Chris Garosi

NFL Wild Card Weekend: Picks Against the Spread

The NFL season continues this week with Wild Card Weekend – the first round of the NFL playoffs. There are four matchups on tap this weekend and we’re going to look at your options for picking these playoff games against the spread.

For our column, we will use the NFL lines fromTopBet.eu where you can get weekly NFL lines as well as Super Bowl Odds. Let’s take a look at all four games for Saturday and Sunday.

Kansas City Chiefs (+1) at Indianapolis Colts

The Chiefs started the season 9-0, but stumbled down the stretch with a 2-5 finish to the season. As a reward they go into Indianapolis as a one point underdog. The Chiefs were 6-2 on the road, but only faced three playoff teams on the road and lost to two of those teams.

The Colts took the Chiefs out in Week 16 by a score of 23-7. They are a better team at home than away and should be able to take care of the Chiefs again.

Pick: Colts to win and cover

New Orleans Saints (+2.5) at Philadelphia Eagles

The Saints aren’t very good on the road. The Eagles are middling at home. However, the Eagles seem to be improving (7-1 straight up in their last eight games) and the Saints are plateauing (since their bye, they’ve won one road game out of five squeaking by the horrid Atlanta Falcons). The Saints will also be without Pierre Thomas for this matchup

I look for Nick Foles to lead the Eagles into the next round. Ironically, I don’t think the Saints can keep up with the Eagles offense on the road.

Pick: Eagles to win and cover

San Diego Chargers (+7) at Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are 8-0 at home this year and 6-0 at home against the spread at home this year. The Chargers aren’t particularly good and needed a botched field goal to have a chance at the playoffs.  The Chargers are 3-1-1 against the spread as a road dog.

Pick: Bengals to win; Chargers to cover

San Francisco 49ers (-3) at Green Bay Packers

This is the marquee matchup of the weekend with the 49ers traveling to Lambeau Field to take on Aaron Rodgers and the suddenly healthy (on offense at least) Packers.  This is a tough game to call with Rodgers back as well as Randall Cobb. However, the Packers defense is dreadful and Colin Kaepernick should be able to exploit it regularly.

Pick: 49ers to win; Packers to cover

Enjoy the games and remember – the last three Super Bowl winners have all played on Wild Card Weekend and since 2005, only one Super Bowl hasn’t had a member of Wild Card Weekend competing.

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