NFL odds, picks, schedule, how to watch, stream: Expert picks against the spread for Wild Card Weekend

It’s playoff season in the NFL as 12 teams battle to be the one left standing on Sunday, February 3 as the winner of Super Bowl LIII, which you can watch on CBS and CBS All-Access. The road to Atlanta starts this weekend with a Lone Star State Saturday, as the Texans and Cowboys host a pair of games before the Ravens and Chargers battle on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (stream the game here) and the Eagles close things out by trying to take the first step in a second magical run in Chicago.

We’ll take you game by game to reveal how our experts picked the lines on Wild Card Weekend and showing you all the great places you can find NFL picks talk throughout the week. Let’s get to it.

What NFL picks can you make with confidence during the wild-card round? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which NFL teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from the model that has beaten 98 percent of experts over the past two years.

Colts at Texans

  • Time: Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET (ESPN)
  • Open: Colts -2.5
  • Current: Colts -1

“The Colts match up well with the Texans, but unlike Houston they can keep the other team from menacing their quarterback. All the missed time for Lamar Miller gives me pause, and I love the balance of the Colts offense right now in a stadium where they just won a few weeks ago with their season on the line. Andrew Luck win this game outright.” — Jason La Canfora, who went 27-18-2 with best bets this season, on why the Colts are his favorite pick this week

I’m 19-6 in my last 25 ATS picks for or against the Colts on SportsLine, including nailing both Colts-Texans games this year. Not only that, I was all over Houston (-6.5) to cover versus Jacksonville last Sunday. “Houston plays well at home against bad teams, and they have the No. 1 rush defense, per DVOA,” I wrote. “That’ll put the onus on Blake Bortles to make plays in the passing game to keep the Jaguars competitive, and I just don’t see that happening.”  See which of these sides I like over at SportsLine.

“I just think the Colts’ strength — their offensive line — can mitigate the Texans’ strength — their defensive line — in a way that most teams are not able to do. O’Brien’s playoff record is a little questionable; the Texans were blanked 30-0 by the Chiefs after the 2014 season, so they went out and spent on Brock Osweiler and he beat Connor Cook and the Raiders but then got handled by the Patriots in New England the following week. J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney are playmakers, but something about this matchup just has me believing the Colts win in a close one.” — Will Brinson on why he’s taking the Colts in this matchup

I also made this game part of my teaser of the week, which went 12-5 in the regular season, in my Thursday tips column. You can also read about the trend that makes betting short home favorites in the playoff dangerous and stats to know for every game.  

Seahawks at Cowboys

  • Time: Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
  • Open: Cowboys -2.5
  • Current: Cowboys -2

“The Cowboys are 7-1 at home, while Seattle is 4-4 on the road, with those four wins all coming against weak teams. The last time they played each other, Dallas didn’t have Amari Cooper. The Cowboys really got Dak Prescott ready last week too, as he threw four touchdown passes on the road.” — Hammerin’ Hank Goldberg, who’s 5-0-1 over the last two weeks with his best bets, on why the Cowboys are part of his three-team parlay this weekend (check out which other teams he’s taking over at SportsLine)

“Here’s what I like about the Seahawks: They never lose in the opening round of the playoffs. Since Pete Carroll took over in 2010, the Seahawks have gone 6-0 in their opening round playoff game and it doesn’t matter if that game was played in the Wild-Card Round (4-0) or the Divisional Round (2-0). You know how Andy Reid is basically unbeatable after a bye week? That’s Carroll, except in opening round playoff games.” — John Breech, who’s 15-1 straight up picking Seahawks games this year, on why he’s going with the road team in this matchup

SportsLine expert Josh Nagel, a West Coast-based analyst who’s won numerous handicapping contests, has his finger on the Seahawks’ pulse: All-time at SportsLine, he’s 12-4 in against the spread picks involving Pete Carroll’s team. That’s an insane 75 percent cash rate! In Week 3, when Seattle was winless and hosting 1-1 Dallas, Nagel was all over the Seahawks (-1.5), saying they’d bring a huge effort in their home opener. “Look for them to make the most of a winnable game and fade a public that is bound to favor Dallas,” Nagel wrote. Final score? Seahawks 24, Cowboys 13. See which side he’s taking in this matchup over at SportsLine.

How about the total in this game? The Cowboys ranked 22nd in scoring (21.2) this season, but professional bettors discount that figure, knowing Dallas has been far more potent since Amari Cooper arrived. Seattle’s last three games produced 51, 69 and 49 points. So when bookmakers opened the Seahawks-Cowboys total at 41.5, wiseguys hammered the Over, pushing it all the way up to 43. See what else you need to know about how sharp bettors are moving the lines this weekend over at SportsLine.

Chargers at Ravens

“This will be the second time for the Chargers to see Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s gimmicked-up offense. It’s tough to play that style the first time around for defenses, but I think the Chargers will have a better handle on it in this one. Philip Rivers didn’t play well in the first game, but he will here. Chargers will win a tight game, so take the points.” — Pete Prisco, who’s doubling up with spread and total picks on this game in his best bets

Micah Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20 years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos’ book director. Since joining SportsLine as a handicapper, Roberts is on an epic 14-6 run picking all Chargers games, and has hit on four of five on games involving the Ravens. So which side of this line is Roberts taking? Head on over to SportsLine and find out.

“First of all, the fact the Chargers have to fly across the entire country to play a game at 1 p.m. ET and 10 a.m. PT could be a problem for them, just like it’s been a problem for so many West Coast teams in the past. Furthermore, while rookie QBs may struggle in playoff games, Lamar Jackson is a little different. Jackson isn’t going to be asked to throw the ball 30 times in this game. Baltimore’s offense is something out of the early 20th century, and it matches up well with this Chargers defense. The Chargers are stronger defending the pass than they are the run, and it was only a few weeks ago that the Ravens came to L.A. to beat the Chargers 22-10. I believe the Ravens will get them again.” — Tom Fornelli on why the Ravens are one of his best bets this week

Nick Kostos: “I love watching the Ravens play … I just am bummed for Baltimore, because I just feel like of all the possible matchups on Wild Card Weekend, this was the worst one, because this is the only team that has seen this offense once already … You guys know I love betting against Philip Rivers in a big spot, but I think second time in a couple weeks seeing this Ravens defense, the Chargers definitely cover the 3.” 

Pete Prisco: “I was watching that today and [the Chargers] will do a couple things different this time around … I love the Chargers. They will stop the run, they will dare that kid to pass … The Chargers will win it 19-16.” 

Will Brinson: “The same year Pete was born!” 

R.J. White: “These guys made some good points except for Nick’s betting against Philip Rivers in big spots point, because he’s 5-1 against the spread in the playoffs, and he’s 39-20-3 against the spread in all games as a road underdog.”

That’s from Friday’s edition of the Pick Six Podcast, hosted by Will Brinson five days a week and featuring nothing but NFL talk, from recapping games to insider buzz to picks and everything else you want to know. Listen to the wild card picks pod below and subscribe!

Eagles at Bears

  • Time: Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fuboTV (Try for free)
  • Open: Bears -5.5
  • Current: Bears -6.5

“On Sunday, I think we’ll see the Trubisky we saw for most of December — in part because he’s been showing signs of progress in recent weeks and also because he’s facing an average defense. And if he does struggle, which let’s face it, is a real possibility, the Bears will still have their defense to lean on. … The Bears might be able to beat the Eagles without their quarterback playing well. The Bears will almost assuredly beat the Eagles if their quarterback does play well. Trubisky has been playing well in recent weeks. And he gets an average defense on Sunday. That’s why I’m taking the Bears to win and cover.” — Sean Wagner-McGough, who went 49-35-1 on his best bets this year

I finished the regular season as SportsLine’s No. 1 NFL expert, compiling a 51-31-2 record in my last 84 picks against the spread. I’m on a 7-1 run picking Bears games, including their 24-10 Week 17 win over the Vikings as five-point underdogs. Check out which side of this line I’m taking over at SportsLine.

“Please do not bother Nick Foles in September. For him, that’s still the offseason. But if an emergency comes up in December or January, then by all means. Foles is again filling in for an injured Carson Wentz, and he’s again playing like a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But for all his success in big games — and, as a reminder, he’s the reigning Super Bowl MVP — he’s never faced a defense like this Bears unit. So then the question becomes: Can Foles, who has back-to-back games with a passer rating of 102.1 or better, can continue apace in the playoffs? The short answer is yes.” — Ryan Wilson, who’s taking the Eagles to cover but Bears to win

“I want the Bears first-half line at -3. The Bears have been one of the best first-half teams in the league this year, 11-5 against the number in the first 30 minutes. Eagles are just 6-10 in the first 30 minutes. We have seen the Bears defense taper off in the second half of some of these games, but I feel really confident in the Bears in the first half here.” — Nick Kostos, who is joined by a cavalcade of NFL betting experts each Sunday at noon ET for SportsLine’s NFL preview, where the team goes through the NFL slate each week and shares what you have to know before placing your bets. Be sure to join them at noon ET on Sunday over at CBS Sports HQ, your 24/7 home for news, analysis, Fantasy and gambling insight, and more.      

Thanks for reading, and good luck on your Wild Card Weekend picks!

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