Welcome to the NFL’s wild-card weekend, the soccer followers and bettors’ reward for having needed to endure 18 weeks of mediocre, dangerous and horrible groups.
It’ll be wall-to-wall playoff video games from 4:30 Saturday afternoon till about 11:30 Monday night time.
And there gained’t be a Big or Jet in sight — except you’re counting Saquon Barkley of the Eagles or Sam Darnold of the Vikings or Todd Bowles of the Bucs.
Let’s dig proper in.
SATURDAY
Los Angeles Chargers (-3) over HOUSTON TEXANS Underneath 42.5: There’s playoff expertise, then there’s Justin Herbert’s playoff expertise. The Chargers’ quarterback has performed in a single postseason recreation and it began out nice, with a 27-0 lead towards the Jaguars in 2022. However that was in an period when the Bolts have been blowing video games in every kind of the way, and so they ended up dropping, 31-30.
C.J. Stroud’s playoff debut final season was significantly better. He threw three landing passes within the first half, then watched Joe Flacco throw two pick-sixes in what turned a 45-14 blowout for the Texans (then 9-7) towards the Browns (who got here in at 11-5).
This ought to be a aggressive recreation, with the distinction being first-year Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. He has taken the 49ers to the Tremendous Bowl, gained the nationwide championship at Michigan and now succeeded at getting the Chargers to cease taking pictures themselves within the foot. Their 9 giveaways (three interceptions and 6 misplaced fumbles) have been the second-fewest within the NFL this season.
Stroud shall be with out his No. 2 receiving risk, Tank Dell, and the offense has been off-kilter all season.
The Chargers have harm questions on each working backs, with J.Ok. Dobbins listed as questionable and Gus Edwards lacking the final two video games.
However Herbert and Harbaugh have been figuring it out all season, going 7-2 towards the unfold (ATS) on the highway as a part of a 12-5 ATS mark.
Chargers, 23-17
Pittsburgh Steelers (+10) over BALTIMORE RAVENS; Underneath 43.5: Subsequent Harbaugh up is John, and if you wish to again him, it’s a must to lay double digits towards the Ravens’ loss of life rivals, the Steelers.
These into recency bias can fixate on Baltimore’s 34-17 hammering of Pittsburgh on Dec. 21. However when you take into account the ten conferences earlier than that, the most important margin of victory by both staff was seven factors and the typical margin was 3.7 factors.
Betting on the NFL?
Within the Dec. 21 matchup, Zay Flowers had 100 yards receiving for the Ravens, however he’ll miss this recreation with a knee harm he suffered final week.
The coaches, Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin, know one another so properly, and the gamers hate one another a lot, and Russell Wilson ought to make sufficient performs to maintain this shut all through.
Going to take the Underneath as a result of within the 10 Ravens-Steelers matchups this decade, the typical whole rating was 35.1 factors.
Ravens, 24-16
LOCK OF THE WEEK: Steelers (Locks 9-9 in 2024).
LAST WEEK: 9-7 total, 1-2 Finest Bets.
Why Belief New York Submit Betting
Dave Blezow’s one of many longest tenured NFL handicappers on the Submit with picks relationship again 31 years. He gained the Submit’s NFL betting standings in 2021 and the Playoffs most just lately in 2023.
