Let’s use historical NFL betting trends to analyze if west coast teams traveling east actually struggle.
From 2003 to 2018, west coast teams have gone 80-133 (37.6%) straight up when playing on the east coast. That is a 37.6% win percentage.
Let’s compare that to the against the spread records during the same time period. West coast teams are 102-105-6 ATS when playing on the road against an east coast team for a win percentage of 49.3%.
The losing ATS record confirms that historically west coast teams do actually underperform when traveling east.
Next, let’s split the data to see if that NFL betting trend has changed over time. From 2003 to 2012, west coast teams were 57-71-3 ATS when playing in the eastern time zone for a win percentage of 44.5%. However, since 2013 west coast teams actually have had a winning ATS record when playing on the east coast at 57.0% with a 45-34-3 ATS record.
That is significant because it signals two things. First, that NFL oddsmakers are leaning towards the west coast visiting team when setting the spread and/or west coast teams have learned how to travel east and win.
https://www.5dimes.eu/news/football/...etting-trends/
“Adjusting odds for travel is a somewhat antiquated method nowadays,” Odds consultant Scott Cooley told SportsInsights. “The physicality and psychology of athletes these days is far advanced from what it was a decade ago. West Coast teams traveling east for an early start time prepare all week with that in mind.”
And for as well as teams have traveled east, there’s still typically slow starts that take time to shake off. SportsInsights’ research shows that West Coast teams play better in the second half than the first half in 1 p.m. ET starts.
https://www.sbnation.com/2016/11/13/...s-rams-raiders