NFC Opens as Favorite in 2019 NFL Pro Bowl Odds

• The 2019 NFL Pro Bowl is set for 3:00 PM EST on Sunday, Jan. 27, in Orlando, Fl.
• Can the AFC win their third straight Pro Bowl?
• Is 56 too low of a total for the all-star game?

After a crazy and drama-filled Conference Championship weekend, NFL fans can take a breather this Sunday and enjoy the Pro Bowl before the big game on February 3rd.

The NFL’s version of an all-star game is once again an AFC versus NFC format, with the NFC opening as a small betting favorite.

Pro Bowl Odds

Each conference will be led by a coaching staff from one of the eliminated playoff teams. The AFC will be coached by the Anthony Lynn and the Chargers’ staff, while the NFC will be coached by Jason Garrett and his Cowboys staff.

Can NFC Win for First Time Since 2013?

With Dallas QB Dak Prescott one of the three NFC signal callers on the roster, the coaching advantage has to side with the NFC.

Garrett will also have RB Ezekiel Elliott and WR Amari Cooper to work with, giving the NFC at least some level of consistency and familiarity on offense.

That said, the NFC is almost a team of “secondary” all-stars. With 14 of the 22 original starters either turning down the opportunity, missing the game because of injury, or playing in the Super Bowl, the roster is much different than what it should like.

Pick your quarterback squad.

?: Pro Bowl | Sunday 3pm ET on ESPN pic.twitter.com/vTxUKsYOPX

— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2019

In fact, all three of the original QBs — Drew Brees, Jared Goff, and Aaron Rodgers — will miss the game in Florida. Instead, the NFC will have Prescott, Mitchell Trubisky, and Russell Wilson under center. Neither Trubisky or Wilson will have any familiar faces to throw to in the passing game.

That may not matter as the NFC could feature a heavy dose of the run game. With Elliott, Saquon Barkley, and Alvin Kamara in the backfield, the NFC has the league’s first, fifth and 21st leaders in YPG (taking CJ Anderson out of the equation due to a small sample size).

NFC steals Pro Bowl Skills Showdown title with historic comebackhttps://t.co/WCwC9DYb9p pic.twitter.com/3GexXKAdqa

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 25, 2019

Now compare that to who’s throwing the ball for the NFC and they only have the league’s 22nd, 29th and 32nd leaders in passing YPG.

Mahomes Highlights AFC Roster

The story is a little different in the AFC with only seven of the selected players chosen not participating. That list includes QBs Tom Brady and Philip Rivers.

James Conner, Melvin Gordon and Lamar Miller all had great years and ranked ninth, tenth, and 12th respectively in rushing YPG. However, both Conner and Gordon have had recent injury concerns and it’s unlikely they’ll be pushed too hard on Sunday.

Can’t wait to get out there! ?? #ProBowl pic.twitter.com/gboCiaofNK

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) January 22, 2019

When you look at the passing options for the AFC, Anthony Lynn’s side has to be given the advantage. MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Luck, and Deshaun Watson rank second, sixth and 19th in passing YPG.

With Tyreek Hill, Eric Ebron, and Miller all making the team on offense, each QB will have a familiar face to work with.

Betting Trends Favor The Dog & Under

In recent years, the AFC holds the edge in head-to-head results, having won the past two years that the game was in the conference-versus-conference format. Not counting the player-draft format from 2014-2016, the conferences alternated wins from 2009-2013.

While the NFC could be due for a win, it’s not unusual for the AFC to reel off a few wins in a row. The AFC won three years in a row from 2001-03 and also 1996-98.

 Recent Results Pro Bowl Results

This year’s total has taken a beating to the under so far, as some shops had the game as high as 60. Despite the prevailing thought that Pro Bowls are wide-open shootouts, the past two years, the game has finished with only 47 and 33 points.

In fact, in four of the past five years, the game has landed under the total. Those totals were 66.5, 80, 75, 68.5 and 90.5, respectively. Bookmakers have taken notice and 2019’s total of 56 is far lower than anything that has been posted in recent years.

Underdogs against the spread record in the #ProBowl since 2004:

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Dogs are 12-3 ATS, covering by 6.4 ppg per @Bet_Labs.

AFC +1 vs. NFC on Sunday.

— John Ewing (@johnewing) January 24, 2019

When you’re picking a side in a game where player motivation is in question, taking the points with the underdog has proven to be the way to go.

In the last five years alone, the underdog is 4-1 ATS and 3-2 straight up. But you can see the ‘dogs have been barking for even longer from the graphic above.

Pro Bowl Best Bets: AFC +1 (-110) & UNDER 56 (-115)