NFL Wild Card Weekend Best Bet: Under Texans and Flipping the Seahawks Point
The Games:
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
The Play:
Pushing the Bills/Texans Under to 50.5
Flipping the Seahawks to +5
I know, I know. You usually don’t like playing the under. But hear me out. Sean McDermott’s squad has the third best defense in the league and are led by 2nd year cornerback Tre’Davious White who finished the regular season tied for most interceptions in the league with six. The Texans are getting back their Mr. All Everything in JJ Watt after an early season injury and he is going to cause major issues for Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Both teams have players who can efficiently run the ball such as the Bills’ Devin Singletary and Frank Gore, while the Texans have Carlos Hyde (more than 1,000 yards this season) and Duke Johnson. And, as we all know, being able to run the ball keeps the game clock running. Most people are sleeping on the underrated Bills defense and with the actual total in this game sitting at 43.5, it is begging you to take some teaser action and push that number higher. Not only that, eight of the last nine Buffalo games with that total has gone under that number.
When it comes to the playoffs and scoring points, the Texans have certainly had their problems. Houston quarterback DeSean Watson had issues last year, mustering just one touchdown at home against Indianapolis on Wild Card weekend. The year prior, he managed just 16 points versus New England and three years ago they were shutout 30-0 at home against Andy Reid and the Chiefs. Plus, four of the last five times these two squads have faced off the total of their game has gone under. So the play is to tack on seven points and push the under to 50.5, which will allow us to enjoy the first NFL game of the new decade without much of a sweat.
The Prediction:
20 Buffalo Bills
19 Houston Texans
Part Two of Harry’s Tasty Teaser for Wild Card Weekend
You have to give the Philadelphia Eagles credit for finding a way to win the last four games (all divisional games) of the season despite all of their injuries and capturing the NFC East division. Those injuries however are what I think will sink them this week even though they are playing at home. The Seahawks shut the Eagles offense down a little over a month ago and won a defensive battle while not giving up a touchdown in a 17-9 slugfest.
The Seahawks have had injuries as well, losing three running backs in the last month, but rookie Travis Homer and veteran Marshawn Lynch looked good in the season finale against San Francisco and should be fine this week in Philadelphia. Seattle still has the 6th best offense in the league and quarterback Russell Wilson has one of the best percentages when it comes to not losing consecutive games. Well, Seattle has in fact done just that, losing their final two regular season games at home to division rivals Arizona and San Francisco. Russell Wilson and company losing three in a row is unheard of, but just in case, we’re taking the extra seven points for security should the Seahawks still lose by a field goal, we still come away with the W thanks to the +5.
The Prediction:
23 Seattle Seahawks
20 Philadelphia Eagles
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Harry Gagnon spent 14 years as a Vegas Sportsbook Supervisor and holds a Communications degree from SUNY-Oswego. You might know him better as part of the Degenerate Trifecta on the award nominated betting podcast “Against All odds with Cousin Sal” on the Ringer Podcast Network. Feel free to find him on Twitter (@AAOHarry) and tweet him a message if you want to talk casinos, sports, or just shoot the breeze about betting in general cause, hey, that’s what Twitter is for, right?
