NFL Wild Card Round Tips
The regular season is now behind us and it is time to get serious as the NFL playoffs start with the Wild Card Round.
There are six games scheduled from Saturday to Tuesday across the USA, while #1 seeds, the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions have the week off to rest ahead of the Divisional Round.
We take a look at some of the six Wild Card games, picking out a few selections for this round.
Tip 1 - Los Angeles Chargers +3 vs Houston Texans @ 19/20
The Los Angeles Chargers needed a Wild Card slot to sneak into the playoffs, but that does not mean they cannot beat the Texans.
Houston finished the season 10-7, but they have been inconsistent all season. Six of their defeats came after Week 7, and they are still without wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell.
The Texans' passing game has been so poor of late, and the Chargers concede only 17.7 points per game in the NFL, the lowest total in the league.
The Chargers finished the season with three straight wins, and they can continue that momentum this weekend.
Tip 2 - Baltimore Ravens -10 vs Pittsburgh Steelers @ 19/20
The best-rushing offence in the NFL will be in action as the Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers on home soil at the M&T Bank Stadium.
Baltimore ended the season with four successive wins, winning each of those games by more than 15 points.
On the other hand, AFC North rivals Pittsburgh have lost four in a row, and they will struggle against the Ravens' relentless rushing attack.
The early weather forecasts suggest snow and high winds for Baltimore so that only suits the Ravens' rush attack even more as Derrick Henry prepares to spearhead their offense.
Tip 3 - Buffalo Bills -9 vs Denver Broncos @ 10/11
The Broncos just did enough to squeeze into the postseason, and their stay in the playoffs should be short-lived.
While Denver deserves credit for succeeding with a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix, they struggled against teams with winning records.
Denver lost seven games to teams with winning records, and the Buffalo Bills are one of the best teams in the NFL.
Buffalo let quarterback Josh Allen have one snap to continue his starting streak before resting him in their 23-16 defeat to the New England Patriots.
The Bills rested several of their key players last week to prepare themselves for this encounter, and they should prosper at the Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo's 13-4 record was only bettered by defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, so Sean McDermott's team should be able to put on a show this weekend.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation