NFL Wild-Card Predictions, Lines, Spreads, & Odds

The wild-card round of the NFL playoffs is here, with six games slated to take place from Jan. 13 to Jan. 15 and plenty of NFL betting odds to consider.

The Cleveland Browns kick things off on the road against the Houston Texans on Saturday, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers conclude the slate of games on Monday night at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.

NFL Wild-Card Predictions

As mentioned, six games will be played in the wild-card round this weekend, with the lowest-remaining seed taking on the No. 1 seed in their respective conference in the divisional round, with the two other teams squaring off. 

These are the games set to take place this weekend: 

• Texans vs. Browns
• Chiefs vs. Dolphins
• Bills vs. Steelers
• Cowboys vs. Packers
• Lions vs. Rams
• Buccaneers vs. Eagles

Below, I’ll provide my picks, insights into each game, and the football odds for each showdown in what should be a fantastic NFL wild card in 2024.

Cleveland Browns (-2.5) at Houston Texans

Pick: Browns -2.5 

The Browns and Texans squared off just a few weeks ago without C.J. Stroud under center for the Texans, but we got to see this Browns offence perform against them. In that game, they put up 36 points, and quarterback Joe Flacco had 368 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. 

Since returning from injury in Week 17, Stroud has 477 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, including 264 passing yards and two touchdowns in Week 18 against the Colts for the AFC South title. 

The Browns sat their starters in Week 18, but still, over their past three games, they’re averaging 29 points, 95 rushing yards, and 268.3 passing yards per game. On the road this season, the Browns also average over 129 rushing yards per game. 

Look for the Browns defence, which allows just 164.7 passing yards per game, along with Flacco, who’s thrown double-digit touchdowns in all of his starts this season (he took over in Week 13) to upset the AFC South champs at home. 

Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs (-4)

Pick: Dolphins +4

The Dolphins are dealing with an excessive number of injuries, but it looks likely that key players like De’Von Achane, Liam Eichenberg, Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert, Jalen Ramsey, and Jaylen Waddle will suit up, as they all got limited practices in on Tuesday. 

This will be helpful as the Dolphins average 26.1 points per game on the road while the Chiefs average 23 points at home. Over their last three games, the Chiefs have averaged just 17.3 points per game. 

For Kansas City, its offence has an opportunity against one that’s allowed 306 passing yards per game over the last three games. Still, Mahomes has just eight games with more than 250 passing yards. 

In their last matchup, Mahomes had 185 passing yards and two scores. 

Look for the Dolphins to cover in Hill’s first game back in Kansas City. 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-10)

Pick: Steelers +10

As I write this on Wednesday, the forecast in Orchard Park, New York, isn’t favourable for passing attacks. The winds are between 20 and 30 mph, with precipitation and a 50% chance of snow. 

We could see plenty of rushing offence from the Steelers with Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris and the Bills with quarterback Josh Allen and James Cook. 

The Bills average 130.1 rushing yards per game compared to the Steelers’ 118.2. 

While Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and Allen have arms capable of throwing through windy elements, I won’t rely on that here, and I’ll take the Steelers +10 (despite the Bills possessing the best Super Bowl 58 odds of any wild-card team) in what could be a run-heavy game. 

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys (-7.5)

Pick: Cowboys -7.5

The Packers will hit the road against a feisty Cowboys defence that allows 187.4 passing yards, 112.4 rushing yards, and 18.5 points per game. At home, the Cowboys have won 16 straight home games, allowing just 15.9 points, 91.4 rushing yards, and 214.4 passing yards per game in Dallas. 

As the No. 2 seed, they’ll host a 9-8 Packers team that’s had an impressive season from quarterback Jordan Love with more than 30 passing touchdowns, but this secondary should have a field day against a team without a single 800-yard receiver and a running back depth chart dealing with injury. 

Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions (-3)

Pick: Rams +3

While the Rams and Lions allow virtually the same number of yards per game (337.9 to 336.1 for the Rams and Lions, respectively), the Lions have allowed nearly 100 yards more passing per game over their last three with 351.7. 

In that same span, both teams are halting the run. The Rams have allowed 88.3 rushing yards compared to the Lions’ 55.7 rushing yards per game. Both offences heavily utilize the run game.

Look for the Rams to keep the game close in what will be a homecoming for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. He played in Detroit for more than a decade. 

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Pick: Buccaneers +3

The Eagles and Dolphins are competing for most injuries heading into the playoffs. The good news is that quarterback Jalen Hurts injured his finger, but thankfully, he has no fracture, and wide receiver A.J. Brown has a knee injury that isn’t considered serious.

Conversely, Darius Slay, D’Andre Swift, and DeVonta Smith are all questionable. Sydney Brown tore his ACL, and other players like Reed Blankenship and Cam Jurgens are dealing with injuries. 

The Eagles allow the second-most passing yards per game at 252.7, and the Buccaneers have an offence littered with pass catchers, including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White, and more. 

Over their last three games, the Eagles also allow 145.3 rushing yards per game. In that same span, the Buccaneers limit teams to 92 rushing yards. 

The Eagles have won just one game since Nov. 26, which took overtime. 

Look for the Buccaneers upset here. 

What Six Teams Won the Super Bowl as a Wild Card?

The following six teams have won the Super Bowl as a wild-card team. 

• Oakland Raiders (1980)
• Denver Broncos (1997)
• Baltimore Ravens (2000)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (2005)
• New York Giants (2007)
• Green Bay Packers (2010)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)