BlueBet previews the NFL Conference Playoffs action below. Read on for our best bets per game and an overview of the playoff games this week.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
Date: Monday 7:05 am (AEDT). Venue: New England
Odds: Patriots $1.24, Jaguars $4.30
The Patriots host the Jaguars on Monday at New England for a spot in the Super Bowl. We'll provide a betting preview of the game below.
Form Guide:
The Jaguars proved all doubters wrong with an impressive victory over the Steelers last week. They’ll now face the best team in the AFC and will be ready for the Patriots. Running back Leonard Fournette was the key as the crossed for 3 touchdowns. Blake Bortles played mistake-free football and they won by 3 points in the end.
New England comfortably beat the Titans at home last week and now are just one win away from another Super Bowl appearance. The surprising factor in the win was the pass rush as they sacked Mariota 8 times. Tom Brady was in vintage form and the offence will be hard to stop. They're now 8-0 in the playoffs and have an impressive home record.
Head to Head Record:
In the history between the two sides, the Jaguars are just 1-10 against the Patriots. In 2015, the Patriots smashed them 51-17 and have never lost at home against Jacksonville.
Point Spread:
The Patriots will open as favourites once again this week. They easily covered the line against the Titans and are now 8-0 in the playoffs. They’re also 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games and beat the Jaguars by 34 points in the last meeting. In the playoffs, they’ve scored 34 or points in their last 4 wins and it’s hard to see the Jaguars keeping up with Brady's offence. So we’ll be taking the Patriots to cover.
Best bet: Patriots -8.5 ($1.94)
Total Points:
The Patriots are 5-0 against the over total in the playoffs and the Jaguars are coming off a 87 point total against the Steelers. In the last meeting between the sides, the total reached 68 points so 46.5 points seem very achievable.
Best bet: Over 46.5 points ($1.94)
Tip:
Patriots HT/FT ($1.53)
This is really the Patriots game to lose. They’ve been the best team in the AFC all season. Credit to the Jaguars for winning on the road against the Steelers. But their defence did allow huge plays against Big Ben and that’s a major concern against this Patriots high-powered offence. The Pats also showed their defence is ready with 8 sacks against the Titans. Blake Bortles will likely have to win this in the air and it’s hard to see that happening. So we’ll be backing the Patriots to enter the Super Bowl.
Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
Date: Monday 10:40 am (AEDT). Venue: Philadelphia
Odds: Vikings $1.58, Eagles $2.46
The Eagles host the Vikings on Monday at Philadelphia for a spot in the Super Bowl. We'll provide a betting preview of the game below.
Form Guide:
Minnesota played in one of the great playoff games against the Saints last week as they won on the last play. Up 17-0 at half-time, the Saints roared back to lead 24-23 into the last minute. But the Vikings held strong and scored a game winning touchdown as time ran out. But they can’t afford the same second half collapse against this Eagles team. They’ll be looking to become the first team to play in a home Super Bowl if they win this one.
The Eagles proved the NFL wrong with an impressive overall win against Falcons last week. Their defence kept the Falcons to just 10 points and stood tall in the last 2 minutes. On offence, Nick Foles made key throws and the running game soaked up the clock. They’ll be back at home this week and will be looking for their first Super Bowl appearance since 2004.
Head to Head Record:
The two sides met at this venue in 2016 and the Eagles won 21-10. At Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles are 3-1 against the Vikings since 2004.
Point Spread:
The Vikings open the betting as 3 point favourites. However, after last round, it’s hard to back against the Eagles at home. The Eagles and Vikings are both strong on defence, so this will come down to Nick Foles against Case Keenum. Both Quarterbacks are very similar so we can see another close game. The Eagles are also 7-1 ATS at home against the Vikings.
Best bet: Eagles +3.5 ($1.85)
Total Points:
The under total points of 38.5 is our best bet for this matchup. Both the Eagles and Vikings are ranked highly in defensive categories this season. The Eagles rely heavily on the running game and that means low scoring. They also allowed just 10 points last week. In this matchup, the under total is 5-2 and 4-1 when the Eagles are the home team. The Eagles are also 5-1 against the under at home. Meanwhile, the Vikings are 4-2 against the under total in their last 6 games and held the Saints scoreless until half-time last week.
Best bet: Under 38.5 points ($1.89)
Tip:
Eagles WIN ($2.46)
Compared to the AFC, this game will likely be a lot closer. The Eagles love the underdog tag and home-field advantage counts in the NFL. They have a strong running game and Foles can find his receivers against this Vikings defence. In reality, the Vikings are very lucky to be playing in this game and we like the Eagles record against them at home to cause another upset.
