ClutchPoints
Sunday’s freezing temperatures for the Chicago Bears could shatter a new NFL Playoffs record. But that’s not the only history facing them against the Los Angeles Rams.
L.A. was a 4.5-point favorite as of Thursday. They were a 10-point favorite versus the Carolina Panthers. The road team has never been favored for both away games by that margin for the playoffs in league history. But that’s not the history at stake here.
If the Rams stay a favorite by that margin before kickoff, the Bears may hold an advantage outside of the snowstorm.
Pro Football Reference reveals 10 playoff games featuring the road team as a four-point or more favorite in the past five decades. But the result became disastrous for the favorite in the second round.
The Pittsburgh Steelers became the first away team to walk in as the non-underdog. The Oakland Raiders dismantled the four-point favorite Pittsburgh 24-7 in that 1976 AFC title game. The Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
The Philadelphia Eagles became the first NFC team as a four-point favorite to fall in the postseason — losing at Tampa Bay 24-17 in the divisional round of the 1979 season.
No other NFC road team entered the second round with a “four or more” advantage since that Eagles team. The Rams now hold that claim…meaning the Bears can force history to repeat itself.
There’s more, though, that swing the advantage to the Bears. Los Angeles fell the last time the Rams saw playoff snow one year ago. The Eagles breezed to their second Vince Lombardi Trophy from there.
Head coach Ben Johnson and Chicago are the slight underdog, but holding the weather conditions edge. Now they also have a history advantage here too while the snow pours on Soldier Field.
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