2024 NFL Wild Card Weekend Player Props and Predictions: Homecoming week for Matthew Stafford and Tyreek Hill
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Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans: Flacc attack is back
Joe Flacco is doing something special right now. The Browns have started five different quarterbacks this season, but it’s Flacco’s career-resurgence that punched Cleveland’s ticket to the postseason. The 38-year-old has won four of five starts, throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s 10-5 in the playoffs during his career, including a perfect 5-0 in the wild card round and he’s one of just two starting quarterbacks in the AFC who have won a Super Bowl, along with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. Let’s also remember that in one of those late-season wins this year, Flacco torched the Texans for 368 passing yards with three TDs and two interceptions.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Prediction: Same Game Parlay – Joe Flacco 2+ passing TDs AND Joe Flacco Over 254.5 passing yards (+150)
Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs: Arrowhead homecoming
This is the second meeting between the teams this season following the Chiefs’ 21-14 Week 9 win in Germany. But, there’s just something that doesn’t look right with Patrick Mahomes and co. this year and we’re expecting big numbers in Tyreek Hill’s return to Kansas City. Hill, who led the NFL in receiving yards (1,799) and receiving TDs (13) this season, should continue to be relied on as Tua Tagovailoa’s No. 1 option, especially considering fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle has missed the last two games with a high-ankle sprain.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Prediction: Tyreek Hill Over 84.5 receiving yards (-115)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills: Forget the QB, bank on Najee
We were high on Najee Harris last week and he delivered, finishing with 112 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. That followed up the previous week in which Harris finished with season-highs in both carries (27) and rushing yards (122) while finishing with two rushing TDs in the same game for the first time this season. Head coach Mike Tomlin starting Mason Rudolph at quarterback over a healthy Kenny Pickett likely says more about Tomlin’s distrust in Pickett rather than his faith in Rudolph. Pittsburgh’s offence will run through Harris this week.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Prediction: Same Game Parlay – Najee Harris anytime TD AND Najee Harris 60+ rushing yards (+425)
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys: Praise Prescott
There’s two things the Cowboys do: First, they win big at home and second, they crush lesser opponents. Dallas has won 16 straight home games and they’ve outscored opponents by an average of 22.1 points in eight home dates this season. Behind all that success is quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw multiple touchdown passes in seven of eight home games this season. Overall, he ranked third in total passing yards this 2023 with 4,516 and led the NFL with 36 passing TDs. During the regular season, Prescott threw for 2,470 yards with 22 TDs and just three interceptions at AT&T Stadium.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Prediction: Dak Prescott Over 1.5 passing TDs (-200)
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions: Stafford’s Motor City salute
There’s a lot of storylines in this game, but we’re focusing on Matthew Stafford’s return to Detroit. Stafford led the Lions for 12 years and only had three playoff appearances, all losses, in that time. He ended up leading the Rams to a Super Bowl win in the first season after being traded to L.A. and we like him to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder against the team that gave him nothing to work with for more than a decade. L.A. had the hottest offence in the NFL in the second half of the season, with Stafford putting up 279 passing yards or more in four of his last five games. Win or lose, Stafford should put up big numbers this week.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Prediction: Matthew Stafford Over 274.5 passing yards (-115)
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Hurts is hurtin’
After starting the year 10-1, the Eagles looked like a lock to capture the NFC’s top playoff seed. Instead, they’re playing a road game in the wild card round after ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak while dropping five of their last six. As quarterbacks go, so do their team. Jalen Hurts hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in four straight road games and he’s thrown five total interceptions in his last four games overall. If it wasn’t bad enough that his top two receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, are dealing with injuries, Hurts actually dislocated his finger in the final game of the regular season.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Prediction: Jalen Hurts Over 0.5 interceptions thrown (-115)