Time, TV Channel, Picks, Spread Predictions For NFL Wild Card Game

An action-packed Sunday during the Wild Card round of the 2022 NFL playoffs winds down in primetime with the final matchup on the AFC side of the bracket.

The No. 7 seed Pittsburgh Steelers will try to keep their season alive after slipping into the postseason on the final day. It certainly won’t be easy, especially on the road against the back-to-back defending AFC Champions.

The No. 2-seeded Kansas City Chiefs are participating in the Wild Card round for the first time in four years, having earned a bye during each of their last three NFL playoff runs.

The Chiefs haven’t lost to an AFC opponent since the New England Patriots toppled them to end their 2018 campaign.

Oddsmakers believe it is unlikely Kansas City’s four-game AFC playoff winning streak comes to an end tonight.

The Chiefs have been made a massive favorite over the Steelers, with this game having the largest spread out of all six Wild Card round games.

Given the Chiefs obliterated the Steelers by a 36-10 margin just three weeks ago—easily covering as 10-point chalk in a contest—the huge line on this game is rather understandable.

Read on to find out the latest odds, picks against the spread and predictions on the outcome of Kansas City vs. Pittsburgh’s impending showdown.

You can also see the scores and results from the contests leading up to it, plus the full schedule, start times and viewing information for the rest of the 2022 NFL playoff games.

NFL Playoff Bracket, Results, Schedule

AFC

1. Tennessee Titans (BYE)

2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. 7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Sun, Jan. 16 at 8:15 p.m. on NBC)

3. Buffalo Bills vs. 6. New England Patriots (BUF 47 – NE 17)

4. Cincinnati Bengals vs. 5. Las Vegas Raiders (CIN 26 – LV 19)

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers (BYE)

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 7. Philadelphia Eagles (Sun, Jan. 16 at 1:05 p.m. on Fox)

3. Dallas Cowboys vs. 6. San Francisco 49ers (Sun, Jan. 16 at 4:40 p.m. on CBS)

4. Los Angeles Rams vs. 5. Arizona Cardinals (Mon, Jan. 17 at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN)

Chiefs (12-5) vs. Steelers (9-7-1) AFC Wild Card Preview

Matchup: AFC No. 2 vs. AFC No. 7

Date: Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022

Start Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live

Steelers at Chiefs Wild Card Odds

NFL odds courtesy of FanDuel

Point Spread: Chiefs -12.5

Bookmakers put the Chiefs up on the board as a 12.5-point favorite for their 2022 NFL playoff opener. That line has remained consistent despite a rather one-sided handle.

While the betting public is split on this Wild Card game in terms of tickets—the Chiefs hold a narrow 51 percent advantage in bets made against the spread—the bigger money has been on Kansas City to cover.

With only a few hours left until kickoff, the Chiefs have garnered three-fourths (75 percent) of the money wagered.

Total: Over-under 46.5 points

Like the point spread, the total on this AFC Wild Card game has remained stagnant. Although it went down to 46 points for a time, most shops have returned it to its initial mark of 46.5.

There is a clear division between casual and sharp bettors at this number. Most bets (69 percent) have been made on the over, but the under is drawing an even larger share (76 percent) of the handle.

Moneyline: KC -700, PIT +500

The Chiefs are a massive moneyline favorite tonight, with their -700 odds translating to bettors needing to risk $7 to win $1 on the team advancing to the Divisional round.

At +500, the Steelers would pay out $5 for each $1 staked on an upset.

These moneyline odds imply a 87.5 percent probability that Kansas City is victorious by any margin. Pittsburgh’s implied probability of a win is just 16.7 percent. These percentages eclipse 100 due to the “vig”, or the sportsbook’s cut for facilitating bets.

Kansas City vs. Pittsburgh Betting Trends

• The Chiefs and Steelers have met 36 prior times leading up to this playoff game. The Steelers hold a commanding 23-13 edge in the all-time series, although these organizations traded victories in their two prior postseason battles.
• Kansas City has been the better team in recent years, however, winning two in a row leading up to their Wild Card matchup.
• The Chiefs are 2-0 SU and ATS against the Steelers since Patrick Mahomes took over the starting QB role in 2018.
• The total has gone OVER in each of the last two Steelers-Chiefs games.
• The away team has gone 3-1 SU over the last four Kansas City-Pittsburgh contests.
• The underdog has covered in three of the last four matchups involving these teams.
• Both teams posted identical 8-9 ATS records in 2021.
• The Chiefs were favored in all nine of their games at Arrowhead Stadium this year. They went 7-2 SU and 4-5 ATS in front of the home fans.
• The Steelers were underdogs in all eight of their 2021 road games. They went 3-5 SU and 4-4 ATS in those contests.
• Pittsburgh covered the spread in both games leading up to the 2022 NFL playoffs, while Kansas City failed to beat the number in its last two contests.
• The Chiefs have had each of their last five games land OVER the total.

Chiefs vs. Steelers Wild Card Predictions

Spread Pick: Chiefs -12.5

Total Pick: Under 46.5

Prediction: Chiefs 27 – Steelers 14