ran for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the earlier meeting, will return to the lineup after missing three games due to a foot injury. Carolina's defense sacked Wilson four times and is third in the league with 40.

TRENDS:

* Seahawks are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Over is 4-0 in Panthers last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Under is 5-0 in Seahawks last 5 games overall.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing the NFC's No. 1 seed in this rematch from the regular season with 63 percent of wagers on the Panthers. As for the total 68 percent of wagers are on the under.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (-7.5, 40.5)

Peyton Manning knows all too well that the playoffs present a one-and-done scenario. With nine defeats in his team's initial playoff game on his resume, the 39-year-old Manning isn't taking anything for granted heading into the AFC West-champion Denver Broncos' divisional-round clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

"Playoffs, anything goes," Manning told reporters on Wednesday. "Everything's on the table." The veteran missed Denver's 34-27 setback to Pittsburgh on Dec. 20 due to a left foot injury but entered the team's regular-season finale and engineered four scoring drives en route to a 27-20 victory over San Diego. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns while All-Pro Antonio Brown made 16 catches for 189 yards in the initial meeting with the Broncos, but both stars were injured during Pittsburgh's 18-16 wild-card win over AFC North-rival Cincinnati last week. Roethlisberger returned to the contest despite nursing a shoulder injury while Brown was drilled by Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict and is in the NFL's concussion protocol.

LINE HISTORY: With injuries to several key players to the Steelers the line was held off the board for the majority of the week and eventually opened the Broncos as 5-point faves and quickly moved to -7. With Antonio Brown out the line moved to -8 and has settled back down at Broncos -7.5. The total has been bet up two points from 38.5 to 40.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Steelers - FB W. Johnson (probable Sunday, hamstring), QB B. Roethlisberger (probable Sunday, shoulder), LB R. Shazier (probable Sunday, knee), DE C. Heyward (probable Sunday, back), S R. Golden (probable Sunday, shoulder), WR S. Coates (questionable Sunday, illness), CB D. Grant (questionable Sunday, groin), RB D. Williams (out Sunday, foot), WR A. Brown (out Sunday, head).

Broncos - LB D. Ware (probable Sunday, knee), S O. Bolden (probable Sunday, groin), S D. Stewart (probable Sunday, hamstring), CB C. Harris (probable Sunday, shoulder), QB B. Osweiler (questionable Sunday, knee).

WEATHER REPORT: It should be a nice day for football in Denver. It will be partly cloudy with just a 12 percent chance of rain and temperatures in the mid 30's. There will just be minimal wind.

POWER RANKINGS: Steelers (-3.5) - Broncos (-3) + home field (-3) = Broncos -2.5

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We opened up a very bad number on the Broncos, opening up -4 and we paid the price for a poor number. Our limits were low at the time as we had the game circled with Big Ben nursing a shoulder surgery and Antonio Brown very questionable because he was going through Concussion Protocol, we weren't exactly sure what to open. While we opened up low, we booked this game very aggressively and it didn't take much for us to get to 6, then 6.5, and eventually to 7; then news broke that Brown wasn't going to play tomorrow we immediately went to 7.5 which is our current number. So far roughly 65% of the action is on the Broncos, most of that action between the numbers of 4 to 7 points, and any and all Steelers money is on them at +7.5, so once again we're not in the best position going into this game if it lands 7 it's going to hurt." - Pete Childs, supervisor of risk management for Sportsbook.ag.

ABOUT THE STEELERS (11-6, 9-6-2 ATS, 6-11 O/U): With a sprained AC joint and torn ligaments in his shoulder, Roethlisberger likely isn't going to throw the ball around with the same frequency (season-high 55 attempts) that he did in the first meeting with the Broncos. Should Brown sit out on Sunday, Roethlisberger will turn to wideouts Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton - as well as trusty tight end Heath Miller - to move the ball down the field. Playing without veteran DeAngelo Williams (foot), the duo of Jordan Todman (65 yards) and Fitzgerald Toussaint (58 yards rushing, 60 yards receiving) provided a backfield presence in the wild-card game.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (12-4, 8-8 ATS, 6-9-1 O/U): Former Steeler Emmanuel Sanders hopes Sunday's tilt will feature a repeat of his strong performance in the first meeting, when he reeled in a season-high 10 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown. "You get ready for everything, but teams aren’t going to change what they do that much in the playoffs," Sanders told reporters. "You get ready to adjust, but we do what we do, they do what they do and you execute." Fellow wideout Demaryius Thomas had two of his six touchdown receptions this season against Pittsburgh.

TRENDS:

* Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Divisional Playoffs games.
* Broncos are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 playoff games.
* Under is 8-2 in Steelers last 10 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is fairly split in this matchup, with 52 percent of wagers on the Broncos. When it comes to the total, 57 percent of wagers are on the over.