Regular Season Record – 45-34

Preview:

The final weekend of the NFL regular season looked like it might be underwhelming heading into the early slate on Sunday. A late overtime win by the San Francisco 49ers, followed by one of the wildest season finales we may ever see between the Chargers and Raiders made the week 18 anything but boring. Football fans were treated to a pretty wild ride that shook up the playoff landscape, and molded Wild Card weekend into a really interesting card. In our article here you’re welcome to scroll to the end and check out the big green box if you want to see what the BetCrushers are officially playing in the Super Wild Card Weekend, but we’ve got a breakdown and leans for all 6 contests in what looks to be a fun way to kick off the NFL playoffs.

Unlike a season ago where spread were relatively tight in the Wild Card round, this season sees some bigger discrepancies in many of the contests. In fact, there’s only one game (San Francisco-Dallas) that is hovering around the field goal range, which would point towards what many believe are some potentially lopsided results. Are the large point spreads enough to steer the public towards taking the underdogs, or will the sportsbooks take it on the chin if the favorites do, in fact, blowout their inferior opponents? There’s another intriguing element in play for the first time in league history, as Monday Night Football will have the final game of the weekend (Arizona-Los Angeles Rams). We’ve got a few accomplished quarterbacks, and several making their playoff debuts. There seems to be a little something for every fan and bettor, and we’re ready to dive right in.

AFC WILD CARD GAME ONE

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Cincinnati Bengals

vs.
Las Vegas Raiders (10-7) at Cincinnati Bengals (10-7)
Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Bengals -5.5 (-110)
Over/Under 48.5 (-110)

The playoffs kick off with a game featuring two of the hotter teams entering the postseason, when the Raiders and Bengals square off in Cincinnati. Neither team was expected to make the playoffs when the season began, as both teams have greatly exceeded expectations and excited their respective fan bases. The Bengals enter the game as 5.5 point favorites after early money came in on the Raiders. Although Derek Carr is in his 9th season in the league, he will be making his first career postseason start, along with Joe Burrow of the Bengals.

THE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS ON OFFENSE:

On paper, the Las Vegas Raiders offense doesn’t look like the most impressive unit in the league. Somehow, behind some quality play of quarterback Derek Carr, they simply find ways to move the ball and score points. Against the Bengals on Saturday, they’ll need to be at their best in a game where they’ll likely need to outscore Cincinnati if they hope to get the road victory. After playing poorly for most of the season, the Raiders offensive line has performed a little better over the last month of the season. The Bengals present a challenge to that offensive line, both with the interior and the edges attacking. Larry Ogunjobi and D.J. Reader should have some success against the middle of the Raiders offensive line, which could make running the ball difficult for Las Vegas. Josh Jacobs had a bit of a resurgence in tandem with his offensive line, but he may struggle to get things going. Vegas may want to turn to Jalen Richard who offers a little more explosiveness, and opportunities running outside of the tackles. Ultimately, the success of the Raider offense is going to rest on how well Derek Carr can make plays, likely while under pressure. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been a beast generating quarterback pressures, and the Bengals have become a creative blitzing team, when they do bring extra personnel. The recent return of tight end Darren Waller will give Las Vegas a lot more flexibility on how they attack down the field. Waller draws a lot of extra attention, and the emergence of the shifty Hunter Renfrow will keep the Cincinnati secondary on their toes. An interesting player to watch, who has also come on since the release of Henry Ruggs, is wide receiver Zay Jones. His number isn’t called all that often, but when it is, he always seems to step up and make plays.

THE CINCINNATI BENGALS ON OFFENSE:

If you’re searching for the hottest offense in the league, you need to look no further than the players sporting the orange and black jerseys. Second year quarterback Joe Burrow has looked poised and confident, and says he’s feeling 100% heading into this game. Burrow has the luxury of tossing to perhaps the best overall group of wide receivers in the playoffs in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. That’s a tall task for any defense to tackle, and the Raiders are already thin in their secondary, playing without their top safety Jonathan Abram. After forcing the ball to the Chase, the possible offensive rookie of the year early in the year, Burrow has really settled in and is spreading the ball around to whoever is open. Expect a lot of receivers to be finding openings in that Raiders secondary. Burrow will need to be patient in this game as he should have time to throw the football, if the Bengals can slow down pass rusher extraordinaire, Maxx Crosby. Look for Cincinnati to use tight end C.J. Uzomah more in the blocking game and give right tackle Isaiah Prince some help against Crosby. The Raiders blitz as little as any team in the league, so if Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue can be contained, Burrow may pick this group apart. It’s fair to note that Burrow has actually been the top quarterback in the league when blitzed, so this strategy may actually play into the Raiders favor a bit. An area that could also be a problem for Las Vegas is stopping Bengals running back Joe Mixon. The team had to place DT Darius Philon on injured reserve, which hurts their rotation as he had been playing some of his best football at the end of the season. A huge injury to watch is their other defensive tackle, Jonathan Hankins, who is questionable to play in this contest. If Hankins can’t go, look for the Bengals to really attack the interior of that Raider defensive line behind center Trey Hopkins and guard Quinton Spain. Both teams boast pretty strong kicking games, and Cincinnati may need to rely on rookie kicker Evan McPherson, who they hope can continue his clutch performances.

KEY STATS:
– The The Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
– The Bengals are 5-0 ATS in their last 6 games against the Raiders
– The Raiders are 10-4 straight up in their last 14 road games

PUBLIC MONEY: – Cincinnati Bengals 52%

THE SKINNY:
The public is pretty split on this game, and in a rarity, the sharps also don’t seem to be agreeing on a side either. Early money came in on the Raiders, and since then the cash has come in behind the Bengals. It’s tough to really find a great betting edge in this game. On the one hand, the Bengals may be getting a little too much love for their late season offensive fireworks. On the other hand, Derek Carr has struggled his entire career in cold weather, and the Raiders are coming off of a draining late 5 quarter win and have to travel east. This seems like a game the Bengals should win because they have a better team top to bottom on both sides of the ball. Somehow though, Derek Carr and the big names of the Raiders like Maxx Crosby seem to find a way to stay competitive in every game they play. (We won’t count the Chiefs games). It sure feels like a field goal game, yet would anyone be shocked if the Bengals won by two touchdowns? If you want to wager on this game, it might be better to play the total, or possibly find some player props. We’ll have some prop bets coming out as well before the games kick off this weekend. Since we’re not officially wagering on this game, we’ll give the Bengals the edge here, even in Joe Burrow’s first career playoff start. Should be a fun game to start the weekend.

BetCrushers Lean: Cincinnati Bengals -5.5
Cincinnati Bengals 27, Las Vegas Raiders 20

AFC WILD CARD GAME TWO

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

vs.

New England Patriots (10-7) at Buffalo Bills (11-6)
Highmark Stadium – Orchard Park, NY
Buffalo Bills -4 (-110)
Over/Under 44 (-110)

The third time will be the charm for one of these teams, as the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills face off again, after two meetings in the month of December. Each team found a way to win physical games on their other squads home turf, with the second matchup, ultimately helping determine who would capture the AFC East crown. Josh Allen makes his third seasonal appearance in the playoffs, and will look across the sidelines at rookie Mac Jones, who will be one of several first-time playoff starters this weekend. The weather will be cold, and this has all the makings of a classic AFC East January slugfest.

THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS ON OFFENSE:

You cannot simply discount or take away a game in an NFL schedule, however if you were subtract the Patriots thumping of the Jaguars in week 17, their offense has really sputtered over the past month. A date with the Buffalo Bills is not necessarily a good cure for Mac Jones and the Patriots offense. After having to throw only three times in their first meeting, Jones was forced to do a bit more in their second contest, and had arguably his worst game of the season. The Bills finished the regular season ranked first in nearly every single defensive category, and were particularly strong against the pass. The good news for New England is they’ve already proven in both meetings they can run the ball against the Bills 11th ranked rush defense. While it’s safe to assume we’ll see a lot of running backs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson again, don’t be surprised if the Patriots try to come up with some trick plays or creative disguises to generate offense. We’ve seen that before from Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick in the playoffs, particularly in years where they weren’t as prolific on offense. It also won’t be surprising if the Patriots elect to be more aggressive than normal in situations like manageable 4th downs as they know they need to steal field positions and points as the road underdog. The best scenario for New England is to try to get an early lead early, and lean on the running game and only timely needed passes from Mac Jones. Most importantly, they need to take care of the football, as their offense cannot overcome losing the turnover battle.

THE BUFFALO BILLS ON OFFENSE:

When you study the metrics of the Buffalo Bills on offense, there are some things that are really good and some things that are not so good. The team has been running the football better, and continues to move the chains with pretty good consistency behind Pro Bowl snubbed quarterback Josh Allen. However, they have struggled in the red zone and on some critical fourth downs. They also haven’t been great at taking care of the football in the latter part of the season, almost playing too loose and too aggressively. In order for them to beat the Patriots, ball security is the single most important thing this team needs to focus on heading into the game. With the array of weapons the Bills have, New England knows they can’t fully control them, and will make them earn their scores with sustained drives. Josh Allen needs to be patient and take whatever the defense gives him, whether that’s a 4 yard checkdown, scrambling for a few yards, or even throwing the ball away. As they’ve done down the stretch, they also need to get running back Devin Singletary a lot of touches. The Patriots are vulnerable against the run, and with as well as the Bills offensive line has played recently, we should see a lot of Singletary and some scripted Allen carries. A player to watch for the Bills who has been pretty quiet of late, that they need for the playoff run is tight end Dawson Knox. With so much attention paid to Stefon Diggs and the Bills receiving corp, Knox can be that “x” factor weapon the team needs to make plays in the red zone. Something else to monitor is how aggressive head coach Sean McDermott is on the offensive side of the ball. McDermott likes to play analytics and be aggressive, but he’s tended to clam up a bit, and play conservatively in big spots. For the Bills to make a deep run, McDermott needs to stay aggressive and stick with what got him this far.

KEY STATS:
– The Patriots are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games
– The Patriots are 9-1 straight up in their last 10 games in Buffalo
– The Bills are 13-3 straight up in their last 16 home games

PUBLIC MONEY: – New England Patriots 51%

When team’s know each other as well as the Patriots and Bills do, it often just comes down to who is more physical and who wants it more? For that reason, you can’t count out Bill Belichick and this Patriots team, especially the way it’s currently constructed. In fact, if you lean towards New England in this game, you probably should consider playing the moneyline, even though right now you’re sitting nice getting over the key number of a field goal. Ultimately, this comes down to the fact that the Buffalo Bills are simply a better football team than the Patriots, and most importantly at the quarterback position. The weather is going to be chilly here so we can’t say for sure what kind of impact that might have on each team, but it looks like the wind at least won’t be an issue as it was in their first meeting. With the Bills, there really seems to be no in between. If they win, they win really big. Or they lose. We’re going to give them the advantage here and suggest this is another solid win for them against a rookie QB making his first start against the league’s top ranked defense.

BetCrushers Lean: Buffalo Bills -4
Buffalo Bills 29, New England Patriots 18

NFC WILD CARD GAME ONE

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

vs.

Philadelphia Eagles (9-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4)
Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -8.5 (-115)
Over/Under 46 (-110)

The Washington Football Team is limping into the playoffs both literally and figuratively. With their 7-9 record they get to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 8 point underdogs in the Saturday evening primetime game. Not many would argue that Tampa is the vastly superior team, but Washington has the type of defense that could give Tom Brady difficulties. Will this game be a blowout by the red-hot visitors, or can the home team grind out a major upset?

THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ON OFFENSE:

You can’t talk about the Philadelphia Eagles offense without talking about how often and how well they run the football. Normally, that wouldn’t be considered much of a weapon against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who for the past few seasons have boasted one of the toughest run defenses in the league. That may not be the case when these teams meet on Sunday, as the Bucs have been surprisingly weak in that department over the past 8 weeks of the season. Throw in the fact that the Eagles aren’t necessarily a traditional running team, and they should be able to stick to their game plan here. In reality, this is an absolute battle in the trenches between the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line, and the front seven of the Buccaneers. The Eagles need to win this battle, as this is their biggest advantage in the game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts makes his first playoff start, and needs to be as comfortable as possible for his team to have success. Although the Buccaneers have had issues defending opposing passers all season, it’s Hurts ability to run that should be the focal point in this football game. An ankle injury slowed Hurts for a while, however he says he’s feeling good, and was able to get an extra week of rest during week 18 of the regular season. Hurts may end up with 15 or more carries in this football game, as he will be quick to tuck the football in his first playoff contest. The other facet of the running game to keep an eye on is whether or not Miles Sanders will be on the field? Boston Scott and crew have filled in well for Sanders, but the Eagles really could use their full stable of horses against Tampa. While Hurts doesn’t need to be electric throwing the football, he’ll need to make some plays at some point in the game to keep up with Tom Brady. A deep pass, or some steady work with tight end Dallas Goedert could be the difference between being in this football game, or going home early on.

THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS ON OFFENSE:

There is some good news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they head into what they hope is a consecutive Super Bowl run, and that is running back Leonard Fournette is slated to return from injured reserve. Not a moment too soon as backup Ronald Jones II looks as though he won’t be able to go in this game. Fournette should be fresh, and had emerged as one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets prior to his recent injury. The Eagles, are also a little softer against the run than they’ve been in recent seasons, so look for a lot of Fournette early in this game behind similarly strong offensive line of the Buccaneers. That line should be able to hold up fairly well against the Eagles pass rush, which means Brady will be able to work his usual magic with reading defenses. The good news for Philly is they can push the pocket with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave, and if they can get pressure in Brady’s face they may be able to force some mistakes. The other good news for the Eagles, is Tampa will of course be without the services of wide receivers Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown. Look for the Eagles to try to either double Mike Evans, or get star cornerback Darius Slay, Jr. matched up with him one-on-one in an effort to force Brady to look elsewhere. Unproven players like Tyler Johnson and Cyril Grayson seem to have talent, but have no history of making critical plays when needed. This will naturally lead Brady to look in the direction of his old friend Rob Gronkowski a lot, and we could see an increased workload with Cameron Brate as well. On paper, this is a really tough matchup for the Buccaneers without two really good wideouts, but this of course is Tom Brady we’re talking about.

KEY STATS:
– The Eagles are 4-2 ATS in their lats 6 games vs. the Buccaneers
– The Eagles are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. opponents in the NFC South
– The Buccaneers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games
– The Buccaneers are 10-1 straight up in their last 11 games

PUBLIC MONEY: – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 61%

Tom Brady is facing a quarterback making his NFL playoff debut in his home stadium, this is an easy one, right? Ahh, not so fast, as weather could also be a factor in Tampa as they’re expecting a pretty massive rainstorm with winds that could hit the 25-30mph range. Would that be enough to level the playing field against this Philadelphia team? Despite some slow starts in games, this Eagles team has actually looked really good in the second half of the season. Of course, it’s important to note they were beating up on some pretty bad opponents, and a potpourri of quarterbacks who probably shouldn’t be starting in the NFL, not the greatest quarterback of all time. There’s certainly a possibility that Tampa blows this Philly team out, but we’re going to lean more towards this being a somewhat competitive game that the Eagles are in during the fourth quarter. There’s a betting angle we have listed as an official play for this game, and it’s not what we have here against the spread.

BetCrushers Lean: Philadelphia Eagles +8.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21

NFC WILD CARD GAME TWO

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys

vs.

San Francisco 49ers (10-7) at Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Dallas Cowboys -3 (-120)
Over/Under 51 (-110)

Rewind your VCRs back to the early 1990’s as we’ve got a playoff football game featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. Steve Young and Troy Aikman may not be at the helm anymore, yet there is plenty to be excited about if you’re watching this matchup. These teams are pretty evenly matched, and in some ways mirror each other a bit, despite their different schemes on offense and defense. The evenness is validated in a spread that sees the home team in Dallas favored by a field goal heading into the weekend. The 49ers barely squeezed into the playoff tourney, can they add to the playoff frustrations of the Cowboys, or is this year that Dallas finally puts it all together?

THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ON OFFENSE:

Jimmy Garropolo returned from injury to lead the 49ers in what was essentially a playoff game against the NFC West rival Rams a week ago. The team got some great news on Friday when it announced that All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams looks like he’ll be able to play in their actual playoff game against the Cowboys. Williams has been by almost all accounts the best left tackle in the league this season, something that is important when facing a team with Demarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory and Micah Parsons rushing the passer. Garrapolo has proven throughout his career that he can be effective when he’s placed in the right situations, which includes a clean pocket. One of the biggest keys of this game is if Dallas can generate the pressure they’ve been able to get, or if the Niners can both run the ball and have time to throw? As far as the running game goes, let’s just assume that the answer here is yes. The Cowboys are middle of the pack in terms of rush defense, but this really comes down to the fact that San Francisco can generally run on anyone. Eli Mitchell should see some work along with Jeff Wilson, Jr., and we’ll surely be treated to a handful of carries by do-it-all talent Deebo Samuel. There’s no question San Francisco will get something going on the ground, the question is, just how much? If they end up with 110 rushing yards, there’s a great chance Dallas wins this game. If they push their way to 170 rushing yards, they’re almost certainly going to come away with a win. The more sizzling matchup here is how the Cowboys elect to match up with tight end George Kittle and Samuel as a receiver. We know that Dallas has feasted off of turnovers and big plays, and we also know they’ve gotten beat on some big plays. If the answer ends up being big plays, San Francisco gets the W, if it’s turnovers, Dallas is moving on to the next round.

THE DALLAS COWBOYS ON OFFENSE:

As a fan of the game, you have to like seeing Dak Prescott battling back from his injury a season ago and having a shot in a playoff matchup. Prescott should also have his full wall of blockers in front of him, which always makes this Dallas offense potent. Having Tyron Smith back on the left side is big, however it’s right tackle La’el Collins who may hold the key in this game. Collins has not played up to his abilities this season after also coming back from injuries a season ago. He’ll draw the task of slowing down Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw to give Prescott the time he needs to throw the ball. He needs that time so he can allow CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper to find creases in the defense and make some bigger plays down the field. Teams have really taken away Lamb and Cooper, which has forced Prescott to look to his other targets in recent games. Tight end Dalton Schultz is a more than capable weapon, and Cedrick Wilson stepped up a week ago in the absence of Michael Gallup to put up some big numbers. Yes, it’s great to get others involved, but this team needs it’s top stars to elevate in the playoffs if they really want to go anywhere. Throughout the season the San Francisco 49ers have had some issues at the cornerback position, as the team never really fully recovered from the loss of Jason Verrett. Fortunately, they’re at least as healthy as they’ve been heading into the postseason, which should give them a fighting chance against the various weapons in the Cowboys offense. In discussing the passing game, we certainly can’t overlook Ezekiel Elliott and the running game. Tony Pollard returns for this game, and as we’ve generally seen, the Cowboys go as far as their running game takes them. The 49ers have been pretty good defending the run and there’ll be a lot of physical play from the big guys on both sides of the ball.

KEY STATS:
– The 49ers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games
– The 49ers are 7-3 straight up in their last 10 road games
– The Cowboys are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games
– The Cowboys are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. the 49ers

PUBLIC MONEY: – San Francisco 49ers – 53%

For our money, this is the most interesting and possibly exciting game of the wild card weekend. We’ve been high on the 49ers really for the entire year, and we’re not jumping off that bandwagon now. Dallas should find a way to win this game, however we’re not sold that it will actually go down that way. The Cowboys are playing with all the pressure as favorites in their home stadium. Give a coaching advantage to the 49ers in what we’re fully expecting to be a really tight ballgame. A lot of early money came in on the 49ers before some sharp money went back on the Cowboys. If this spread is at 3, you can clearly make an argument either way, although we’d prefer the points in what we think is more of a coin flip outcome of a game. If it gets to 2.5 and you want to take the Cowboys, go for it. If it hits 3.5 we’d suggest hitting the Niners. This should really be a good way that will strike up memories of players like Charles Haley and Deion Sanders, for all you youngsters out there, Google them.

BetCrushers Lean: San Francisco 49ers +3
San Francisco 49ers 30, Dallas Cowboys 28

AFC WILD CARD GAME THREE

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs
vs.

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)
Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Chiefs -13 (-105)
Over/Under 46 (-110)

Any given Sunday gave new life to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, as they found a way to get a win against the Ravens, and more shockingly, got help from the Jacksonville Jaguars in taking out the Colts. Add in the near tie that wasn’t in the Sunday Night Football game between the Chargers and Raiders, and somehow this Steeler team is in the postseason yet again. Ben Roethlisberger was able to extend his retirement, the question is, will it be an additional seven day retirement, or can the biggest underdogs of the weekend pull off what would be a monumental upset? Arrowhead Stadium will be loud and rocking, and have no problem putting a bow on the career of the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS ON OFFENSE:

Every once in a while we see a spark from this Pittsburgh offense, where you stop and wonder if this team is really a legitimate threat? The problem is, that spark usually goes away pretty quickly, and the team reverts back to looking very limited on the offensive side of the ball. Much of the ineptitude of the offense starts with their offensive line, which is going to find itself in a nasty fight they’re unlikely to win against the Chiefs defensive line. Chris Jones, Frank Clark and mid-season acquisition Melvin Ingram are going to be bringing the heat to Roethlisberger when he throws. It was brought up during a recent Steeler broadcast that Ben doesn’t have the strength and escapability he once had in the pocket during his younger years. If the Steelers can’t find a way to contain the rush of the Chiefs, it could be a long day if it is Big Ben’s final appearance for the black and yellow. Pittsburgh also enters the contest with a banged up Najee Harris at running back, so it remains to be seen how effective he can be? This is not a great Kansas City defense, despite the fact they carried this team for a good stretch during the regular season. Unfortunately for the Steelers, they aren’t the type of team that has the matchups that can exploit where they’re weak. Pittsburgh is going to need some all-worldly plays from guys like Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Ray-Ray McCloud to give their offense a chance to succeed on Sunday.

THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS ON OFFENSE:

There have been some really impressive performances from this Kansas City Chiefs offense this season, as they still rank among the better units in the league in some metrics. However, they also have sunk down quite a bit overall, and something still just doesn’t feel right with this group. The Chiefs would be wise to try to lean on their running game here, as the Steelers finished the regular season at the bottom of the map in terms of their rush defense. The down side for Kansas City is their top two backs in Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrell Williams are questionable to go. They should have enough with Derrick Gore and Jerick McKinnon though if Andy Reid can stay committed to the running game. Speaking of injured players, Tyreek Hill was limited last weekend and in practice this week, so monitoring his health and availability is important. While Byron Pringle has stepped up as a legitimate target for Patrick Mahomes, and Mecole Hardman showed the flashes of why people think he can be great a week ago, this is a different offense with Hill not on the field. For the Chiefs to get back to the Super Bowl, they’ll also need more consistent play from tight end Travis Kelce, who has disappeared for stretches during important games. It would appear that the only chance the Steelers have against the Chiefs is to take the ball away from Patrick Mahomes, and set their offense up to be successful. We’ve seen that it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that could happen this season, but it’s asking an awful lot from a group that’s seen quite a talent gap between it’s top few players and the rest of the roster.

KEY STATS:
– The Steelers are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games
– The total has gone over in 4 of the last 5 games between the Steelers and Chiefs
– The Chiefs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games
– The Chiefs are 6-0 straight up in their last 6 home games

PUBLIC MONEY: – Kansas City Chiefs – 61%

There was a time where getting double digits in an NFL playoff game would seem like an absolute no-brainer. The NFL and sports betting have changed, and you either change with the times, or get left behind. Even though the Steelers tend to rise up out of nowhere whenever the world has buried them, this has to be the last chapter for Big Ben, right? This is a mismatch, despite the fact that the Chiefs aren’t always clicking on all cylinders. If there’s a blowout game this weekend, the spread certainly would indicate that it’s this one, and we believe that it is.

BetCrushers Lean: Kansas City Chiefs -13
Kansas City Chiefs 36, Pittsburgh Steelers 17

NFC WILD CARD GAME THREE

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
vs.

Arizona Cardinals (11-6) at Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA
Los Angeles Rams -4 (-110)
Over/Under 49.5 (-110)

The other matchup that features a third tilt of the season between two familiar foes, has NFC West rivals Arizona and the Los Angeles Rams in the first Monday Night Football Wild Card game. The Rams opened as 4 point favorites against a team they’ve virtually owned, since even before the Kliff Kingsbury regime. After fast starts from both ballclubs, neither has been particularly impressive in the second half of the season. Will the Rams continue their dominance against Arizona, or can the Cardinals find a way to recapture their early season magic and still a road win?

THE ARIZONA CARDINALS ON OFFENSE:

No one really questions how good of a player Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is, and it’s pretty apparent now just how valuable he is to his team. Since the absence of Hopkins, the Cardinals offense has shifted from electric, to very mediocre. Having Hopkins would certainly be a luxury, however the Rams secondary is susceptible to a passing attack even without the star wideout. Los Angeles is giving up over 241 yards passing per game, ranking them in the bottom third in the league. Jalen Ramsey has been strong again this season, but after that it’s a pretty substantial dropoff against secondary and tertiary playmakers. Whether it’s Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, or Zach Ertz, whoever is not locked up with Ramsey has to win their matchups. Ertz may be the biggest key in this game, not only because he has playoff experience, also because he’s facing perhaps the softest part of the Rams zone on defense, or softest individual players. The Cardinals enter the game with both James Conner and Chase Edmonds banged up, although it sounds like they’ll have at least one, if not both backs for this game. Whether or not the Cardinals can contain Leonard Floyd and Aaron Donald with their offensive line is a whole different question that we need to see. In the two games this season between these teams, Kyler Murray played some of his best football both throwing, and running the ball. Look for Murray to run more than he might in a normal game, and let’s see if these linebackers and defensive backs of the Rams can keep him contained. The Rams have proven they have an advantage over Arizona, and it’s going to come down to Kyler Murray being special for the Cardinals to win this game.

THE LOS ANGELES RAMS ON OFFENSE:

After a full regular season with the Los Angeles Rams, we’ve seen some really good, and some not so great from quarterback Matthew Stafford. Let’s start off by stating the obvious: Matthew Stafford has to take better care of the football in the playoffs. The veteran QB tossed 7 interceptions over the final three games of the season, and was often off-target and looked confused. His offensive line is fully intact entering this game, and the emergence of Sony Michel and return of Cam Akers should provide some balance running the football. The Cardinals have some question marks on their defensive line with Zach Allen, Jordan Phillips and J.J. Watt, who the team hopes can return after being elevated from injured reserve. With that group, they should be able to hold their own against that Rams offensive front. If they’re short there, it could be a long day for Arizona if they can’t get pressure on Stafford or slow down Michel and company. Los Angeles also has the advantage in the passing game as the group of Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Odell Beckham, Jr. and Tyler Higbee are a tough cover for any team. The Cardinals are fortunate to have two very good safeties who can help, as long as they’re not needed in extra run support. Stafford really needs to spread the ball around in this game, and really overall in the playoffs if they advance. Byron Murphy, Jr. will see a lot of Cupp, so Stafford might be wise to look for his other options if it’s not there against the Cardinals CB1. Both teams boast solid special teams play, so that should be a wash unless something wild happens. This is the part of the broadcast where we tell you that Johnny Hecker may throw a pass if Sean McVay is feeling dangerous.

KEY STATS:
– The Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games
– The Cardinals are 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. the Rams
– The Cardinals are 1-9 straight up in their last 10 games against the Rams
– The Rams are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games

PUBLIC MONEY: – Arizona Cardinals 54%

This is the toughest game to officially play and handicap for the BetCrushers for a really simple reason. We really like the Cardinals in this spot, yet the metrics point the compass in favor of the Rams. In actuality, neither team has been impressive and are probably both a little overvalued. With that said, this is an opportunity for Kyler Murray to show the league that he is a special kind of talent as we mentioned above. The Cardinals could win this game outright, but it seems like playing them with the points is the better play here.

BetCrushers Lean: Arizona Cardinals +4
Los Angeles Rams 26, Arizona Cardinals 24

WHAT WE ARE PLAYING:

You’ve had a chance to check out our leans and predictions for all six of the Super Wild Card weekend matchups.