After four months of intense football action, the NFL Playoffs are finally here and it promises to be one hell of a spectacle. Four wild card games are on the agenda this coming weekend as we usher in the new year with mouth-watering postseason matchups.
To kick things off, the Arizona Cardinals meet the streaking Carolina Panthers in a pivotal NFC showdown Saturday. Then, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens renew their AFC North hostilities when they square off at Heinz Field. Sunday gives us two high-profile clashes as well as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Indianapolis Colts while the Dallas Cowboys look to continue their impressive winning run when they host the Detroit Lions.
Having difficulty picking a side for these big wild card games? Fear not as we give you the latest expert picks from the brightest football minds across the internet. Read on below for their selections and while you’re at it, you can check out Top Bet’s own NFL wild card picks and predictions here.
[sc:Football ]Expert Picks for the Wild Card Round of the 2014-2015 NFL Season
CBS Sports
| NFL Wild Card Round | Line | Pete Prisco | Jason La Confora | Will Brinson | Dave Richard | Ryan Wilson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers | -4.5 CAR | Cardinals | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers |
| Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers | -3.5 PIT | Steelers | Steelers | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens |
| Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts | -4.5 IND | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Colts |
| Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys | -7.5 DAL | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys |
[sc:NFL240banner ]The CBS Sports experts unanimously picked the Dallas Cowboys to win comfortably over the Detroit Lions in their NFC Wild Card showdown this coming Sunday. Even though the Cowboys are overwhelming 7.5 point favorites heading into their clash with the Lions, that didn’t stop the experts from backing Tony Romo and co. on entering the next round of the playoffs.
It’s definitely hard to argue otherwise. The Cowboys are one of the hottest teams in the league today having won all of their last four games. During that stretch, the Cowboys are also a perfect 4-0 against the spread. Apart from the Cowboys, majority of the experts also picked the Bengals, Ravens and Panthers as the teams that will advance to the next round.
Are you convinced by these experts? Take the Cowboys at -7 or read our complete preview for more analysis on this crucial NFC Wild Card game.
Bleacher Report
| NFL Wild Card Round | Line | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers | CAR -7 | Cardinals |
| Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers | PIT -3 | Ravens |
| Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts | IND -3.5 | Colts |
| Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys | DAL -8 | Cowboys |
The Bleacher Report experts have made their final decision and they’re banking on Arizona, Baltimore, Indianapolis and Dallas as the teams that will push through to the next round. As opposed to CBS Sports’ selection of the Bengals, the experts here are firm in their belief that Andrew Luck will build on his excellent play this season and lead the Colts to the next phase of the playoffs just like he did last year.
It has been a banner year for Luck who finished the regular season as the touchdown leader with 40 to his name this season. He is third among starting quarterbacks in the passing department as well, posting a 297.6 yard per game clip. Not bad for a quarterback who’s playing in just his third season for the Colts.
Aside from Luck’s excellent form, one of the reasons why the Colts are a good pick this coming Sunday is that they have played particularly well at home this season. The Colts are 6-2 SU/ATS at Lucas Oil Stadium this season.
Want to make a pick but can’t pull the trigger? Let our complete preview of this AFC Wild Card game help you decide.
FOX Sports
| NFL Wild Card Round | Line | Mike Garafolo | Alex Marvez | Peter Schrager | Brendon Ayanbadejo | Jimmy Traina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers | -6.5 CAR | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers | Cardinals | Cardinals |
| Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers | -3.0 PIT | Steelers | Steelers | Steelers | Ravens | Ravens |
| Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts | -3.0 IND | Bengals | Colts | Colts | Bengals | Colts |
| Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys | -6.5 DAL | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys |
Finally some respect for the six-time Super Bowl champions. Majority of the experts at Fox Sports have selected the Steelers to advance in the intriguing Pittsburgh-Baltimore clash at Heinz Field. The Steelers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL heading into the playoffs, carrying with them an impressive four-game winning streak.
Every one of those wins were vital as they were locked in a tight divisional battle in the AFC North up to the very end. Key to their strong finish was the play of their dynamic duo of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger led the league in the passing department this season, averaging 309.5 yards per game via the aerial route. Brown, on the other hand, led the league not only in receiving yards (1,698) but also in receptions.
Brown and Roethlisberger are expected to carry the scoring cudgels for the Steelers this coming Saturday, especially with the way they manhandled the Ravens in their last meeting at Heinz Field, albeit two months ago. Roethlisberger passed for a total of 340 yards and set an NFL record with a second consecutive game of six touchdown passes. Brown also had a solid outing in that game as he caught 11 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.
If Pittsburgh goes on to prevail in this game, they are a step closer from winning their seventh Vince Lombardi trophy. They are pegged at +1,000 to do just that.
Now that you have all the information that you need on these four wild card games, create a betting account now and earn some quick cash on the 2014-15 NFL Playoffs.
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