After four preseason and 16 regular-season games, 12 NFL
teams remain in the hunt for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Eight of those squads
will need to win four games over the next month to raise the sterling silver
relic. The NFL's wild-card weekend matchups are no joke, as several of the
participants have the talent to shock the world in Atlanta on Feb. 3.
The Pittsburgh Steelers boast six Super Bowl championships
to date. Although they failed to qualify for the playoffs this season, the
former kings of the AFC North still managed to weasel their way into this
week's NFL headlines. So we'll start our wild-card weekend prop bet rundown in
the Steel City.
2018 NFL PLAYOFFS - PARTY WITH LOMBARDI
After four preseason and 16 regular-season games, 12 NFL
teams remain in the hunt for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Eight of those squads
will need to win four games over the next month to raise the sterling silver
relic. The NFL's wild-card weekend matchups are no joke, as several of the
participants have the talent to shock the world in Atlanta on Feb. 3.
The Pittsburgh Steelers boast six Super Bowl championships
to date. Although they failed to qualify for the playoffs this season, the
former kings of the AFC North still managed to weasel their way into this
week's NFL headlines. So we'll start our wild-card weekend prop bet rundown in
the Steel City.
WHO WILL ANTONIO BROWN PLAY FOR WEEK 1 OF THE 2019-2020 NFL SEASON?
Odds: Steelers (-500) | 49ers (+275) | Colts (+800) | Jets
(+800)
Despite the reports of Brown causing drama at practice ahead
of Pittsburgh's Week 17 game against the Bengals, the Steelers remain the
favorites to retain the All-Pro receiver. This hasn't stopped a handful of NFL
players who have tried to recruit Brown on social media over the past week. San
Francisco's tight end George Kittle, Cleveland's Jarvis Landry and Jamal Adams
of the Jets have all coyly tweeted at Brown in an effort to lure him away from
the Steelers. The problem is Brown would have to be traded, and any educated
guess would expect the price to be too high especially after the Steelers let
Le'Veon Bell walk for nothing. They'll work hard to get a return on this
investment, but we think cooler heads prevail.
THE BET: STEELERS
WHO WILL RECORD THE MOST PASSING YARDS WILD-CARD WEEKEND?
Odds: Dak Prescott (-150) | Russell Wilson (+110)
After they acquired Amari Cooper from the Raiders during the
season, the Cowboys managed a well-balanced rush-pass offense the rest of the
way. Granted, Ezekiel Elliott continues to carry his fair share of the load,
but it's not all on his shoulders. On the flip side, the Seahawks' offensive
strategy is run 25-35 times per game, and when defenses cheat up to stop the
rush, chuck it and hope Tyler Lockett comes down with the football. While
Lockett's 2018 resume is impressive, it's not a sustainable strategy against
one of the league's top defenses.
THE BET: PRESCOTT
WILL AN ONSIDE KICK BE ATTEMPTED WILD-CARD WEEKEND?
Odds: Yes (-250) | No (+170)
Three of the four matchups possess a point spread of fewer
than three points. Oddsmakers believe these games will be close. Thus, the
trailing team will want the ball last. Onside kicks are coming this weekend.
THE BET: YES
WHO WILL RECORD THE MOST SACKS WILD-CARD WEEKEND?
Odds: Bears (-150) | Eagles (+130)
Chicago's defense finished the regular season with 50 sacks
— tied for third-most in the NFL. However, despite no Khalil Mack on their
roster, the Eagles weren't too far behind with 44. The difference when placing
these two above-average pass rushes head to head is the mobility of the
quarterbacks. Mitch Trubisky can step up in the pocket and scoot as needed,
while Nick Foles isn't known for calling his own number.
THE BET: BEARS
WILL A WILD-CARD TEAM MAKE IT TO THE 2019 SUPER BOWL?
Odds: Yes (+155) | No (-220)
You get to pick from the Seahawks, Eagles, Colts and
Chargers. The road to Atlanta is much easier in the AFC, as you don't have to
survive and advance against the likes of the Rams and Saints. The Chiefs defense
is flawed, and the Patriots aren't the world-beaters of years past. The
Chargers get a raw deal having to fly to Baltimore for an early kickoff this
weekend, which is like playing at 10 a.m. PST. This leaves the Colts. If
Indianapolis' offensive line can hold up and create running lanes for Marlon
Mack and Co., I love their chances of reaching the Super Bowl. It's totally
doable.
THE BET: YES
WILD-CARD WEEKEND - MOST RUSHING YARDS
Odds: Ezekiel Elliott (+250) | Chris Carson (+500) | Melvin
Gordon (+640)
Depending on the sportsbook, you can pick from a larger pool
of players, but these are the overwhelming favorites to lead the wild-card
weekend pack. Elliott rushed 16 times for 127 yards, or 7.9 yards per rush, at
Seattle earlier this season, while Carson needed 32 to reach 102 rush yards, or
3.2 YPR. Albeit against some weak rush defenses, Carson has averaged 119 rush
yards per game the past three weeks.
If you want to take a long shot, look at Baltimore's Gus
Edwards at +1,220. He's averaged 94 rushing yards per game over the past seven
weeks.
THE BET: WHEN
GETTING BETTER THAN 2-TO-1 ODDS ON ELLIOTT, HAMMER IT.
WILD-CARD WEEKEND - MOST RECEIVING YARDS
Odds: DeAndre Hopkins (+370) | Keenan Allen (+460) | T.Y.
Hilton (+690)
Hopkins made some news this week after it was learned he
didn't drop a pass this season. As impressive as that is, his team's defensive
secondary is a tragic flaw that Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton are going to
exploit again. Hilton posted 115-yard and 199-yard receiving games against the
Texans this season. Often draped in double coverage, Hopkins was held to 36
receiving yards by the Colts the last time these two teams met less than a
month ago. Houston has allowed 260 pass yards per game over the past three
weeks and before they faced Blake Bortles Week 17, that metric was flirting
with 300 PYAPG.
THE BET: HILTON
WILD-CARD WEEKEND - LOWEST SCORING TEAM
Odds (Favorites): Eagles (+310) | Chargers (+480) | Seahawks
(+500)
The Chicago Bears held their 2018 opponents to just 17
points per game — tops in the league. Over the past three weeks, that same
defense has held the opposition to 12 points per game. Nick Foles has pulled a
rabbit out of a hat in the past, but this year's Eagles offense is
one-dimensional and pass-heavy, as the rushing game ranks 28th out of 32 teams.
With that known, the Bears secondary will look for Foles to pass, jump those
routes and watch their elite pass rush eat him up in the backfield.
THE BET: EAGLES
ANYTIME TOUCHDOWN SCORER - COWBOYS VS. SEAHAWKS
Odds: Ezekiel Elliott (+160)
Despite touching the ball 20-plus times per game, Zeke
hasn't scored a rushing touchdown in over a month and has just one score over
his past four games. While Amari Cooper has opened up the Cowboys offense,
Elliott won't be held without a rushing score in five consecutive games, right?
THE BET: ZEKE
2019 SUPER BOWL EXACT MATCHUP - FUTURES ODDS
After the 54-51 shootout between the Rams and Chiefs was
over, much of NFL Twitter was demanding a Super Bowl rematch. While both teams
stumbled to the regular-season finish line, the rematch is among oddsmakers'
favorite Super Bowl matchup scenarios at +600 or 6-to-1. It shares the same
odds as Saints vs. Patriots but trails the battle of the No. 1 seeds, Chiefs
vs. Saints at +450.
Following up on an earlier thought, my most appealing
futures bet is Colts vs. Saints at +2,700 — risk $100 to win $2,700 on an
Andrew Luck-led offense?
THE BET: The
Saints are my pick to win the SB and while I really want the Colts to make it,
I believe the Chiefs possessing home field throughout the AFC playoffs gives
them the edge they need to reach Atlanta. Lame, I know.
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