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Buffalo at Jacksonville NFL Wild Card Betting Pick & Odds

Buffalo at Jacksonville NFL Wild Card Betting Pick & Odds

Written by on January 4, 2018

NFL News and Betting Previews| Xbet.ag
The Buffalo Bills have made the postseason for the first time since Bill Clinton was President — all the way back in 1999. They won three of their last four to do it, but it also took a wild finish between Cincinnati and Baltimore, as the Bengals scored a late touchdown to send Baltimore home after the regular season and vault the Bills into the playoffs. Jacksonville lost, 15-10, to Tennessee in their finale but still won the AFC South with a 10-6 record. These two teams last met in 2016, with Buffalo knocking the Jags off, 28-21, up in New York. Check out our NFL Wild Card betting prediction for this game before you make your wagers.

Buffalo at Jacksonville NFL Wild Card Betting Pick & Odds

When: Sunday, January 7, 2018, 1:05pm ET Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville TV: CBS Radio: Westwood One Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Wild Card Betting Odds: Jacksonville (-9), O/U 39.5

Weather Forecast

  • Partly Cloudy: 14°C/58°F
  • Humidity: 65%
  • Precipitation: 0%
  • Cloud Cover: 47%
  • Wind: 10 mph ENE
  • Stadium Type: Open

Why should you bet on the Bills?

Buffalo rode a wild roller coaster this season, as the team benched Tyrod Taylor to see what Nathan Peterman could do, only to have Peterman throw five interceptions in his first half at the helm. Taylor came back on to finish the season and had serviceable numbers, throwing 14 touchdown passes against just four picks. However, he only picked up 2,799 yards through the air — his lack of throws down the field was one reason why the Bills looked at Peterman. Tailback LeSean McCoy ran for 1,138 yards this season — but has an ankle injury and remains questionable for the Jacksonville game, so check that injury report before locking in your wagers. The Bills like to run first, so without McCoy their task becomes a lot tougher. What about that Buffalo defense? They went to Kansas City and shut down the Kansas City Chiefs, but they also gave up 54 points to the Los Angeles Chargers. So to say there is some inconsistency in the unit may be an understatement. Even so, the Bills had solid defense in those three wins they posted in the last four games. Overall, though, they give up a lot of rushing yards, and the Jaguars are poised to take advantage. If you like the Bills, you see the playoff momentum pushing the underdog to clog up the Jacksonville offense with plucky defense and taking advantage of the time of possession battle to control the rhythm of the game.

Why should you put your money on the Jaguars?

Jacksonville lost their last two games of the regular season, and quarterback Blake Bortles threw five interceptions in those losses — giving him 13 for the season, with 21 touchdown passes. For most of the season, Bortles has done a good job managing the Jacksonville offense, throwing for 3,687 yards. However, the momentum of the Jacksonville offense comes from their running game, as Leonard Fournette picked up 1,040 yards and scored nine touchdowns on the ground. The Jaguars had the best running game on the season and scored 26.1 points per contest. But can Bortles get back to his turnover-free ways from earlier in the season? The Jaguars’ defense was a major reason for their success this year. Their secondary ranks #2 in the NFL with 21 interceptions on the regular season, with A.J. Bouye grabbing six all by himself. They were also #2 in the league with 55 sacks. Behind that effort the Jaguars ranked second in points permitted per game (16.8). That type of effort will shut down a Buffalo offense that has an average quarterback and a gimpy tailback.

Latest NFL Wild Card Betting Trends

  • Bills are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games
  • Bills are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo’s last 6 games
  • Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games at home
  • Jaguars are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Jacksonville’s last 6 games

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I was glad to see Buffalo’s fans finally get a postseason celebration, but I believe that their party will last exactly one week. With McCoy less than 100%, the Jaguars will be able to tee off on the passing game, and I don’t see Taylor taking advantage of that. I see Jacksonville rolling to a fairly easy 27-13 victory.
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