Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Super Wild Card Weekend could be a sign of things to come

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 1/16/24

Good news for people who love bad football: the multiple blowouts during Super Wild Card Weekend could be a sign of things to come.

Per Action Network, three of the four divisional round games feature a favorite of at least seven points.

The 49ers (12-5) opened as a 10-point favorite against the Packers (10-8); in the NFC's second divisional-round game, the Lions (13-5) opened as a seven-point favorite over the Buccaneers (10-8).

The Ravens (13-4) are favored by 9.5 points in their game versus the Texans (11-7). The only game projected to be within a touchdown by oddsmakers is Chiefs-Bills, which features Buffalo as a 2.5-point favorite.

That will be the first road playoff game of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' career. It's also only the second time he's an underdog in the postseason; the Eagles were a one-point favorite in last year's Super Bowl.

The six Super Wild Card Weekend games featured an average margin of victory of 17.3 points. Since the league expanded to a 14-team playoff, that's the largest combined margin of victory in the first round.

The 2021 postseason similarly featured multiple blowouts during wild-card weekend, but things turned around in the divisional round. The final seven postseason games were all decided by six points or less.

However, those were all expected to be close with each game having a point spread of seven points or less.

It would be surprising if this weekend's games were as competitive. During a postseason defined by blowouts, the divisional round could produce several more.

More must-reads: