NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Round Preview
The 2024 NFL regular season has ended, leaving 14 teams to battle it out for this year’s Super Bowl Champion. The first-place NFC Detroit Lions and AFC Kansas City Chiefs have earned a first-round bye week while the rest of the playoff qualifiers play this weekend in what looks like an interesting playoff schedule.
NFL Playoff Schedule
Saturday, January 11th
- Chargers at Texans at 4:30 PM (EST)
- Steelers at Ravens at 8:00 PM (EST)
Sunday, January 12th
- Broncos at Bills at 1 pm (EST)
- Packers at Eagles at 4:30 PM (EST)
- Commanders at Buccaneers at 8:00 PM (EST)
Monday, January 13th
- Vikings at Rams at 8:00 PM (EST)
Fans eagerly awaited the schedule release and Live NFL odds for this weekend’s matchups. In this article, I will give you a quick take-up breakdown. Later in this week, our NFL Pick’em Experts will make their selections for who they think will win and make the next round of the NFL Playoffs.
Current Line: Chargers -2.5 | Total: 43.5
This game has the lowest total of the week, and while young prosing quarterbacks lead both teams, the defensive matchups should make the difference in this contest.
Houston’s defense has contained opposing quarterbacks to a QBR of 54.7, ranking seventh lowest in the NFL. The Texans exerted unyielding pressure on quarterbacks, resulting in 49 sacks, which ranks fourth in the league. Danielle Hunter is fifth in the league with 12 sacks, while second-year edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. has 11 sacks. The unit includes Pro Bowl cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and rookie safety Calen Bullock, who have recorded five interceptions, ranking them tied for sixth in the NFL.
During Harbaugh’s prior NFL coaching tenure, the 49ers reached three NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl within four seasons. In contrast, the Chargers have participated in merely four conference championships throughout their franchise history, with the latest occurring in the 2007 season, and have appeared in only one Super Bowl. Harbaugh’s transformation of the Chargers is only beginning; expect a coaching chess match that will put Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans in a challenging spot.
Early Prediction: None at this time
Current Line: Ravens -8.5 | Total: 44.5
The Steelers enter the postseason on a four-game losing streak. Their holiday schedule wasn’t favorable, but it also wasn’t a surprise. The Steelers knew it would be a difficult stretch, yet they still underperformed. The Steel Curtain hasn’t scored more than 17 points since week 13, and their top wide receiver, George Pickens, has a case of the drops. The sportsbooks have set the line for this contest at 8.5 points in favor of Baltimore, which tells me they don’t seem convinced the Steelers will turn things around in under a week.
Early Prediction: Ravens Cover
Current Line: Bills -8.5 | Total: 47.5
The Bills are -8.5 point favorites and playing at home, although their opponent, the Denver Broncos, is galloping in with confidence and a young quarterback who is playing exceptionally well. It’s unforunite that these two teams have to face each other, as the Broncos make a great underdog story, but unless we want to see the Chiefs return to the Super Bowl, the Bills must advance.
Josh Allen is the favorite to win the league’s MVP, and rightfully so; he put together his best regular season to date and has historically thrived in the postseason. Allen led the Bills’ offense to 12 games, scoring 30 points or more this season, and Buffalo has committed only eight turnovers, tied with the 2019 Saints for the fewest in a season since 1933.
“I don’t like to make comparisons; I played with Peyton Manning and Matthew Stafford. Those guys are special in their own right,” defensive end Von Miller said. “But this year, Josh is just doing something totally different, and he’s not forcing it. He’s not trying too hard, he’s not looking for it; it’s just him.”
Early Prediction: Bills win
Current Line: Eagles -4.5 | Total: 46.5
The Packers and Eagles meet again after playing week one in Brazel. Both teams have find-tuned their offense, but it’s the Eagles that get the edge for me as their defense has really taken shape the second half of the season.
Before resting their starters, the Eagles ranked first in both EPA per designed carry-on offense and EPA allowed per designed carry-on defense. Philadelphia dominates in the ground game on both sides of the ball. On offense, rush yards over expectation runner-up Barkley (plus-549) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (including all those tush push conversions) lead the way. On defense, linebackers Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun rank in the top seven among linebackers in run stop win rate.
Injuries hold the Packers back; I like the Eagles in this one.
Early Prediction: Eagles Win
Current Line: Bucs -3 | Total: 50.5
This is the most interesting game for me. I could see both teams dominating in this contest, it really comes down to which QB shows up. The Commanders have only beaten one team this year with a winning record, the Eagles. In that game, Jalen Hurts left early with a concussion. On the other hand, the Bucs have wins over the Chargers 40-17, the Eagles 33-16, the Lions 20-16, and the Commanders, who they played in week one, winning 37-20.
While the Bucs are missing WR Chris Godwin, an early season yards leader that was lost for the season, the emergence of Jalen McMillan has stepped up to help pick up the stack.
On paper, I think the Bucs will win this one, but Jayden Daniels has been very impressive leaving me without a confident pick.
Early Prediction: None at this time
Current Line: Vikings -1.5 | Total: 47.5
This is another game that I think could go either way, and the line agrees with me. This game opened with the Vikings as 3-point favorites but has quickly come down to 1.5.
The Rams’ defense gave up two touchdowns in Weeks 15 through 17 as it made a playoff push after a 1-4 start. After allowing an average of 23.6 points in its first 13 games, LA allowed 24 total in the three games before clinching the NFC West. A big reason for the improvement is the play of its defensive front, including first-round pick Jared Verse, who was named to the Pro Bowl as the Rams’ lone representative.
The Vikings have had an excellent year; nobody expected a 14-3 season. But does this team have what it takes to go deep into the playoffs? A win (likely) means they travel back to Detroit for a rematch with the Lions, but they must get past the Rams first. I feel there is more pressure on the Vikings and could see a possible upset.
Early Prediction: Leaning Rams
