2016 NFL playoffs, picks against the spread: Wild Card round
2016 NFL playoffs, picks against the spread: Wild Card round
The 2015 NFL regular season is a wrap, and it is time for the 2016 NFL playoffs. That means four more weeks of picks against the spread. I suppose I could include the Pro Bowl for picks as well, but what am I, some kind of degenerate?
The Wild Card round features four games that are not that easy to handicap. When three of the four road teams are favored, and the public is heavily backing some of those favorites, it can be difficult to figure out the next step. I ended up going with one home dog, one home favorite and two road favorites. The Wild Card round is one of my favorite rounds just because, as the name implies, it can be wild. I view the Divisional round as the sort of "classier" round of football, where you get the top two seeds coming off byes. The Wild Card is for the scrappier teams that are just looking to build further Super Bowl hope. It seems to make for more entertaining football at times.
Whatever the case, here are my picks against the spread for the Wild Card round. All lines and stats come courtesy of OddsShark.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans
Line: Chiefs -3
Pick: Chiefs - The public is overwhelmingly on the side of the Chiefs, which makes me a little anxious. That being said, the Chiefs are on a roll. They get pass rusher Justin Houston back, while the Texans will be without left tackle Duane Brown. I felt the Chiefs could win even without that advantage, but that makes me a little more comfortable. The Chiefs have not won a playoff game since 1994, and it happened to come on the road in Houston. That really has no bearing on this one, other than to say it will make a fitting coincidence when it happens again.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Line: Steelers -3
Pick: Steelers - I was not pleased to see the Steelers rule out DeAngelo Williams. That being said, I think Ben Roethlisberger will be able to throw the Steelers to victory. The Bengals defense is significantly better than that of the Steelers, but I think Big Ben will be able to get more than enough offense together to escape Cincinnati with a win. I would have preferred a line down closer to pick 'em, but if the Steelers can't win by at least a touchdown, I'll be disappointed.
Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings
Line: Vikings +5
Pick: A month ago, the Seahawks had their way with the Vikings, winning 38-7. They no longer have Thomas Rawls, but they welcome back Marshawn Lynch. It is expected to be bone-chilling cold on Saturday, with wind chill bringing this thing down into the -20s! It is reportedly going to be among the six or seven coldest games in NFL history. I think that could mean turnovers for Beast Mode, but it also means fewer field goals. I think the Vikings can keep this one close.
Green Bay Packers @ Washington
Line: Washington -1
Pick: I don't know how many times someone has picked Kirk Cousins over Aaron Rodgers, but I like Washington's chances this weekend. Washington has benefited in recent weeks from some bad opponents, and while the Packers are a better team, they are still not a particularly good team right now. It feels like they stumbled into the playoffs, and I think Cousins can help Washington advance into the Divisional round.
