The playoffs start this weekend and we have the Oakland Raiders taking on the Houston Texans in an AFC Wild Card game followed by the Detroit Lions facing off against the Seattle Seahawks on the coast for the NFC Wild Card. On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC matchup, and it culminates with the New York Giants head to head with the Green Bay Packers for the NFC game. Let's get into it!
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans Prediction, January 7
BET OAKLAND RAIDERS +3.5 at SPORTSINTERACTION
How could it ever come to this? A $72 million washout in Brock Osweiler going against a fourth round pick from Michigan State in Connor Cook, in his first NFL start. On the road. In an AFC Wild Card game. The stakes are mighty high and the pressure will be on, that's for sure. Osweiler was benched last game for the Houston Texans in favor of Tom Savage, but lucky for him, Savage sustained a concussion in that game, so hands the reins back over to Osweiler.His season numbers haven't come close to justifying his contract, throwing only 5.8 yards per attempt for worst among all starters in the NFL. The Texan offense as a whole was 29
His season numbers haven't come close to justifying his contract, throwing only 5.8 yards per attempt for worst among all starters in the NFL. The Texan offense as a whole was 29th in total yards with 5035 and 30th in passing TDs with 15, not even one per game. He did lose to this team earlier in the season, but he wasn't all that incompetent, throwing for 243 yards with a TD and INT, in a 27-20 loss. It's their defense that could keep them in this game, as they have the second ranked pass defense in the league. Against Cook, that could be crucial, but Cook will be the x-factor in this game. Trends do not favor the Texans, as they haven't been covering at home, or overall, going 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 at home, and an even worse 1-7 ATS in their last 8 overall.
The Oakland Raiders are facing similar quarterback woes as the Texans, having brought in Matt McGloin to replace the severely injured Derek Carr, but he himself sustained a shoulder injury. Coach Jack Del Rio is going with an unknown QB, but knowing where he is, he will want to make a glorious impact. He knows this is his chance, an opportunity that not everyone gets. If Cook himself doesn't make an impact due to the Texan pass defense, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are thirsting for the ball to put an exclamation mark on their 1000+ rushing yard seasons.
The fact that this game is on the road makes this play all the better, as the Raiders are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games. They are also 7-3 ATS in their last 10 overall, but more surprisingly, they are an astounding 23-9 ATS in their last 32 after failing to cover in their last game. Getting more than a field goal here is a steal. Take the Oakland Raiders +3.5.
Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks Prediction, January 7
BET DETROIT LIONS +8 at SPORTSINTERACTION
On a downward spiral of a three-game losing streak, the Detroit Lions are going to try to do the seemingly impossible this weekend in the NFC Wild Card game. The last time this team's won a playoff bout was 26 years ago, and worse, have never won at CenturyLink Field.
While they haven't been covering, going 0-4 ATS in their last 4, this is a perfect spot for a backdoor cover. Russell Wilson's numbers just aren't as good as usual. In fact, he has the lowest passer rating he's had in his career. The defense isn't up to par either, and Matthew Stafford's finger continues to heal week by week, so look for a few surprises in this one.
The Seattle Seahawks haven't been playing the same, and an 8 point spread seems on point, but this team isn't as impressive as it could be, especially since they lost Earl Thomas. The Hawks do have an 8 game winning streak at home in the postseason, and chances are they will hold on for a win, but look for Detroit to keep it close and surprise.
Their streak is impressive, but they are still 0-4 ATS in their last 4 postseason games. Don't forget, this Seahawks team had the 30th ranked strength of schedule, and still didn't have many decisive wins. Take the Detroit Lions at +8.
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers Prediction, January 8
BET MIAMI DOLPHINS +10 at SPORTSINTERACTION
Sunday's AFC Wild Card could be interesting. The Miami Dolphins will be looking to defeat the Steelers again as underdogs. They beat them 30-15, behind Jay Ajayi's 204 rushing yard bonanza. Matt Moore is getting the start though, in place of injured Ryan Tannehill, so this explains why the line is so high. Defense will be the issue for them, as they are ranked 29th in the league, and Pittsburgh has threats in Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and LeVeon Bell.
The Dolphins are getting a lot of points though, especially after having beat this team already. They are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 on the road, 8-3 ATS in their last 11 overall, and a stunning 33-16 ATS in their last 49 on the road against a team that's above .500 at home.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could have an easy time here, but double digit favorites don't really do that well in Wild Card games though. The Steelers are also 0-3-2 ATS in their last 5 playoff games, and 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. A bright spot, is that they are riding a 7 game winning streak. Look for them to get the win, but for the Dolphins to cover. LeVeon Bell will have a monster game, as it's his first playoff game for the Steelers, missing the others because of injury.
Big Ben will play average, and do just enough to get the win. Miami actually has covered 4 out of the last 5 times these teams met, and the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 as well. Take the Miami Dolphins at +10.
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers Prediction, January 8
BET GREEN BAY PACKERS -4.5 at SPORTSINTERACTION
This NFC Wild Card matchup will probably be the most entertaining of the weekend. Aaron Rodgers and his potent Green Bay Packer offense will be trying to penetrate the Giants' defensive wall. Green Bay ranks 4th in the league in offense, with 27 points per game.
A lot of this came from their incredible 6 game winning streak. Rodgers accumulated an astonishing 15 TDs to 0 INTs, with a passer rating of 122.8.
The New York Giants will try to quell this offense with a stout defense. They are ranked 2nd in the league in defense, allowing only 17.8 points per game. They are second best in the league in opponent passer rating and even ended the season with more interceptions than TD passes.
One other thing the Giants have going for them is Eli Manning's record. His 2-0 playoff mark at Lambeau Field is better than Rodgers' 2-2.This game will be tight and a winner could be tough to pick, so let's look at some other factors.
Trends are even between teams, both having played well in recent playoff games, and both doing well situationally. One area where the Giants falter is against teams with a winning home record, as they are 1-8-2 ATS in their last 11 road games against such teams, and they are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 after allowing under 90 yards in their last game. This might be a high scoring game if Green Bay breaks through, and could be decided by a single TD. If that's the case, Green Bay is the play. Look for both teams to play well offensively. Take the Green Bay Packers at -4.5.
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While the playoffs have just started, we still get a chance to look at the odds for the Super Bowl winner. At this point, we can rule out the majority of the 67.00 odds teams. Oakland won't win the whole thing with this new QB, the Texans will most likely lose in the Wild Card round, and the Lions won't get far with Stafford's injury. If the Giants get past Green Bay, they might be a threat, but not worth it as a play. At 10.00 (+900) the Kansas City Chiefs look to have good value, along with the Dallas Cowboys at 5.00 (+400). Atlanta should be ruled out as their defense isn't capable of getting them through, and that's key in the playoffs. Take the Chiefs and Cowboys for now.
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