Wild Card Weekend NFL Betting Preview
The Baltimore Ravens didn't have much success against Indianapolis during the Colts' Peyton Manning era, so they'll take their shot at Andrew Luck this weekend as NFL betting moves into the postseason with four Wild Card matchups on the schedule.
The Ravens are 1-7 SU and 0-8 ATS in their last eight games against the Colts dating back to 2004, with their lone SU victory in that span coming in December 2011 when they topped Indianapolis 24-10 but couldn't cover the spread as a huge 16.5-point home favorite. Seven of the last eight Ravens/Colts matchups were UNDER results.
For their game on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore, though, the Ravens are pegged as 7-point home favorites on the NFL betting lines at 5Dimes. During the regular season Baltimore was a poor wager at 6-9-1 ATS (to go along with their 10-6 SU mark), while the surprising Colts paid out to the tune of 11-5 ATS while also winning 11 games SU.
The Colts/Ravens game for Sunday is set to start at 1:00pm ET, with the Seattle Seahawks then taking on the Washington Redskins in an NFC Wild Card betting matchup at 4:30pm ET. The Seahawks are the lone road favorite at the sportsbooks for the weekend, as they sit at -2.5 on the betting lines at 5Dimes against the Redskins.
Seattle went 11-5 both SU and ATS during the regular season, and ride a five-game winning streak into the playoffs. Washington claimed the NFC East crown at 10-6 SU and 11-5 ATS, and they're currently on a seven-game winning streak. These two teams last met in November 2011, with Washington winning 23-17 as a 3-point road underdog.
The Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans will get Wild Card Weekend underway at 4:30pm ET on Saturday afternoon in a rematch of a first-round playoff contest from last season – which the Texans easily won 31-10 at home as a 4-point favorite at the sportsbooks. For Saturday's game the Texans have been set as the 4.5-point favorites. Houston was 12-4 SU and 9-7 ATS this year; Cincinnati was 10-6 SU and 9-6-1 ATS.
Finally, the Green Bay Packers play host to the Minnesota Vikings at 8:00pm ET on Saturday night with the Packers looking for revenge after the Vikings bounced them 37-34 in Minnesota on Sunday as a 3-point home underdog on the NFL betting lines at the sportsbooks. Green Bay is pegged as a big 9.5-point 5Dimes favorite for Saturday.
The Packers are 6-4 both SU and ATS over their past 10 games against the Vikings, including a 23-14 home win as a 7-point favorite back on December 2. Eight of the last 10 Green Bay/Minnesota games were OVER results for totals bettors. On the season the Packers went 11-5 SU and 9-7 ATS, and the Vikings were 10-6 SU and 8-7-1 ATS.