Playoffs? You wanna talk playoffs?? Well, you've come to the right place. Huge weekend of wild card action ahead for all of us! Most of the games are looking competitive at least, with a few layups to bolster your parlays. Here's our thoughts and feelings on the six games ahead:
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (-10.5)- Saturday 1/14 @ 4:30 PM
This is game feels like one of those layups we alluded to above... The Niners, on a ten game win streak, are currently the hottest team in the league. As good of a story as Seattle has been this season, they did everything in their power last week to eliminate themselves from playoff contention. Luckily they were playing against suck ass Baker Mayfield...
Geno Smith's had a really solid year and has completely earned this opportunity for a playoff start as well as a nice new contract. But the San Francisco defense is going to give him a ton of trouble in the pocket and through the air. Kenneth Walker won't have much room to rumble either, which Seattle can't let discourage them from pounding the rock. An unbalanced offensive approach is a recipe for bad in this one.
Regardless, gimme the 49ers and a cover. Geno's going to look very human on their way to the offseason.
Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars- Saturday 1/14 @ 8:15 PM
Well, at least one AFC matchup won't feature a backup quarterback. The Chargers will be traveling cross country to Duval, Florida to face the AFC South champs. They should have revenge on their mind after getting embarrassed at home against this Jaguars team in week three. That was with an injured Keenan Allen and Justin Herbert, but losing 38-10 at home should put a bad taste in your mouth no matter what.
They'll be much closer to full strength for this one, despite losing some key pieces in a meaningless game last Sunday. We touched on that last blog, but inexcusable coaching by Brandon Staley to have his starters in for the whole game against Denver. Mike Williams and Kenneth Murray's injuries will definitely have some impact on this game.
Trevor Lawrence wasn't great last week against a weak Tennessee secondary and will have a much stiffer test with LA's rejuvenated defense. Unlike that Titans game however, Travis Etienne should be effective, giving some balance to the offense. Their defense will need to be disciplined against Herbert, Allen and the dual-threat Austin Ekeler. If they fall behind early and Joey Bosa can pin his ears back and rush the passer, it could be a long day in Jacksonville.
All that being said, I like the Jags as home dogs here. Kenneth Murray's injury will definitely be felt in the run defense, allowing Etienne to spring for a big day on the ground and open up the play action. Feels like an over kinda game too.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (-13.5)- Sunday 1/15 @ 1:00 PM
Damar Hamlin was released from the hospital Wednesday night, a miraculous recovery for the young player. Word on the street is he'll be on hand for this wild card matchup.
The Bills are going up against Skylar Thompson in this one. That's all the analysis I need to give.
Buffalo by 3+ scores. Easy one here.
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)- Sunday 1/15 @ 4:30 PM
Awesome potential between two very different teams here. All season, it seemed like the Giants were overachieving-- almost stumbling into wins. The Vikings were quite the opposite; boasting elite talent in some areas but just barely squeaking out victories each week. Their 13-4 record with a -3 point differential is a true statistical anomaly.
Minnesota's weakest unit was their pass D, only trailing Tennessee for worst in the league. Fortunately for them, passing offense is New York's weakest area. Daniel Jones has shown some flashes, especially when you consider how weak their receiving core is. He'll also be rested after sitting out against Philly last Sunday.
Despite the matchup on paper, Brian Daboll's well aware that their best route to victory will come in the hands of Saquon Barkley. Expect him to touch the ball no less than 25 times, getting involved in the screen and short passing game as well as on the ground.
Biggest factor working against the Vikings here is that this game starts at 4:30. Kirk Cousins is a magician during the one o'clock block, but often fades by the time the evening starts rolling in. In three 4 PM games during the regular season, Minnesota went 1-2, with their win coming in week one. Cousins averaged 195 yards per game in those games with a 3:3 TD:INT ratio, on top of two lost fumbles. They were outscored 88-43. Not a positive omen for this Sunday afternoon.
I like the Giants to at least cover up in Minnesota. To choose a side, I'll pick them to win outright too. This game should be close throughout.
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-9.5)- Sunday 1/15 @ 8:15 PM
The development around Lamar Jackson's knee is yet another disturbing chapter in Ravens lore. Another miscommunication about the severity of an injury...leaving us all hanging. Incredibly frustrating. Incredibly curious how each side approaches contract talks in the coming weeks.
Tyler Huntley and Gus Edwards' availability is welcome news for the Baltimore faithful. Anthony Brown was better then expected against the Bengals last week but clearly wasn't going to get the job done. Their best route to the upset comes by pounding the rock, controlling time of possession, and playing elite defense.
Outside of last week's ugly game against the Ravens, Cincy has looked like one of the top teams in the league. Joe Burrow hasn't fared too well against their defense in the previous two matchups and likely will have a little trouble this go round as well. Luckily for him, they probably won't need to score too many points to get it done.
I hope I'm wrong...but Cincy moves onto the divisional round with relative ease. Hit the under too.
Dallas Cowboys (-2.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Monday 1/16 @ 8:15 PM
What a way to cap off the wild card weekend: Tom Brady hosting America's Team on Monday Night Football.
The NFL's GOAT has a 10-0 career record against Dallas, the most wins without a loss against a single team by any quarterback ever. Just another record on his resume... The Bucs have been thoroughly disappointing and unexciting all year, but there's not many people who wouldn't trust Brady under center with the season on the line.
Tampa sits at 8-9 overall, a record that probably doesn't encapsulate how bad they've looked for extended periods of time. Mike Evans rediscovering his chemistry with his quarterback is one reason for optimism at least--the two were clearly on different pages both on and off the field far too regularly. Ryan Jensen has an outside chance of playing, which would be a huge boost to the run and pass game. Their defense should also have a few opportunities to force Dak into mistakes.
Dallas' polarizing QB lead the league in interceptions this season, despite only playing in twelve of seventeen games. He's looked awesome at times and looked to be the problem at others, especially when one considers how well Tony Pollard and Zeke were running the ball. If he's careless with the ball today, they won't beat the Buccaneers.
That's exactly what I expect to happen too. I'm thinking 2+ turnovers by Prescott, giving Tom Brady just enough opportunity to steal the win, improving his personal record to 11-0 vs. Dallas.
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@Choppinglines
*This is not gambling advice, just our opinions. Consider at your own risk
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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