18 Weeks of regular season action is officially in the books and for the 14 remaining teams, the road to New Orleans starts this weekend!
The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions have secured themselves first week byes after going 15-2 in the regular season but for the rest of the contenders, they’ll need to win four weeks in a row if they want to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy.
We’ve got six playoff games this week and I’ve run my eyes over the markets for every single one.
Here is my preview of wildcard weekend.
Is it just me or are the Texans very lucky to have made the postseason?
The AFC South stinks but someone from that division has to make the playoffs and this year, it’s the 10-7 Texans.
They had lofty expectations that I don’t believe CJ Stroud and the boys have lived up to so far this season but they have the chance to prove a lot of people wrong with a matchup against the 11-6 Chargers.
LA have really surprised me this year and quite frankly snuck up on me. I need to admit, I haven’t watched a lot of Chargers games this year but Jim Harbaugh finally has this team playing to their potential.
The Chargers are 3 point favourites in this one and that’s the side of the line I’m sitting on, CJ Stroud has had a big sophomore slump this year and I think that could come to a really ugly head here against the Chargers.
Ladd McConkey has been massive for Justin Herbert this year, he’s averaging 71.8 yards per game and I expect him to receive a fair few targets in this one.
Bolt up!
My Bets Multi $5.68
- Los Angeles Chargers -3 @ $1.94
- Ladd McConkey Over 72.5 Receiving Yards @ $1.88
- JK Dobbins Anytime Touchdown Scorer @ $1.90
We are treated to another AFC North rivalry game in the first round of the playoffs this year and these two sides met only two weeks ago.
How did it go you ask? The Ravens got up by 17 points and just quietly, I think we will get a similar scoreline once again.
Baltimore’s Pro Bowl receiver Zay Flowers is under an injury cloud heading into this game but the Ravens have more than enough firepower to breeze past the Steelers even if he doesn’t play.
The line is set at 10 points here and I think Lamar and the boys coast past that comfortably. The Steelers after a strong start to the year have kind of stumbled these last few weeks and I see them making an early exit from the playoffs this week.
My Bets Multi $6.12
- Baltimore Ravens -10 @ $1.94
- Lamar Jackson Over 48.5 Rushing Yards @ $1.88
- Lamar Jackson Anytime Touchdown Scorer @ $2.55
Bo Nix has been one of the surprises of the 2024/25 season and has lead the Broncs to a post season slightly earlier than the Denver front office probably expected.
It’s been a Cinderella run for them this year and a few people have them as smokeys to test a few of these teams in the postseason.
I am not a few people.
Josh Allen is still a few weeks away from being crowned MVP but I feel like this is his best chance of winning a Super Bowl.
Allen is going to do everything in his power to lead Buffalo to a SB and it all starts with a 14+ thrashing of Denver.
Yes they’ve got a very good, very hard working defence but playoff/MVP Josh Allen is here and no one (in my eyes) is stopping him (until he faces the Lions, or maybe KC or even Baltimore).
My Bets Multi $7.51
- Buffalo Bills +14 @ $2.40
- Josh Allen 250+ Passing Yards @ $2.35
- James Cook Anytime Touchdown Scorer @ $1.75
It’s another one sided matchup in the Monday 7:30 clash and I think I agree with the bookies.
The Packers have been blockbuster, must watch football for a good chunk of the season but just like Pittsburgh above. I think they’ve hit a few speed bumps of late and are limping towards this wildcard fixture.
They lost two in a row to finish the regular season and the last time they beat a team who is playoff bound was the Texans back in October.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is still in concussion protocol but the Eagles’ beat writers are confident he’ll play. That’s certainly one to monitor. If Hurts is no good, I’d be smashing the Packers side of the 4.5 point line but I’m making picks here as if Hurts does play and I think the Eagles run riot on GB here.
My Bets Multi $4.20 (hell yeah)
- Philadelphia Eagles -4.5 @ $1.90
- Saquon Barkley Over 100.5 Rushing Yards @ $1.88
- Saquon Barkley Anytime Touchdown @ $1.53
Lowkey, the game I might be the most excited for in this first week of the playoffs.
I’m a Baker Mayfield enjoyer from way back and he’s currently having his greatest season ever, meanwhile on the other side of the field, Jayden Daniels is about to win OROTY and gets to lead the Commies out to a playoff game in his rookie season.
The bookies have this games’ line set at 3 points exactly (I hate when the line doesn’t have a .5 on it) and I’m genuinely struggling to pick a side of that fence to sit on.
The Buccs seem to be the more well rounded football team but I’ve bet against the Commies a lot this year and lost, they are on a five game winning streak as well just quietly.
This one will be close, it will be exciting and I need to lean on the more experienced side here I think. I do love any player from LSU but I think Baker and the crew will be moving on in this one.
My Bets Multi $5.36
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3 @ $1.94
- Baker Mayfield 250+ Passing Yards @ $2.05
- Bucky Irving Anytime Touchdown Scorer @ $1.58
The Rams will need to get through maybe the greatest 5th seed of all time if they want to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.
The Vikings were competing for the #1 seed in the NFC just last week against the Lions but could not get it done. Sam Darnold made some really questionable decisions in that one, especially around the goal line. Has he officially come back to earth and a Minnesota crash out is incoming?
The bookies think it’s relatively likely, these sides are even money which for me, screams value for the Vikings.
The Rams have been very good this season and are one of the only teams in the league to have beaten the Vikings this year but I just don’t see it here.
Vikings to win.
My Bets Multi $4.72
- Minnesota Vikings @ $1.90
- Justin Jefferson Over 90.5 Receiving Yards @ $1.88
- Justin Jefferson Anytime Touchdown Scorer @ $1.90