~My Top Pick~: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears
The Bears gave up the fewest points and the fewest first-downs in the NFL this season. I also expect the Bears to cover the full-game spread, but I feel just as confident in the first-half wager due to Chicago’s defensive in the second half of games. In the first half, the Bears allow a league-low six points per game but allowed 11.3 in the second half. The Bears finished with victories in nine of their last ten games, including an impressive 15-6 home victory versus the Rams on Monday Night Football. Defense has been the Bears calling card all season long. Chicago allows a league leading 17 points and 299 yards of offense per game. The Bears allow 217 passing yards and a league best 80 rushing yards per game. Chicago ranks third in sacks (50) and leads the league with 27 interceptions with five of those picks going for touchdowns. They finished with five more takeaways than the team with the second-most in the entire league (Cleveland). And no team gave up fewer yards per play this season than the Bears, were as good against the pass as they were against the run .On Sunday, Chicago eliminated division rival Minnesota from playoff contention during a 24-10 road victory. The Bears limited the Vikings to just 164 yards of total offense on the day .With a low total, I would take the points rather then bet O/U, Foles, who is already banged up. The Bears defense will win the game. My Bets Bears -5 1/2 & Money Line $-240~ Big~ 15% [of my bank roll]
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
The Texans will win the first half of this game because they have outplayed the Colts in the first half of their last three games, averaging 16.3 points per game while the Colts average 11.3 points per game. Houston has also played better on defense, giving up 8.3 points per game while Indianapolis gives up nine points per game. The last time these two teams played it was the Andrew Luck show and I really believe that will be the case in this one. This will become a high scoring game and the offensive line won’t keep Watson up long enough.The Colts will win this game by at least 7 points.
HOU are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. AFC. Under is 13-5 in HOU last 18 vs. AFC. Road team is 7-1-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings. IND are 8-3-2 ATS in their last 13 meetings.
This is a short week with a quick turnaround for both teams and the travel could certainly impact the Colts, but Indianapolis is playing better right now, defense has excelled much improved since the first meeting. As far as the total goes, teams do tend to tighten up in the playoffs, but a slight lean to the over seams like good number with some big play capabilities of two great quarterbacks. Indianapolis has fared well in Houston covering the number in 5 of the last 6. The Colts have covered the spread in 8 of the last 13 versus the Texans. The visiting team (Colts) in this matchup has covered the spread in 7 of the last 10 meetings. This season in two head to head meetings the teams were 1-1 SU and ATS. Final Score Prediction, Indianapolis Colts win and cover ATS 24-21.Prediction: Houston Texans Half Time Bet Pick & Money Line Colts $+105 [ I bet this game Wednesday to take advantage of Point Spread at the Half & Money Line].
Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys
This is probably the hardest game of the Wild Card Weekend to pick. Dallas is the better team and has the more talented roster, but the coaching edge goes to Seattle and the Seahawks have excelled in the red zone and the Cowboys have not, at least on offense. With these teams being so similar, I’d stay away from the spread on both sides and stick to the moneyline, and Cowboys are 11-3 SU in their last 14 games as a prime-time favorite. Injuries on the offensive line, especially at guard, and Shquill Griffin’s ankle issues will be Seattle’s arch heel. Seattle’s secondary is not what it once was and they have to score points to win. Prescott may have more of a fighting chance. Seattle is a quality team and Wilson is a playoff-tested quarterback but Seattle is 3-5 on the road. Dallas is 6-2 at home and finally has the balance to make a push in the playoffs. Injuries on the offensive line, especially at guard, and Shquill Griffin’s ankle issues will be Seattle’s arch heel. Prescotts stat's at home this season are much more impressive for Dallas offense, with 14 touchdowns to only three interceptions and a decent 8.04 yards per attempt. Ezekiel Elliott, who arguably is the best pure running back in the NFL aside from Todd Gurley. Elliott led the Cowboys and the NFL with 1,434 yards rushing and nine TDs. He also had 77 catches to lead the team for 564 yards. The Cowboys rested him against the Giants since Dallas had clinched the NFC East. This one will be a close one, and looking at the past few games by either team, it will most likely come down to a late game field goal for the win.
I bet this game Wednesday to take advantage of money line bet>>Prediction: $-125 Dallas
~My 2nd Top Pick~ Los Angeles Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Chargers enter the first round of the playoffs with the best regular-season record (12-4 SU) among all wild-card teams. Despite being tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the AFC, they sit at the fifth seed after losing out on the division title via tiebreaker. The Ravens finished the regular season first in yards allowed and second in points allowed. They have a great defense and it played very well when they beat Chargers in the regular season. Chargers defense is allowing just 105.8 yards per game on the ground and will look to slow down the rushing attack of the Ravens on Sunday which in my option which will not happen. Top pass rusher Za’Darius had 1.5 sacks that day. Key to this match-up will be how good chargers defense & secondary vs Ravens offense? The answer to this in my research and analysis is >>>*** The offense is good but the defense is really good. They are ranked 9th in the NFL and do a great job at stopping the run, which has been Baltimore’s style of play with QB Lamar Jackson. Stat's is major factor in my decision in betting on Ravens. Baltimore’s defense has been great this season, holding opponents to 17.9 points per game. They held Philip Rivers to 181 yards and two interceptions the last time around and will need a similar effort on Sunday afternoon.The line in this game is currently Ravens -2 ½ points.
Prediction & Bet: Ravens -2 1/2 [I bet this game Wednesday to take advantage of point spread & Ravens -1 1/2 first half & Money Line $-145 Ravens
Jeff Sagarins NFL Power Rating .
RATING HOME ADVANTAGE=[ 2.46]
1 Kansas City Chiefs = 25.46
2 New Orleans Saints = 25.24
3 Los Angeles Rams = 25.19
4 Baltimore Ravens = 25.00
5 New England Patriots = 24.57
6 Chicago Bears = 24.56
7 Los Angeles Chargers = 24.29
8 Pittsburgh Steelers = 23.95
9 Seattle Seahawks = 23.60
10 Philadelphia Eagles = 23.50
RATING
11 Indianapolis Colts = 22.93
12 Houston Texans = 22.86
14 Dallas Cowboys = 21.57
15 Carolina Panthers = 20.99
16 Atlanta Falcons = 20.69
17 Tennessee Titans = 20.50
18 Detroit Lions = 19.26
19 Cleveland Browns = 18.69
20 Green Bay Packers = 18.54
TWO POWER RATING COMPAIRENCE>>> Jeff Sagarins NFL Power Rating & Maseys Powering Rating [ Las Vegas NV,
Houston Texans= 22.86 and 5.20 Compared to Indianapolis Colts = 22.93 and 3.32 Texans +1 1/2 points About..... Current line Texans - 1 1/2
Dallas Cowboys=21.57 and 1.49 Compared to Seattle 23.60 and 4.10
Seattle +2 1/2 About..... Current line Cowboys -1 1/2
Baltimore Ravens= 25.00 and 6.70 Compared to Los Angeles Chargers= 24.29 and 6.54
Ravens +1 about..... Current line Ravens - 2 1/2
Chicago Bears= 24.56 and 6.46 Compared to Philadelphia Eagles= 23.50 and 4.16
Bears +1 about..... Current line Bears - 5 1/2
*****As you can see from ratings 3 of these games very close with exception of Bears Game.
*****NOTE:: Power Ratings compute offensive and defensive statistics into one number for each team, while accounting for factors like recent performances and strength of schedule. Power Ratings can be used as a baseline for relative spread index to compare current or future match-ups between two teams. The relative spread does not account for non-statistical factors like home-field advantage, recent injuries, game time decisions, rivalries, publicity, and weather.
*****NOTE:::All Bets Were Made Wednesday >> The handicapping information taken from Internet Sports Media and other sources connected with NFL Sports.*****Stats taken from Power Ratings Danny Sheridan power rating, Maseys Powering Rating [ Las Vegas NV, Dunkel Index power, B&Rs Expert Consensus rating, with DVAXN Group 25 NFL Football Outsiders Powering Rating ~[Cleveland OH] With Bobby Lancer Exclusive ratings & There Calculated Point Spreads With Trends & Statistics and Indicators. Intelligent Analysis of the NFL
Complements From ~Hårr¥THëHÄT~
The Bears gave up the fewest points and the fewest first-downs in the NFL this season. I also expect the Bears to cover the full-game spread, but I feel just as confident in the first-half wager due to Chicago’s defensive in the second half of games. In the first half, the Bears allow a league-low six points per game but allowed 11.3 in the second half. The Bears finished with victories in nine of their last ten games, including an impressive 15-6 home victory versus the Rams on Monday Night Football. Defense has been the Bears calling card all season long. Chicago allows a league leading 17 points and 299 yards of offense per game. The Bears allow 217 passing yards and a league best 80 rushing yards per game. Chicago ranks third in sacks (50) and leads the league with 27 interceptions with five of those picks going for touchdowns. They finished with five more takeaways than the team with the second-most in the entire league (Cleveland). And no team gave up fewer yards per play this season than the Bears, were as good against the pass as they were against the run .On Sunday, Chicago eliminated division rival Minnesota from playoff contention during a 24-10 road victory. The Bears limited the Vikings to just 164 yards of total offense on the day .With a low total, I would take the points rather then bet O/U, Foles, who is already banged up. The Bears defense will win the game. My Bets Bears -5 1/2 & Money Line $-240~ Big~ 15% [of my bank roll]
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
The Texans will win the first half of this game because they have outplayed the Colts in the first half of their last three games, averaging 16.3 points per game while the Colts average 11.3 points per game. Houston has also played better on defense, giving up 8.3 points per game while Indianapolis gives up nine points per game. The last time these two teams played it was the Andrew Luck show and I really believe that will be the case in this one. This will become a high scoring game and the offensive line won’t keep Watson up long enough.The Colts will win this game by at least 7 points.
HOU are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. AFC. Under is 13-5 in HOU last 18 vs. AFC. Road team is 7-1-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings. IND are 8-3-2 ATS in their last 13 meetings.
This is a short week with a quick turnaround for both teams and the travel could certainly impact the Colts, but Indianapolis is playing better right now, defense has excelled much improved since the first meeting. As far as the total goes, teams do tend to tighten up in the playoffs, but a slight lean to the over seams like good number with some big play capabilities of two great quarterbacks. Indianapolis has fared well in Houston covering the number in 5 of the last 6. The Colts have covered the spread in 8 of the last 13 versus the Texans. The visiting team (Colts) in this matchup has covered the spread in 7 of the last 10 meetings. This season in two head to head meetings the teams were 1-1 SU and ATS. Final Score Prediction, Indianapolis Colts win and cover ATS 24-21.Prediction: Houston Texans Half Time Bet Pick & Money Line Colts $+105 [ I bet this game Wednesday to take advantage of Point Spread at the Half & Money Line].
Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys
This is probably the hardest game of the Wild Card Weekend to pick. Dallas is the better team and has the more talented roster, but the coaching edge goes to Seattle and the Seahawks have excelled in the red zone and the Cowboys have not, at least on offense. With these teams being so similar, I’d stay away from the spread on both sides and stick to the moneyline, and Cowboys are 11-3 SU in their last 14 games as a prime-time favorite. Injuries on the offensive line, especially at guard, and Shquill Griffin’s ankle issues will be Seattle’s arch heel. Seattle’s secondary is not what it once was and they have to score points to win. Prescott may have more of a fighting chance. Seattle is a quality team and Wilson is a playoff-tested quarterback but Seattle is 3-5 on the road. Dallas is 6-2 at home and finally has the balance to make a push in the playoffs. Injuries on the offensive line, especially at guard, and Shquill Griffin’s ankle issues will be Seattle’s arch heel. Prescotts stat's at home this season are much more impressive for Dallas offense, with 14 touchdowns to only three interceptions and a decent 8.04 yards per attempt. Ezekiel Elliott, who arguably is the best pure running back in the NFL aside from Todd Gurley. Elliott led the Cowboys and the NFL with 1,434 yards rushing and nine TDs. He also had 77 catches to lead the team for 564 yards. The Cowboys rested him against the Giants since Dallas had clinched the NFC East. This one will be a close one, and looking at the past few games by either team, it will most likely come down to a late game field goal for the win.
I bet this game Wednesday to take advantage of money line bet>>Prediction: $-125 Dallas
~My 2nd Top Pick~ Los Angeles Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Chargers enter the first round of the playoffs with the best regular-season record (12-4 SU) among all wild-card teams. Despite being tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the AFC, they sit at the fifth seed after losing out on the division title via tiebreaker. The Ravens finished the regular season first in yards allowed and second in points allowed. They have a great defense and it played very well when they beat Chargers in the regular season. Chargers defense is allowing just 105.8 yards per game on the ground and will look to slow down the rushing attack of the Ravens on Sunday which in my option which will not happen. Top pass rusher Za’Darius had 1.5 sacks that day. Key to this match-up will be how good chargers defense & secondary vs Ravens offense? The answer to this in my research and analysis is >>>*** The offense is good but the defense is really good. They are ranked 9th in the NFL and do a great job at stopping the run, which has been Baltimore’s style of play with QB Lamar Jackson. Stat's is major factor in my decision in betting on Ravens. Baltimore’s defense has been great this season, holding opponents to 17.9 points per game. They held Philip Rivers to 181 yards and two interceptions the last time around and will need a similar effort on Sunday afternoon.The line in this game is currently Ravens -2 ½ points.
Prediction & Bet: Ravens -2 1/2 [I bet this game Wednesday to take advantage of point spread & Ravens -1 1/2 first half & Money Line $-145 Ravens
Jeff Sagarins NFL Power Rating .
RATING HOME ADVANTAGE=[ 2.46]
1 Kansas City Chiefs = 25.46
2 New Orleans Saints = 25.24
3 Los Angeles Rams = 25.19
4 Baltimore Ravens = 25.00
5 New England Patriots = 24.57
6 Chicago Bears = 24.56
7 Los Angeles Chargers = 24.29
8 Pittsburgh Steelers = 23.95
9 Seattle Seahawks = 23.60
10 Philadelphia Eagles = 23.50
RATING
11 Indianapolis Colts = 22.93
12 Houston Texans = 22.86
14 Dallas Cowboys = 21.57
15 Carolina Panthers = 20.99
16 Atlanta Falcons = 20.69
17 Tennessee Titans = 20.50
18 Detroit Lions = 19.26
19 Cleveland Browns = 18.69
20 Green Bay Packers = 18.54
TWO POWER RATING COMPAIRENCE>>> Jeff Sagarins NFL Power Rating & Maseys Powering Rating [ Las Vegas NV,
Houston Texans= 22.86 and 5.20 Compared to Indianapolis Colts = 22.93 and 3.32 Texans +1 1/2 points About..... Current line Texans - 1 1/2
Dallas Cowboys=21.57 and 1.49 Compared to Seattle 23.60 and 4.10
Seattle +2 1/2 About..... Current line Cowboys -1 1/2
Baltimore Ravens= 25.00 and 6.70 Compared to Los Angeles Chargers= 24.29 and 6.54
Ravens +1 about..... Current line Ravens - 2 1/2
Chicago Bears= 24.56 and 6.46 Compared to Philadelphia Eagles= 23.50 and 4.16
Bears +1 about..... Current line Bears - 5 1/2
*****As you can see from ratings 3 of these games very close with exception of Bears Game.
*****NOTE:: Power Ratings compute offensive and defensive statistics into one number for each team, while accounting for factors like recent performances and strength of schedule. Power Ratings can be used as a baseline for relative spread index to compare current or future match-ups between two teams. The relative spread does not account for non-statistical factors like home-field advantage, recent injuries, game time decisions, rivalries, publicity, and weather.
*****NOTE:::All Bets Were Made Wednesday >> The handicapping information taken from Internet Sports Media and other sources connected with NFL Sports.*****Stats taken from Power Ratings Danny Sheridan power rating, Maseys Powering Rating [ Las Vegas NV, Dunkel Index power, B&Rs Expert Consensus rating, with DVAXN Group 25 NFL Football Outsiders Powering Rating ~[Cleveland OH] With Bobby Lancer Exclusive ratings & There Calculated Point Spreads With Trends & Statistics and Indicators. Intelligent Analysis of the NFL
Complements From ~Hårr¥THëHÄT~
