The Chicago Bears, who started 5-1 before losing six in a row, managed to right the ship and finish with three wins in their last four games. A loss by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 helped the Bears make it into the postseason, and they will take the field this weekend in the wild card round. It is worth noting that a 10-6 team (Miami) did not make the playoffs, while the Bears made it at 8-8, and the Washington Football Team made it at 7-9. The New York Giants would have had an excellent shot at making the playoffs with a 6-10 record, had the Philadelphia Eagles not mysteriously put chosen not to kick an easy field goal to tie their game with Washington — and then put their third-string quarterback in the game, down just three points, a decision that ended up moving the team up three slots in the order for the next draft. All of this is sure to bring calls for a new playoff system in 2021.
For now, though, we have the NFL betting odds for the three Sunday wild card games, so take a look as you plan your wagers.
NFL News: Early Wild Card Odds: January 10
#5 Baltimore Ravens (-3) at #4 Tennessee Titans (O/U 55)
1:05 pm ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
The Ravens come into these playoffs with all kinds of momentum, having turned a 6-5 record into an 11-5 finish with five wins in a row. Four of those victories (Dallas, Jacksonville, the Giants and Cincinnati) came over some of the league’s bottom-feeders, but the 47-42 win in Cleveland showed that Lamar Jackson is back as his heroic self leading the offense. The Titans also finished 11-5 and come in as AFC South Champions, but they lost to Cleveland and Green Bay (the latter loss coming in 40-14 fashion) down the stretch.
I look at the intangibles in this game as leaning all toward Baltimore. This is the rematch of last year’s divisional playoff, when the Ravens, having posted a 14-2 regular season record and earned a bye, welcomed the wild card Titans but ended up flat on their backs. The Titans also beat Baltimore earlier this season on the Ravens’ home field. There should be plenty of motivation for the Ravens, and the emergence of J.K. Dobbins in their running game gives them plenty of offensive balance. Ravens to win and cover.
#7 Chicago Bears (+10) at #2 New Orleans Saints (47)
4:40 pm ET, CBS, Nickelodeon, Amazon Prime Video
This is the oddball of the three matchups on Wild Card Sunday. Last year, New Orleans also hosted a wild card playoff game, welcoming an NFC North team to the Crescent City. However, the Minnesota Vikings left the Superdome with an upset win behind a clutch performance from Kirk Cousins. Mitch Trubisky has led the Bears to a terrific finish to 2020, and the Bears still have a stout defense. New Orleans has the talent and the scheme to pull this off, but Alvin Kamara would come off COVID-19 quarantine just in time to play, and Michael Thomas (ankle) is set to return to practice on Wednesday. Those contributors could play a key role. For now, though, I like Chicago to cover.
#6 Cleveland Browns (+6) at #3 Pittsburgh Steelers (47)
8:15 pm ET, NBC/Peacock
This will be the third meeting of the season between these two teams. Both teams won on their home fields, with Pittsburgh delivering a beating in the first go-round and Cleveland escaping with a two-point win in Week 17. In Week 17, Pittsburgh rested Ben Roethlisberger and T.J. Watt, along other starters, who will be back for the playoffs. Cleveland will also get some of their defensive contributors back but will not have head coach Kevin Stefanski and stalwart guard Joel Bitonio, who have tested positive for COVID-19 and will have to miss 10 days. This has pushed the line from an opening 3 ½ points to 6 points and could push it further.
The Browns did run a very conservative offense in Week 17, perhaps in part because they were only able to have one in-person practice. The hope is that the team will feature both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the backfield at the same time, along with more running plays that test the edge. Chubb only touched the ball 15 times in Week 17, but this is a team that is built to run first and then benefit from the play-action scheme. The Steelers will, of course, have Big Ben back, and he will look for Chase Claypool, who has torched the Browns with nine receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns in the two meetings so far this season. Pittsburgh to win and cover.
NFL Betting Odds
Love betting NFL football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines
