Two fired, one retired and one near miss – NFL’s “Black Monday” certainly lived up to its name following the close of the regular season. A total of four head coaches have now lost their job having failed to meet owners’ expectations over the course of the 16-game season.
The outlook is much brighter, however, for those teams that have managed to secure their place in the postseason. Here we bring you all your American Football betting odds ahead of this weekend’s NFL Wild Card round.
Kicking off the playoff action on Saturday evening is a meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs are coming off four straight wins, brimming with confidence and riding their Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, Kareem Hunt. The running back has been a revelation this season, finishing with a league-leading 1,327 rushing yards. The Chiefs face a stout defensive front in the Titans though, who are ranked 1st in the NFL in rushing touchdowns allowed. Expect quarterback Alex Smith to air the ball out regularly, looking for his trusted targets in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. We can’t see anything but a win for the Chiefs at 2/9.
The pick of the games could be in Los Angeles, as the Rams host the Falcons. Of the four NFC teams playing this weekend, Rams quarterback Jared Goff is the only one not to have played in a Super Bowl. Goff has developed well in his sophomore season in the NFL, showing why the Rams were right to spend the first overall pick when they selected him in the 2016 NFL Draft. Coming into town will be a Matt Ryan-led offense that has been rolling in recent weeks. The Falcons will be determined to put the heartbreak of Super Bowl LI behind them, and despite playing on the road, Atlanta looks like good value to move past the Rams at 12/5. Watch out for a big day from running back Devonta Freeman as the Falcons seek to keep their Lombardi Trophy hopes alive.
The second of the AFC clashes sees the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills. The Bills were the fairy-tale story of the regular season finale, securing their place in the playoffs by way of the Ravens’ last-gasp loss at the hands of the Bengals. Cue absolute mayhem in the Bills’ locker room as players and coaches watched the end of the game to find out their fate. Buffalo’s participation in the playoffs ends the longest current playoff drought in North American pro sports, with the Bills competing in the postseason for the first time since 1999. The Bills could be without star running back LeSean McCoy, who will be a game-time decision after injuring his ankle last week. The offense simply wouldn’t be as dynamic without “Shady”. Even though the Jaguars have lost their last two games, their defense should be too strong for the Bills. Back a Jacksonville win at 2/9.
The final game sees two NFC South divisional rivals battle it out, with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Carolina Panthers. Drew Brees, as quarterback for the Saints, has had a record-breaking season to date. The veteran completed 72 per cent of passes over the 16 games, beating the previous benchmark held by Vikings’ QB Sam Bradford by 0.4 per cent. Whilst Brees has been the linchpin in the Saints’ passing attack, it is their ground game that has won them the majority of their games this season. Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara are arguably the best running back tandem in the league. The duo set an NFL record this season by both surpassing 1,500 yards from scrimmage – the first pair of teammates to ever do so in the same campaign. It’s difficult to look past a Saints win at home at 3/10.
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