Two teams that could end up meeting again in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs will square off in the Week 13 Sunday Night Football game, as the Los Angeles Chargers (8-3) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1) as 3.5-point road underdogs at sportsbooks.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they have the home field now and would likely in a postseason rematch too unless the Chargers find a way to win the AFC West.
While Pittsburgh is just 3-2 straight up and against the spread at Heinz Field so far this season, according to the OddsShark NFL Database, the cold weather will not help Los Angeles quarterback Philip Rivers and his team’s pass-happy offense. In fact, the Chargers have lost in 12 of their last 14 visits to the AFC North-leading Steelers, regardless of the time of year.
Pittsburgh has also covered the spread in five of the past seven home meetings, another advantage working in the home team’s favor.
The New England Patriots (8-3) jumped past the Steelers and back into the No. 2 seed in the AFC after last week’s 27-13 road win over the New York Jets, and now they are back at home hosting the Minnesota Vikings (6-4-1) as consensus five-point home favorites on the NFL Week 13 odds.
The Patriots surely want to stay in that position heading into the playoffs unless they can catch the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs for the top seed, and they have won the previous four meetings with the Vikings, covering three in a row.
The Chiefs (9-2) are back from their bye week as the biggest favorites at -15 visiting the Oakland Raiders (2-9), who are 4-11 SU and ATS in the last 15 home meetings. Kansas City has won seven straight games versus divisional opponents as well.
In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers (4-6-1) are also double-digit favorites at -14 hosting the Arizona Cardinals (2-9) in a must-win situation. The Packers essentially need to win out in order to have any shot at the postseason, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his teammates know. Green Bay is 11-0 SU and 8-3 ATS in its past 11 as a home favorite.
The Carolina Panthers (6-5) and Seattle Seahawks (6-5) are two more NFC teams currently battling for playoff spots and playing on Sunday. Seattle edged Carolina 30-27 on the road last week and hosts the San Francisco 49ers (2-9) next as 10-point home favorites. The Seahawks are 12-2 ATS in the previous 14 meetings with the 49ers.
Earlier in the day, the Panthers visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) as 3.5-point road favorites, and they have gone 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in the last five road meetings.
