NFL Wild-Card Picks: Defense Rules In Jacksonville; Vikings Roll

The NFL regular-season chapter has closed. We now turn the page to the playoffs, and we start with three best bets to make for wild-card weekend.

All betting lines via DraftKings Sportsbook.

(+9.5) Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
It’s a rivalry renewed when the Seahawks and 49ers clash for the first game of the weekend. Although the 49ers have been dominant all season, the Seahawks have the necessary formula for playoff success with a strong run game behind Kenneth Walker III, a solid defense, a quarterback in Geno Smith who doesn’t turn the ball over and a grizzled old head coach in Pete Carroll who has tons of playoff experience. Plus, it’s hard to beat any team in any sport three straight times. Even if the 49ers can pull that off against Seattle this season, it’s hard to believe the third game between these two won’t be competitive. I’ll take my chances on the Seahawks to cover the +9.5.

Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars UNDER 47.5
These two teams come into this game with a luxury that more than half of the league can only dream of with young, franchise quarterbacks. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert looks to get his team back on track after not only losing the regular-season finale to a bad Denver Broncos team but also losing receiver Mike Williams to injury. The Jaguars are red-hot right now, winning their final five games to capture the AFC South. They have clicked on both sides of the ball during this amazing run.

Yet this game opened with the Chargers as short favorites and has been bet up higher to Chargers -2.5. Although I believe Los Angeles has the better overall roster, it’s still hard to argue the momentum on the Jags’ side and the advantage they gain from playing this game in Jacksonville. This feels like a coin-flip game and that’s why I’m focused on the total instead. The Jags defense played lights out down the stretch, and while the Chargers defense has underachieved, they have enough talent to win a Super Bowl if they elevate their game. Most expect a shootout because of the young quarterbacks with 51% of the money from bettors on the Over. I’m on the other side of that. I’m expecting some big-game jitters from the quarterbacks, and the defenses will determine the outcome. Give me the under.

Justin Jefferson Plus-Money Bet Tops Best NFL Wild-Card Props

Jan 13, 2023

(-3) Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants
These teams finished the season trending in opposite directions. The Giants faded down the stretch losing two out of their last three games, including a loss to the Vikings on a game-winning field goal. Conversely, the Vikings won their last two out of three and have the advantage of being home on that fast track of U.S Bank Stadium. The Giants’ game plan is simple: They want to come in and control the time of possession by running star running back Saquon Barkley and that is the best plan of attack. The problem could be that the Vikings jump out to an early lead behind their explosive offense and then the Giants would need quarterback Daniel Jones to throw them back into the game. For all the criticism Vikings QB Kirk Cousins gets, I have less trust in Jones to accomplish that. Give me the Vikings laying the points.