NFL Wildcard weekend betting tips and predictions – Copybet
With 18 teams eliminated at the end of the NFL regular season, 14 remain in the hunt to win the Super Bowl. The top seeds in each conference, the Denver Broncos (AFC) and Seattle Seahawks (NFL) have earned a bye to the divisional round next week, leaving 12 teams to fight it out for the remaining six places from Saturday to Monday.
Los Angeles Rams vs Carolina Panthers
One of the main reasons the Los Angeles Rams fell to the fifth seed in the NFC was their unexpected 31-28 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 13, which ended a six-game winning streak for Sean McVay's team and helped the Seattle Seahawks to overhaul them in the NFC West.
The Rams finished the season at 12-5 despite losing two of their last three games to the Seahawks and Falcons, which was four more wins than the 8-9 record that was just enough for the Panthers to win the NFC South.
However, the Rams come from the strongest division in the league and the Panthers were the only division champions not to have a winning record and that is reflected in the large handicap line for the game, even though the west-coast team are on the road.
The best bet for the game may be to back the Rams to score at least 29 points this time.They committed three costly turnovers on their last trip to Charlotte but can put in a dominant performance if they avoid similar mistakes against a team who crept into the playoffs despite losing three of their last four games.
Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Buffalo Bills are one of the few AFC heavyweights who even made it into the playoffs this season with regular challengers the Chiefs and Ravens both making early exits.
The Bills have work to do after claiming only the sixth seeding for the AFC playoffs but they may be happy enough to be paired with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars put things together in the second half of the season to win their last eight games and hold off the Houston Texans in the AFC South, but they never faced a particularly strong offence in that run and could come unstuck against the Bills.
Sean McDermott's team have been inconsistent but can be a real force when they are at their best. They won five of their last six regular-season games and are well worth backing as only marginal underdogs for their trip to Florida.
Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots
Two strong defences will clash when the Los Angeles Chargers head to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots in the late game on Sunday night and a low-scoring clash is expected.
The teams both ranked in the top eight in the league for yards allowed per game and the top nine for points allowed per game and it could be a real grind of a contest with both teams looking to run the ball.
The Patriots conceded just 10 points in each of their last two games, while the Chargers limited their last six opponents to 20 or fewer, so under 45.5 looks a decent bet for their wild-card clash.
Houston Texans vs Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were one kick away from missing the playoffs but Baltimore rookie Tyler Loop sent a 44-yard field-goal attempt wide with the final play of Sunday's final Week 18 game to hand them the AFC North title.
The Steelers may not be able to make much of it, however, as they face the impressive defence of the Houston Texans, who are favourites to win on the road at Acrisure Stadium.
The Texans fell just short of catching the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South despite winning their last nine games, but at 12-5 they won two more games than their hosts.
The Texans have won four successive away games, so won't fear going on the road, and they look capable of moving through to the next round while covering the handicap.