After the NFL’s inaugural 18-week regular season, the postseason returns with Super Wildcard Weekend. Both the AFC and NFC representatives from last year’s Super Bowl return, whilst standout rookies such as Ja’Marr Chase and Micah Parsons have their first taste of late January football.
We’re going to take you through the best predictions and bets you can place with Fanduel Sportsbook NY ahead of Super Wildcard Weekend
Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinnati Bengals
The first game of Super Wildcard Weekend promises to be an offensive treat.
The Las Vegas Raiders made it to the postseason in dramatic fashion. A Daniel Carlson field goal as time expired ensured the Raiders would be competing in the postseason at the expense of the Los Angeles Chargers.
They are the underdogs at +188, but they have defied the odds all season long and that could continue.
As for the Cincinnati Bengals, they secured their fate two weeks ago. They defeated the Kansas City Chiefs and secured an AFC North championship – guaranteeing at least one home game in the postseason.
The Bengals rested some starters for their final game of the regular season, so we expect Joe Burrow and company to come back and have a big day. The AFC North champions are -225 to come out on top, and Burrow to have over 262.5 passing yards is at -114 (He has achieved this in four of his last five starts).
New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
The second game of Super Wildcard Weekend is the all-AFC East matchup between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills secured the AFC East division title after dominating the New York Jets in week 18. That victory meant home-field advantage in the wildcard round, and it set up the third meeting between the Patriots and Bills this season.
As for the Patriots, they were beaten in week 18 by the Miami Dolphins, leaving them locked in the sixth seed and travelling to Highmark on Saturday night/Sunday morning for UK viewers.
The Bills are the favorites. Josh Allen and co are playing better than the Patriots currently, and they are -205 to advance to the divisional round of the postseason. On the other hand, the Patriots sit at +172 to continue their season. If they can dominate the ground game (like they did earlier in the season), the Patriots could secure the road victory.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The third game of Super Wildcard Weekend pits the reigning Super Bowl champions against the seventh-seed Philadelphia Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the biggest underdogs in the NFC bracket. They secured the seventh seed with a 9-8 record – beating out the New Orleans Saints due to their interconference record. However, they have beaten ONE team above .500 this season and they are a longshot to pass the Buccaneers at +310.
Whereas the Super Bowl champions secured their playoff berth a few weeks back. The Tom Brady-led Bucs dominated the NFC South, winning the division with a 13-4 record, and they now have a chance to defend their title.
But they haven’t had it all their way. Numerous players have been struck with injury, and receiver Antonio Brown made headlines by exiting midway through their game with the Jets in week 18. They are still the clear favorites to make it past the Eagles at -390, and Tom Brady to have over 2.5 touchdown passes at +158 could be a nice moneymaker.
San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys
Another offensive masterclass on Super Wildcard Weekend, the San Francisco 49ers playing the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T stadium.
The San Francisco 49ers are our dark horses to make a postseason run. They were the sixth seed in the NFC, but they have gained momentum in the second half of the regular season. They have a top ten defense, and their versatile offensive weapons (George Kittle and Deebo Samuel) can cause any defense a problem.
They are +136 dogs in this one, and we wouldn’t be shocked if they got the road win in Dallas. Deebo Samuel at -115 to score a touchdown would be our TD scorer prop.
The Dallas Cowboys ran away with the NFC East. They began the season with an enigmatic offense filled with stars such as Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Ceedee Lamb, and Amari Cooper, but it’s the defense that has stepped up in recent weeks.
Micah Parsons is making a statement as defensive rookie of the year and Trevon Diggs was the only player to get double-digit interceptions, expect this defense to make a play on Sunday. These stars are the reason the Cowboys are -162 to make the divisional round.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs
The Pittsburgh Steelers sneaked into the playoffs in week 18. The 2-14 Jaguars defeated the Colts, and a last-second Daniel Carlson field goal for the Raiders ensured the terrible towels will be making a postseason appearance.
But we don’t fancy their chances. Even quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joked that “We probably aren’t supposed to be here. We’re probably not a very good football team”. This is reflected in the +500 odds.
After a poor start, the Kansas City Chiefs went on a midseason run to secure the second seed in the AFC. Last year’s Super Bowl runners up are hitting their stride both offensively and defensively and they’ll have too much for the Steelers. They are -700 for a reason.
Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams
The final Super Wildcard Weekend will be hosted at the very stadium that will have the Super Bowl as the Arizona Cardinals travel to Los Angeles to play at So-Fi.
The Cardinals were the hottest team in the NFL to start the season. They were 7-0, the one seed, and they looked unstoppable, but they have hit a huge midseason slump. The Cards won one game in the last five to finish the season and limped to the fifth seed. They are +162 to get the victory at So-Fi, despite already winning in California earlier this season.
As for the Los Angeles Rams, they heated up towards the end of the year. Midseason additions Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr have proven to be worthwhile investments, whilst Cooper Kupp almost broke the single-season yardage record.
With Fanduel they are -194 to win.
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