NFL Wild-Card Weekend Point Spreads: Best Picks Against the Spread
Here’s a quick look at all four matchups with Sports Interaction NFL odds.
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, Saturday
This might be the most unlikely playoff matchup in NFL history. Why? Houston started the season 0-3 and Indianapolis began 1-5. Texans coach Bill O’Brien is probably fired if his team doesn’t win 37-34 in overtime at Indy in Week 4. The Colts won 24-21 in Houston in Week 14. The Texans claimed the AFC South title with Sunday’s 20-3 win over Jacksonville to reach the playoffs for the third time in the past four seasons. The Texans have won at least one postseason game in three of their four all-time trips.
The Colts took a winner-take-all game Sunday night in Week 17 at Tennessee, 33-17, to claim the AFC’s final spot. Andrew Luck capped his stellar comeback season with three TD passes. For a closer look at this game, take a look at our complete betting preview.
Pick ATS: Colts
Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys, Saturday
First playoff meeting since January 2007 when the Cowboys lost a Wild-Card heartbreaker, 21-20, in Seattle because Tony Romo botched a snap on a late field goal attempt. Clubs met Week 3 this year also in Seattle, and the Seahawks won 24-13 to avoid a 0-3 start. Russell Wilson threw two TD passes, and Chris Carson rushed for 102 yards and a score.
Earl Thomas, who wanted to be traded to the Cowboys this past offseason, had two interceptions of Dak Prescott. Amari Cooper wasn’t yet a Cowboy. Dallas lost its most recent home playoff game to Green Bay following the 2016 season. Check out our full preview of the Seahawks at Cowboys game here.
Pick ATS: Cowboys
Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens, Sunday
Under the “no one said life was fair” heading, the Chargers finished tied for the most victories in the AFC with 12 and two more than the Ravens, but the Bolts lost an AFC West tiebreaker to Kansas City and thus must travel to Baltimore for this game. The Ravens won the division Sunday with a 26-24 victory over Cleveland.
The team is now 6-1 since rookie Lamar Jackson, the former Heisman winner, took over as the starting quarterback. Jackson is only the fifth rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win six of his team’s final seven games. Baltimore won at the Chargers in Week 16, 22-10. The Ravens defence completely dominated, holding L.A. to just 198 yards and forcing three turnovers. Our complete preview of this game can be read here.
Pick ATS: Ravens
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia wasn’t a playoff team entering Week 17 but won easily at the Washington Redskins and got the help it needed with the Minnesota Vikings losing at home to these Bears. That got Philly the NFC’s final Wild-Card spot and a trip to the Windy City.
Chicago is the NFC North champion for the first time since 2010, which was the franchise’s last trip to the playoffs. These franchises haven’t met in the playoffs since January 2002. They played in the 2017 regular season and the Eagles rolled to a 31-3 home victory. This Bears team is miles better than that one. Philly’s QB situation for this one is a bit unclear at the moment because Carson Wentz has missed the past three with a back injury and Nick Foles left Sunday’s win with a chest injury. Read our full betting preview of this Wild Card game here.
Pick ATS: Bears