BetDash NFL picks

BetDash NFL tipster Mac takes a look at the NFL playoffs, focusing this week on the opening Wildcard round.

The Wildcard weekend

Here we go. One of the greatest finishes in all of sports, the NFL playoffs, begin this weekend, with four games to decide the Wildcard round. The NFL playoffs are just a thing of (violent) beauty, and worth waiting a year for annually. The games are often frenetic, exciting and dramatic, culminating in one of the greatest sporting events on the planet, the Superbowl. The format is beautiful in its simplicity. Win or go home. This weekend, eight teams battle for four spots while the four best teams, Denver, New England, San Francisco and Atlanta, get go sit at home and watch and play the four winners next weekend in the divisional round. Their excellent seasonal records mean a bye through the first round for them.

Clever things we said last week
”Take the hungry home ‘dog’ and the points and run.” (Houston @ Indy)
”Finally, doesn’t it feel like their is one last stomach-punch twist to this nightmarish Saints season?”

Not so clever things we said last week
”The Rams are not going to cause trouble in Seattle, and the hosts can overcome that handicap figure without issue.”

The real beauty of the NFL playoffs for the punter? There are very few shocks to those who have followed all 17 weeks of NFL action to this point. In general, we know what these teams are capable of, or at least, we have a pretty good idea of same. We know the Colts are coming into the playoffs with a heck of a lot of momentum. We know Seattle are far superior at home than on the road. We know RG3 is a potential living legend.  Let’s have a closer look at the four Wildcard games. Good luck and enjoy the action!

Season to date
Last week against the spread: 9-5
Overall record against the spread: 128-114-5
Finest Four against the spread last week: 2-2
Finest Four against the spread overall: 35-32-1
Winning percentage: 52.8%
The finest four percentage: 52.2%

The NFL Playoffs Wildcard round. 
Four picks to boost your bankroll

The Game: Cincinnati Bengals At Houston Texans
Current line: Houston Texans -4.5
The Science: The eagle eyed NFL fans among you will have noted Houston’s relative collapse the tail end of the season. They lost 3 out of their last 4, and did so in terrible style, being blasted out of the water by the Patriots in a game that should have raised serious alarm bells in Houston. Houston does this annually, they look great right up until the latter part of the season, at which stage they turn into mush. You simply can not expect them to progress with any confidence. The Bengals, meanwhile, are not only winning, they are gritting out wins against good teams. They have won 3 in a row including quality wins against the Ravens and Steelers, and they have won 7 out of their last 8. That is a superb stretch, and the feisty Bengals are just the team to puncture the wounded, low confidence of the host Texans, and even if they lose a close one, you have 4.5 points to fall back on.
The Pick:  Cincinnati Bengals +4.5

The Game: Minnesota Vikings At Green Bay Packers
Current line: Green Bay Packers -9.5
The Science: The temptation here is to go with the hot, form team and the hot, form Running Back. It is hard not to root for Adrian Peterson, a hard working young man that has come back from serious injury to light this NFL season up with his hard running. Here’s the problem. Imagine you have decided to go with the Vikings and you sit down to watch the game, and the coverage starts and the loud Lambeau field roar blasts out from your big screen TV. Then Aaron Rodgers comes into focus, and you think, ‘what was I thinking backing the Vikings?!’ Peterson is a wonderful asset to the Vikings, a truly great RB, but what use will he be if the Vikings are behind and have to get the rock into the air to come back? Green Bay mutilated the Vikings a few weeks ago at home, and they can knock the over-achieving Vikes out of the playoffs.
The Pick: Green Bay Packers -9.5

The Game: Indianapolis Colts At Baltimore Ravens
Current line: Baltimore Ravens -7
The Science: The path to the next round is clear for the Ravens. All they have to do is feed Ray Rice the rock and watch as he chews up the ground against a relatively porous Colts run defence. The problem is, the Ravens, for whatever reason, seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to ways to getting Rice involved in their game plan. It is almost like they want to prove Joe Flacco is an elite QB, when we all know that’s not true. He is serviceable, sure, but time and time again he has shown he is not elite, not yet, anyway. Meanwhile, the Colts are riding a wave of momentum rare even for the NFL. Playing inspired by their combative coach Chuck Pagano, and behind the steady play of mature-beyond-his-years rookie QB Andrew Luck, the Colts have no reason to fear this trip to Baltimore. You have no reason to fear that 7 point line.
The Pick: Indianapolis Colts +7

The Game: Seattle Seahawks At Washington Redskins 
Current line: Seattle -2.5
The Science: The playoffs are looming and Seattle are just about ready to turn back into a pumpkin. If their horrific stumble past the awful Rams last week didn’t scare the crap out of you, their 3-5 record on the road should! This Washington crowd has been starved of playoff football for too long, and the atmosphere is going to be absolutely insane. Washington are playing fantastic football at just the right time, and their talismanic QB Robert Griffin the third, is healthy after a injury scare a couple of weeks ago. Keep an eye out too for venerable veteran Landon Fletcher, who is playing inspiring football, lifting the game of Redskins defenders all around him. The Redskins are first in the NFL in rushing yards, and a very commendable 5th in the NFL defending same. Some expect Seattle to boss the running game in this one, when it might very well be the other way round. Washington, at home, with momentum, against a very, very questionable road team.
The Pick: Washington Redskins  +2.5