NFL Wild Card Predictions

In each of the past five NFL seasons, Wild Card weekend has seen at least two road teams win.

That is just a tasty little trend morsel for bettors who love simply backing home favorites at this time of year.

And on the AFC side, the road teams have dominated lately going 6-2 SU as visitors. In the past three seasons, those road teams in AFC Wild Card games are 5-1 ATS.

So when the Americas Line picks engine predicts the Steelers will win in Denver, it makes good handicapping sense and keeps that interesting angle alive. Ditto when the Falcons are picked to upset the Giants in New Jersey as small road underdogs.

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The Saturday games shape up as home victories for the Saints (-10 vs Detroit) and the Texans (-3 vs Cincinnati) according to the computer.

For the first time all season, the scores predictor computer did not produce a winning record, going just 7-8 ATS in Week 17 (the Pittsburgh-Cleveland game didn’t count due to late odds).

The computer is predicting all four Wild Card games will go OVER the posted betting totals, even in New Orleans when the Saints vs Lions game opened with a huge 58 total.

Cincinnati at Houston – Neither team has been playing well and the AFC South champs are vulnerable here in their first-ever playoff game. But can the Bungles win on the road? Matchup | Prediction: 27.2 – 22 Houston

Detroit at New Orleans – The Saints are 11-1 ATS past 12 at home and the Lions lost to the Packers who didn’t even try last week. Matchup | Prediction: 40.3 - 32.7 Saints

Atlanta at NY Giants – The Giants are tied with the Broncos as the worst division champs of 2011. But they are favored here at home, even though Atlanta is 6-0 ATS as a visitor here since 1982. Matchup | Prediction: 27.4 - 23.9 Falcons

Pittsburgh at Denver - No Rashard Mendenhall shouldn’t be enough of a blow to prevent the Steelers from manhandling the Broncos. The Tebow Magic seems to be gone. Matchup | Prediction: 25.7 - 14.5 Steelers

Wild Card Predictions – Scores Engine

Cincinnati 22 Houston 27.2 -3 HOU 38 O
Detroit 32.7 NewOrleans 40.3 -10 DET 58 O
Atlanta 27.4 NY Giants 23.8 -3 ATL 48.5 O
Pittsburgh 25.7 Denver 14.5 8 PIT 35.5 O