After what was a dramatic regular season in the NFL, we have now reached the time of year when the playoffs begin.
They all start this weekend with the expanded Super Wildcard Weekend games, three matches in each of the AFC and NFC to decide which three teams will go through to their respective Divisional Matchups alongside the top seeds from both conferences.
Bet365 Sport will be offering extensive betting coverage of all the games in the playoff this week, right the way through to the season-ending finale, Super Bowl LVII which will take place in Glendale, Arizona on February 12.
So before we preview each of the six Wildcard Weekend games coming up this weekend, let’s see which teams made it into the playoffs from both conferences.
NFL Playoffs Qualifiers
NFC Seedings
- Philadelphia Eagles – 14-3 – Bye for Week 1 of the Playoffs
- San Francisco 49ers – 13-4
- Minnesota Vikings – 13-4
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 8-9
- Dallas Cowboys – 12-5
- New York Giants – 9-7-1
- Seattle Seahawks – 9-8
AFC Seedings
- Kansas City Chiefs* – 14-3 – Bye for Week 1 of the Playoffs
- Buffalo Bills* – 13-3
- Cincinnati Bengals* – 12-4
- Jacksonville Jaguars – 9-8
- Los Angeles Chargers – 10-7
- Baltimore Ravens – 10-7
- Miami Dolphins – 9-8
*The Chiefs would forfeit home field advantage should they have to face the Bills in the AFC Conference Championship, with this game being played on a neutral venue chosen by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Playoff Schedule – 14th – 16 January – Super Wildcard Weekend
Saturday 14th January
- Seattle Seahawks (9-8) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-4)
Over the final ten weeks of the season, the San Francisco 49ers went from 3-4 to 13-4 on the back of a supreme surge in performance that not even the loss of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has derailed as his replacement, Mr Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy, has stepped in superbly.
The signing of Christian McCaffrey was a masterstroke and has been a key reason why the 49ers are many people’s pick for the Super Bowl this year, but first they have to defeat their divisional rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks have beaten the 49ers in one of those early season games, but lost a more recent encounter and they ran their opponents close on both occasions. Geno Smith is in good form and the Seahawks have one of the quickest receiving corps in the country.
However, that 49ers defense is special and I can see them being the foundation for another 49ers victory here. Take San Francisco to win by 7-12 points here at 10/3.
Prediction – Seattle Seahawks 17-27 San Francisco 49ers
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the form teams in the NFL having won seven of their last eight games, and they face a Chargers team who they beat relatively comfortably during the early weeks of the season in Duval County.
Momentum can be key in these games and there’s no doubt that Doug Petersen and the Jags have that in their favour, allied to home advantage and a record that is just one win fewer than their lower ranked opponents.
However, I think that the Chargers could be the team to back here. They have more experience at this level, they are getting key players back from injury at just the right time and I just feel that in Justin Herbert, they have a QB that is one of the elite players in the NFL.
I have a feeling that this may be the best and closest game of the Wildcard Weekend matches but I am backing the Chargers to win by 1-6 points, which is 3/1 with bet365.
Prediction – Los Angeles Chargers – 31-28 Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday 15th January
- Miami Dolphins (9-8) @ Buffalo Bills (13-3)
It’s fair to say that from a strong position, the Dolphins just about made it into the playoffs by virtue of a touchdown-free win over the New York Jets on the final week of the season, not the preparation you would want to face the team many people feel are the favourites to win the Super Bowl.
The Bills have rallied superbly from the Damar Hamlin incident in the postponed Bengals game on Week 17 to win last week against the Patriots and they will know that this season represents a superb chance for the team to finally break its Super Bowl hoodoo.
The Dolphins chances could be improved if Tua Tagovailoa is passed fit to play the game after missing the last two through concussion. That will likely happen, but how fit and strong he is after sitting out two weeks through concussion protocol’s remains to be seen.
With Tyreek Hill believed to be nursing an injury too, it looks too much for the Dolphins to be able to repeat their victory over the Bills from earlier in the season here.
Back the Bills to win by 13-18 points in this one which is a 15/4 shot at bet365.
Prediction – Miami Dolphins 17-34 Buffalo Bills
- New York Giants (9-7-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (13-4)
The Vikings confirmed third seed status in the NFC with a predictable win over the Chicago Bears last week and they took the time to give their starters a rest in the second half of that game, while Giants coach Brian Daboll rested most of his starters in their defeat to the Eagles last week.
In Justin Jefferson, the Vikings have arguably the best receiver in the NFL at present, and that is some statement given the quality of receivers in the NFL currently. He will likely need to play a big part if the Vikings are to enjoy a victory here.
The Giants have done very well to even claim a playoff spot, but Brian Daboll won’t want the season to end here. If they can bring their defensive rush to bear on the Vikings, then they may stand a chance of landing an upset.
The issue for me is that I just don’t see enough points in the Giants to land the win here, so I am going to go for the Vikings to win a close and lower scoring game.
Prediction – New York Giants 13-20 Minnesota Vikings
- Baltimore Ravens (10-7) @ Cincinnati Bengals (13-4)
Strangely enough, these two teams played just last weekend at the very same venue and the Bengals emerged as the 27-16 winners, a result which avoided a coin toss for the AFC North title and meant that the Bengals won it for a second successive year.
In truth, the Bengals have been in great form losing just twice since an 0-2 start to the season and with Joe Burrow now back in tandem with Ja’Marr Chase, and other key figures in the Bengals offense returning from injury, they look to be hitting health and form at the right time.
The Ravens injury issues are a sharp contrast to that with quarterback Lamar Jackson seemingly unlikely to play, his back up has also played hurt and there are issues too at wide receiver and running back.
Defensively, the Ravens are still playing tough and they’ll be ready to give more this week with it being a knockout contest, but even so I’d expect the Bengals with the advantage of home field and their great form behind them, to land the win here.
Prediction – Baltimore Ravens 10-31 Cincinnati Bengals
Monday 16th January
- Dallas Cowboys (12-5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
It is one of the anomalies of the NFL that teams with inferior records can be seeded higher than teams with a much better record as is the case in this game in Tampa tonight. The Cowboys have won four more games than the Bucs this year, but the Bucs did beat the Cowboys 19-3 on the opening week of the NFL season.
That may be Tom Brady and company’s best chance of success as since then Dallas lost just four more games out of the 16 they played. The Bucs defence remains solid in the main, but they have shipped points of late while Dallas have usually scored plenty especially in the second half of the season.
The key here though is the Dallas defence against the Bucs offense. If the Dallas edge rushers can put Tom Brady under pressure, then I see no way the Bucs can win this.
Dallas are the -2.5 favourites to win here and I’d take them to land the win by 7-12 points, which is a 19/4 shot with bet365.
Prediction – Dallas Cowboys 35-24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tags: American Football bet365 Sport NFL Playoffs Wildcard Weekend
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