Online sportsbooks experts know that anything can happen in the NFL playoffs. Teams that dominated the league during the regular season could find themselves out of the playoffs in the first round. Quarterbacks that seemed unflappable in the regular season can suddenly throw three interceptions in a playoff game and give the game away.

But as unpredictable as the playoffs can sometimes be, there are still patterns that manage to hold true year after year. As the bookie software follows the trends being established by NFL playoff teams, there are consistent trends that you can use to help improve your NFL playoff betting results. The important thing to remember about NFL playoff betting is that it does tend to stay with the trends and you need to bet with the trends as opposed to betting with your heart. The best team in the regular season is not always the team that rises to the top and wins it all in the NFL.

One of the most consistent trends in the NFL playoffs is that home teams win 70 percent of the time. Think about the upsets such as the 2011 Seattle Seahawks playoff win over the New Orleans Saints or the greatest comeback in playoff history when the Buffalo Bills beat the Houston Oilers. Both of the winning teams in those improbable wins were the home team. The NFL scores also stay on the side of the home team when the spread is figured in. NFL home teams win against the spread a little over 60 percent of the time in the playoffs. It is a trend that you cannot ignore.

Another trend that cannot be ignored in the NFL playoffs is the effect of the first round bye. The home team wins the divisional playoff games in the NFL playoffs a little more than 60 percent of the time. This 60 percent figure also holds true against the spread. That extra week of rest and playing at home seem to be strong factors in determining who wins an NFL playoff game.