Divisional Dogs are Barking Loudly

As we move into the middle portion of the NFL season, some betting trends are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. One of the biggest has been the success of divisional underdogs, and this weekend provided another interesting chapter in a trend that has been paying dividends for bettors.

Coming into the weekend, divisional underdogs were an impressive 23-10 against the spread (ATS) this season. That was the second-best start for divisional underdogs in the Super Bowl era, making this one of the more profitable early-season trends in recent NFL history.

Sunday brought a mixed bag for those following the trend. The Denver Broncos delivered another big result by beating the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Miami Dolphins covered the spread against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both results continued the recent success of teams getting points in familiar divisional matchups.

However, it wasn't all good news for divisional underdog backers. The Falcons, Vikings, Colts, Eagles and Browns all came up short, putting a dent in what had been an incredibly profitable trend.

So, where does that leave us heading into next week?

The important thing to remember is that divisional games are often different from your typical NFL matchup. These teams know each other extremely well, and familiarity can help level the playing field. Underdogs in these games often have a better understanding of their opponent's tendencies, strengths and weaknesses than teams facing unfamiliar competition.

Of course, no betting trend lasts forever, and blindly following a winning system can be a recipe for trouble. Still, with divisional underdogs continuing to produce strong ATS numbers, this is certainly a trend worth keeping an eye on. This coming week teams that fall into the division dog strategy will be the Eagles getting just under a field goal against the Giants and the Sunday Night game where the Cardinals are getting 11 1/2 against Seattle.

Did we finally buck the trend this weekend, or will divisional dogs be barking again next week? I'll be watching closely!