2016 NFL Wild Card Weekend Betting Tips

The NFL regular season is officially over which means it is business time for the remaining sides. The finals series is going to be one of the closest in recent years with every team in with a chance to make the Superbowl. Find our NFL Wild Card Weekend Betting Tips below .

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans (Sunday 8.35am AEDT)

The Chiefs are only the second team in NFL history to have a 1-5 start and reach the playoffs. They were able to do it by winning their past 10 games straight and they have been able to fly under the radar with a lot of attention surrounding the top teams. The Chiefs haven’t been winning matches in spectacular fashion but they are doing the little things correctly and that is continuing to move the ball down the field by reaching the first down marker. It is rare that they will do something spectacular but Alex Smith has been able to lift his game to another level as he has a career high in passing yards this season. Also when he doesn’t have any receivers open he will take off which poses another threat for the opposition defences. Their defence has also been strong and they are ranked second in points per game allowed for the entire season.

Meanwhile the Texans have reached the playoffs in similar fashion as they got hot towards the end of the season. Their defence has really stepped it up as they have allowed only 14 points per game across the last six matches. However, their offence could let them down in this one with the Chiefs defence almost as strong but they clearly have a stronger team on the offence and that is why we will be picking the Chiefs in this one.

TIP: Chiefs -3.5 @ $2.02 with Palmerbet

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday 12.15pm AEDT)

The Bengals are looking to get the monkey off their back in January as they have reached the playoffs in the past four years and it all ended in the same way – defeat in the wildcard round. They will have to do it the hard way with quarterback Andy Dalton still sidelined with a broken thumb. This leaves second year AJ McCarron with a lot of pressure to lift his side at home against Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.

The key for the Steelers will be to get Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant involved, as it is likely for the Bengals to be double-teaming Antonio Brown. If Roethlisberger can link with his other receivers for big gains and first downs it will immediately place a lot of pressure on the Bengals defence which could allow for the coverage to be more spread out and give Brown a chance to get in on the action. However, this could be hard for the side if running back DeAngelo Williams is unable to play after spraining his ankle in the second round in their win over the Browns. They are already missing superstar running back LeVeon Bell who was injured earlier in the season.

The Bengals have a strong defence and a lot of options on offence for McCarron to target. However, Roethlisberger has been on the biggest stage multiple times and will prove to clutch and send the Bengals packing.

TIP: Steelers -2.5 @ $1.95 with WilliamHill

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings (Monday 5am AEDT)

The Seahawks are out to reach their third Superbowl in a row, however they will have to do it the hard way because as the 6th seed they will be forced to play all of their matches on the road. The Seahawks defence was able to smother the Vikings in week 13 of the regular season, as they were able to essentially stop the leading rusher for the 2015 NFL season Adrian Peterson. The former MVP only earned 18 yards off 8 carries and this forced the Vikings game plan to change and made Teddy Bridgewater have to use his arm. That match ended 38-7 in the Seahawks favour.

If the defence is able to do half as much damage as it did last time, the Vikings will find themselves under a lot of pressure. Meanwhile the Seahawks defence has been superb in the second half of the season with Russell Wilson being more confident with his offensive line and being able to stay in the pocket. He has thrown for 34 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions. If they are able to hold on to the ball and stop the run, they will win this one comfortably.

TIP: Seahawks -5 @ $1.96 with Sportsbet

Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins (Monday 8.40am AEDT)

The Packers head into the playoffs down on form and confidence after back-to-back defeats to playoff teams where they were unable to earn more than 300 yards on offence in either game whilst they scored only 21 points combined. This is unheard of for a team ran by Aaron Rodgers, however with a weak offensive line and limited targets on offence Rodgers has struggled and their best plays have came when Rodgers is forced out of the pockets and improvises a play down the field with an open receiver. Meanwhile their running game has been inconsistent, despite Eddie Lacy improving in this area in the back end of the year.

The Redskins will enter the playoffs on a four game winning streak with Kirk Cousins in career best form. The quarterback has thrown for 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions since week 10 and their defence has also stepped it up a notch. The Redskins have one of the best run defences in the league and if they are able to stop Lacy from making an impact it will restrict the Packers ability to utilise the play action pass which will contribute to the Redskins winning. They also have a 6-2 record at home this season making FedEx Field a bit of a fortress.

TIP: Redskins @ $2.00 with WilliamHill

Take note: The tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly.