Playoff fever has gripped America as the regular season has ended and we are just a few weeks away from the Super Bowl. First up is the Wildcard Round and tensions are running high as just three games stand between these teams and a shot at the ultimate glory. In the NFC the wildcards are the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions, who travel to Green Bay and Seattle respectively with everything to play for.
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers
The Giants finished the regular season 11-5, a record that would have been good enough to win every other division but theirs. It is their misfortune that they play in the same NFC division as the Dallas Cowboys, who earned the best record in the conference this season by finishing 13-3. The Packers could only manage 10-6 despite their status as fifth favourites for the Super Bowl (9/1 with William Hill), but they are in sensational form. They looked down and out in the autumn when they were 4-6, but they have embarked on a remarkable six-game winning streak that has left their fans daring to dream, mainly thanks to the near-perfect form of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Giants go into this game as 4-point underdogs on the spread and serious underdogs with all bookmakers, with William Hill and Coral offering 9/4 on them causing an upset in Green Bay. The Giants lost 23-16 to the Packers in week 4, which will give Green Bay fans further hope, but they should be nervous about their badly injured defence. They were already banged up going into week 17 when they lost Quinten Rollins, Damarious Randall and Makinton Dorleant. They already rank a lowly 31st against the pass this season, and injuries will compound the problem, making the Giants – led by Odell Beckham Jr – the worst team they could have faced in this round. The Giants have a great chance of winning this one and the odds are fantastic at 9/4. A more cautious option would be to back the Giants +4.5 on the Spread at 19/20 with Coral, which looks a great bet.
Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks
Nobody is giving the Lions much of a chance of pulling off a similar upset in Seattle. Detroit sneaked into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth after finishing 9-7, the same record as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but progressed by sheer virtue of having a slightly better record against common opponents with the Bucs. The Lions are on a three-game losing streak – all against playoff teams – and they make the long trip to Seattle to face a team that won their division comfortably, with a record of 10-5-1.
The Seattle offence is hardly firing on all cylinders, but they should have enough about them to get the job done here. Of the 12 teams in the playoffs, bookmakers are offering the longest odds on the Lions, who are 80/1 to win it, compared to 12/1 for Seattle. The Seahawks have won their last nine playoff games at home, and quarterback Russell Wilson has never lost a home playoff game. The Lions, meanwhile, have not won a playoff game on the road since 1957, so history is very much against them. The bookmakers have them as serious underdogs here, with Paddy Power offering a huge 31/10 on them, while Seattle is massively odds-on.
Most bookmakers are offering 1/4 on the Seahawks winning this and that looks a good one to add to an accumulator, but not great value as an outright bet. The point spread is huge, with the Lions eight-point underdogs, but the Detroit defence has given up 73 points in the last two games, so they can cover it. A safer option, however, might be to go down to the 6.5 point alternative Bet365 is offering and take 4/6 on Seattle -6.5.
Betfair:
Bet on Henrik Stenson to become the BMW PGA Championship Winner.
Paddypower:
Back Australia to take the Ashes home with them.
Betway:
Back Rafael Nadal to become the Mens French Open Winner.
Coral:
Back One For Arthur to win the Grand National.
Bet365:
Back Mexico to win the Confederations Cup.
