NFL Betting Recap For Wild Card Round

NFL Betting Recap For Wild Card Round

Let’s take a look back at the “Super Wild Card Weekend” that went from Saturday to Monday. Buffalo/Pittsburgh was moved from Sunday to Monday due to the weather conditions. That should help Kansas City, who played on Saturday and will have two extra days of rest when they travel to Buffalo on Sunday. This was not a weekend full of huge surprises and close games.

(home teams in CAPS)

Saturday, Jan. 13

HOUSTON (+2.5/44.5) over Cleveland 45-14

What a start for rookie C.J. Stroud, who threw for three TDs and 274 yards. At 22, he became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game. Nico Collins caught six passes for 96 yards and a TD. The Texans rattled off 35 straight points after the Browns took a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter on a Kareem Hunt 11-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco. The 38-yard old quarterback was no elite in this game as he threw two picks and both were returned for touchdowns. Houston will now travel to No. 1 seed Baltimore on Saturday afternoon.

KANSAS CITY (-4.5/43.5) over Miami 26-7

It was a cold one in Kansas City and Miami once again went down in another freezing playoff game. Miami has played in 11 games below 40 degrees since 2017 and have lost all the games by an average of 17 points. QB Tua Tagovailoa is now 0-5 in games where the kickoff temperature is below 45 degrees. It was -4 on Saturday in Kansas City with a wind chill of -27, making it the fourth-coldest game in NFL history. Patrick Mahomes was 23 of 41 for 262 yards and a TD, while Isiah Pacheco rushed for 89 yards and a score. Tagovailoa completed 20 of 39 for 199 yards with a TD and a pick. The Dolphins have now lost six straight playoff games. Kansas City will travel to Buffalo for a Sunday matchup.

Sunday, Jan. 14

Green Bay (+7/52.5) over DALLAS 48-32

This was the surprise of the weekend as Green Bay jumped on Dallas for a 27-0 lead in the first half and the game was over. Darnell Savage put this game away with 1:50 left in the first half on a 64-yard interception return for a TD. Dak Prescott completed 41 of 60 for 403 yards and three TDs, but also had two picks. TE Jake Ferguson had all three TD receptions for the Cowboys. The Packers tied a record for their most points scored in a playoff game. Jordan Love completed 16 of 21 for 272 yards and three TDs in his first career playoff start for the Packers. Aaron Jones rushed for 118 yards and three TDs, while Romeo Doubs caught six passes for 151 yards and a TD for the Packers. Who now must face No. 1 seed San Francisco on the road on Saturday.

LA Rams (+3/53) over DETROIT 23-24

The Rams get the cover, but the Lions get the win and the first playoff victory since 1992 against Dallas. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for touchdowns, while WR Amon-Ra St. Brown caught seven passes for 110 yards for Detroit. Matthew Stafford, playing in Detroit for the first time since he was traded in March 2021, threw for 367 yards and two TDs. Rookie Puka Nacua caught nine passes for 181 yards and a TD. Jared Goff threw for 277 yards and a TD for Detroit. The Lions will host Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon.

Monday, January 15

BUFFALO (-9.5.39.5) over Pittsburgh 31-17

This game was supposed to be played on Sunday, but was played on Monday afternoon. The Bills took advantage of the two big turnovers for the Steelers and also stopped the run. Pittsburgh did run for 106 yards, but on 23 carries and never hit enough big plays on the ground. Josh Allen passed for three TDs and ran for a 52-yard score to lead the Bills. He completed 21 of 30 for 203 yards and rushed for 74 yards on eight carries. James Cook had 79 yards on 18 carries for the Bills. Mason Rudolph completed 22 of 39 for 229 yards with two TDs and a pick.. Buffalo will now host Kansas City on Sunday.

TAMPA BAY (+3/43.5) over Philadelphia 32-9

The Bucs took advantage of an Eagles’ team in dysfunction right now, especially on the defensive end. Baker Mayfield passed for 337 yards and three TDs, while David Moore, Trey Palmer and Chris Godwin caught a TD pass apiece. The Eagles opened the season at 10-1 and lost six of their last seven games. Jalen Hurts completed 25 of 35 for 250 yards and a TD, but also played with a dislocated middle finger on his right hand. DeVonta Smith was strong with eight catches for 148 yards, but Phily played without star WR A.J. Brown. Tampa Bay moves on to face Detroit on Sunday on the road.

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Ben Hayes

Ben has been a sports writer for over 35 years, dabbling in college and pro basketball, college and pro football, baseball, college lacrosse, minor league baseball and even college gymnastics. He's also been involved in the gaming industry for nearly 30 years and has been looking to beat the books since he was 13! Ben has had great success in handicapping college football, the NFL, college basketball, the NBA and MLB for 27+ years. His Twitter handle is @BenHayesWAW