2017 NFL Playoff Wild Card Round Odds, Picks and Predictions – Oakland at Houston and Detroit at Seattle: The regular season is in the books, but there is still plenty of football to be played. The NFL playoffs begin this weekend with the Wild Card Round. The action starts Saturday with matchups in both conferences. In the AFC, the fifth-seeded Oakland Raiders will take on the fourth-seeded Houston Texans. In the NFC, the third-seeded Seattle Seahawks will host the sixth-seeded Detroit Lions. Let’s take a closer look at both matchups. Also, check out NSAwins.com all playoffs for the best NFL picks and predictions against the spread thru the Super Bowl!
2017 NFL Playoff Wild Card Round Odds, Picks and Predictions: Oakland at Houston and Detroit at Seattle
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans
Thanks to a rule that rewards division winners with a home playoff game, the 12-4 Oakland Raiders will go on the road to face the AFC South champion Houston Texans, despite the Texans finishing with a 9-7 record.
Of course, playing on the road is the least of Oakland’s concerns these days. In what was a resurgent year for the franchise that seemed destined to end with an AFC West title, Raiders quarterback and MVP candidate Derek Carr broke his leg in the penultimate game. To make matters worse, backup Matt McGloin was injured in the finale, so Oakland is likely heading into the playoffs with third-string quarterback Connor Cook under center.
If there is a silver lining for the Raiders, it is the fact that Houston’s quarterback situation isn’t much better. Brock Osweiler has been a $72 million bust, and after briefly being benched for Tom Savage, it looks like Osweiler will get the nod in the playoff tilt.
Despite a shaky offense, Houston is still going to have the decided egde in this matchup. For one, they still have running back Lamar Miller to lean on. More importantly, the Texans’ defense is one of the better units in the league, ranking first in yards allowed, second against the pass, 12th against the run and 11th in points allowed.
Yes, the Raiders can run the ball with the best of them, but with a third-string quarterback, they aren’t exactly going to be able to keep the Texans honest. Houston is tough to score on in general, and the Texans are going to be able to load up against the run and make Cook try to make enough throws to beat them. As bad as Osweiler has been, I think Houston can grind out a win behind Miller and its defense.
Prediction: Houston Texans (-3.5) Cover the Spread
Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks
It has been an up-and-down year for both these teams, but despite an inconsistent offense, the Seahawks grabbed the NFC West title and the No. 3 seed. They will face the sixth-seeded Lions in the Wild Card Round after Detroit backed into the playoffs despite dropping its final three games.
Neither one of these teams has been able to run the ball consistently this year, and Seattle’s leading rusher, Christine Michael, isn’t even on the team anymore. As a result, Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford will likely have to decide the game, and while Wilson is getting healthier after dealing with a knee injury most of the year, Stafford is dealing with a finger issue. In fact, he has just two touchdowns and three interceptions since the injury, and the Lions have lost all three games.
While I like Wilson over a hobbled Stafford, the X-factor in this matchup is the weather, which is expected to be nasty. In sloppy conditions, passing won’t be easy, and this game could become an ugly, low-scoring affair. The Seahawks are 7-1 at home this year, and they should get the job done. However, eight points is a lot when the conditions aren’t likely to do the offenses any favors. I’ll take the Lions to cover.
Prediction: Detroit Lions (+8) Cover the Spread
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