According to Pennsylvania sports betting oddsmakers, fans of the state’s NFL teams better enjoy the feel-good vibes of making the playoffs because the Eagles and Steelers aren’t likely to take another step toward the Super Bowl beyond this weekend.
The Eagles are listed at 8.5-point underdogs against Tampa Bay and the Steelers are 12.5-point ‘dogs against Kansas City. Both of Pennsylvania's NFL teams are the No. 7 seeds in their respective conferences, both are on the road, and each is facing quarterbacks with Super Bowl rings -- Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady (seven of them) and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (one and counting).
For those interested in online gambling in Pennsylvania, the Eagles play at 1 p.m., ET., Sunday (FOX) and the Steelers go at 8:15 p.m., ET, Sunday (NBC).
The Eagles clinched a playoff spot in Week 17, taking advantage of an extraordinarily weak schedule, and finished 9-8 using practice squad players in an ugly loss to Dallas in the finale. The Steelers needed a bunch of puzzle pieces to fall into place and won an OT game against Baltimore on Sunday to slip into the playoffs with a 9-7-1 record.
PA Teams Have Longest Odds
Among wild-card playoff round contenders, the Eagles and Steelers face the longest odds and with good reason. Each team is outmanned by a vastly more talented opponent. Tampa Bay finished 13-4 and won the NFC South; Kansas City went 12-5 to capture the AFC West.
The Eagles draw simply the best quarterback of all-time, although they did manage to beat Brady's New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. However, that was a different cast of characters and the Eagles had Brady’s kryptonite working his magic -- QB Nick Foles, who’s now with the Bears, for whom he also beat Brady last season.
The Steelers, who had long Super Bowl odds heading into the season, have to face Mahomes, who struggled uncharacteristically early this season but then helped the Chiefs win nine of their last 10 games.
Closer Look at the Odds
On the moneyline, the Steelers are +550 at BetMGM Sportsbook PA (the Chiefs are -650 at DraftKings).
The Eagles are +330 on the moneyline at PointsBet PA (Bucs -380, DraftKings PA). The Over-Under for Eagles-Bucs is 49 and the OU for Steelers-Chiefs is 46.5.
It’s still early in the week but at BetMGM PA, the Eagles are actually drawing 65% of the cash on the moneyline (at +310). The point spread money was heavy on Tampa Bay, 86%, and the line had moved a full point upward from 7.5 to 8.5.
Regarding the Steelers, the point spread money was evenly split and the line had moved down from 13.5 to 12.5. With moneyline odds at +550, 64% of the ML handle was on Pittsburgh.
Previous Meetings This Season
The Eagles and Tampa Bay played this year on Thursday Night Football in October when the Bucs were a 7-point favorite. The Birds weren’t really in the game all night, losing 28-22, but their backers got a backdoor cover with a TD and two-point conversion with under six minutes left. Tampa Bay went on to hold the ball the rest of the game with Brady taking a kneel-down three times to end the game.
The Steelers and Chiefs also played this year. Kansas City routed Pittsburgh, 36-10, on Dec. 26 with the Chiefs covering a 10-point spread.
