New England Patriots (10-7) at Buffalo Bills (11-6)
The Patriots have successfully made a return to the playoffs with a rookie QB and Bill Belichick at the helm. However, their form coming into the playoffs is concerning. They've lost 3 of their last 4 games and lost control of the AFC East title as a result. This means they have to travel into Buffalo for a tough divisional matchup. They did beat the Bills in Buffalo this season behind a strong running game. But they'll likely need Mac Jones to have success in the passing game this time as the Bills will know what's coming.
Buffalo finished off the season with 4 straight wins and that led them to the AFC East title. They finished the season as the #1 ranked team in the NFL for passing yards allowed and total yardage. However, they do struggle against the run and that's where the Patriots will look to attack. So the Bills defence will be looking to create turnovers in passing situations. While on offence, Josh Allen dominated the Pats defence in Week 16 and will have even more weapons this time with Cole Beasley on the field.
Interestingly, the Patriots performed better on the road this season with a 6-1 record and they come into this clash with confidence having beaten the Bills in Buffalo this season. So in an expected tough divisional playoff clash in a cold climate, the Under is the safe play. These two teams finished the regular season atop the points allowed category and they totalled just 24 points in the last Buffalo meeting. The Under has also saluted in 5 of the last 7 at this venue.
Stadium Record
The Bills are 13-3 in their last 16 home games. New England holds a strong 9-1 record in Buffalo.
Head to Head Record
New England has won 7 of the last 10 meetings since 2017. The season series was tied 1-1 as both teams won on the road against each other.
Best Bet
San Francisco 49ers (10-7) at Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
The 49ers scraped into the playoffs with a comeback win over the Rams last week, 27-24. Down 17-0 at one stage, San Francisco rallied to force OT and a key interception led to the game-winning field goal. As a result, they finished off the season with a 4-1 record and got Jimmy Garoppolo back from injury in Week 18. He struggled early on against the Rams so the Cowboys defence will be looking to bring the pressure. However, Deebo Samuel will be one of the keys for the 49ers against this defence as he brings a lot of versatility in the passing/running game.
The number 1 scoring team in the NFL flexed their muscle in Week 18 as they thrashed the undermanned Eagles 51-26. Dak Prescott totalled 5 touchdowns in the victory and his matchup with the 49ers secondary will be interesting. They picked off Stafford a few times last week so Dak will need to limit the turnovers. While on defence, the Cowboys haven't been a team that can stop yardage but they are top 10 for points allowed. However, they should be able to pressure Jimmy G into mistakes especially with his hand injury.
This matchup is expected to be one of the highest-scoring on the wildcard slate and it's hard to disagree. Both teams come with balanced offences as they can pass/run so we like the chances of a high scoring affair in friendly dome conditions. Dallas also holds an 8-3 Overs record at home and it's even better against San Francisco at 7-1.
Stadium Record
The Cowboys have won 7 of their last 10 home games. San Francisco holds a 1-1 record at this venue since 2014.
Head to Head Record
Dallas has dominated this head to head with 6 wins in the last 7 meetings.
Best Bet
Arizona Cardinals (11-6) at Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
It's fair to say, the Cardinals have limped into the playoffs with a 1-4 record but a recent road win over the Cowboys should give them the confidence of beating the Rams in LA. They also beat the Rams in the earlier season meeting at this venue. One of the major keys will be getting turnovers from Matt Stafford as he's struggling in that area. Arizona are the 4th best team in the NFL for takeaway difference so they should be able to succeed. However, their offence has been crippled by injuries. They won't have Hopkins, Edmonds, Moore and Conner has been nursing a heel injury. So it will be up to Kyler Murray to make plays with his arm and running ability.
The Rams should be disappointed after letting a 17-0 lead slip last week so they'll be eager to make up for it in another divisional clash. Cooper Kupp had a special regular season for the Rams and his combination with Stafford in the passing game will be one of the factors to watch in this clash. He tore apart this Cardinals defence in the last meeting with 13 catches, 123 yards and a score. Matt Stafford has struggled with turnovers over the last month of the season but he'll take confidence in a 3 touchdown / 0 interception performance against this team in Week 14. Meanwhile, the Rams defence will be fired up after allowing the 27 pts against the 49ers last week and they'll look to bring the pressure on Murray in the pocket.
In the 2 meetings between the two teams this year, they have totalled 53 and 57 pts. So we do like the chances of another high scoring affair. The Cardinals are coming off 38 pts allowed against the Seahawks and the Rams should be able to take advantage as well. The Over has also saluted in 4 of the last 5 matchups.
Stadium Record
The Rams are 13-5 in their last 18 home games. Arizona holds a 1-1 record at this venue in 2021 and won 37-20 last October.
Head to Head Record
Both teams won on the road in the regular-season series. In the last 10, the Rams have dominated with a 9-1 record.
Best Bet
Other NFL Playoffs Tips
| Game | Best Bet
|
| Raiders at Bengals | Las Vegas Raiders +5.5 = $1.91 |
| Eagles at Buccaneers | Philadelphia Eagles +9.5 = $1.85 |
| Steelers at Chiefs | Under 46.5 = $1.89 |
