NFC Championship Game betting history is more complex than you might expect. Especially over the past 15 seasons or so. There are just a lot of things you may not know. Meanwhile, some of the trends that have held true in the past aren’t relevant in 2020. For example, home teams are outright winners in six of the past seven NFC Championship games but those all came in much different circumstances.
That brings us to this year’s showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers are favorites, although this varies from -3.5 to -2.5 depending on where you look.
Let’s explore NFC Championship Game betting history to see if there are any wagers that standout.
What does NFC Championship Game betting history tell us about 2020?
Underdogs overperform
Underdogs have won outright in two of the past three NFC Championship games and are 7-6 against the spread over the past 13 seasons. And for all the love Aaron Rodgers gets, he is a paltry 1-4 at this stage of the playoffs in his career.
Even though the Packers are favorites against the spread, Sports Betting Dime predicted score has Tampa Bay moving forward to Super Bowl 55. While there are no guarantees, taking Tom Brady and the Buccaneers outright here has more upside and just makes sense.
Don’t doubt the over
If NFC Championship Game betting history tells us anything, it’s that the game will most likely go over. The line here is set at 51 points, the fifth highest total since 1987-88. Sure, that’s daunting, but let it scare you. Five of the last six and 11 of the previous 15 NFC title deciders have hit the over. And of the five other NFC Championship Games with a total of 50 or more, four went over.
There is always a desire to make a contrarian wager here, but that would be foolish. The Bucs have scored 30+ points in four straight games while the Packers have cleared that total in six of their past seven. Barring unforeseen injuries or a blizzard, this game will most likely hit the over.
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Bet smarter on NFC Championship Game
Long story short, go with the Buccaneers, either outright or against the spread, and take the over. Apart from that, player scoring prop bets are intriguing just because there will likely be a lot of touchdowns. As far as bets to avoid go, steer clear of 1st Half/2nd Half result wagers unless you strongly believe the game will be a blowout. These are historically tough to predict in close contests.
