Wild Card weekend is always one of the most fun of the entire year on the NFL calendar, as teams that have dreams of four-game postseason runs get started. Inevitably, there's at least one upset or close call that comes out of nowhere in the cards, and you're never quite sure which team is going to unceremoniously have its season end prematurely next. Each game presents a new challenge for bettors, so you don't want to miss any of the action on the NFL odds at BookMaker.eu.
NFL Wild Card Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Raiders ( 37 ) at Texans ( -3 )
Lions ( 43 ) at Seahawks ( -7.5 )
Dolphins ( 47.5 ) at Steelers ( -9.5 )
Giants ( 44.5 ) at Packers ( -4.5 )
Game Previews
Raiders at Texans – Saturday 4:35 p.m. ET
The NFL has a history of putting its worst playoff game first on the docket on Saturday, and for the fourth time in their history, the Texans have the right of hosting said game. This one is the dog of all dogs, though. It's a shame that one of these two will end up being one of the last eight standing, and to say that neither one has a shot of going into Foxboro ( or Arrowhead, for that matter ) and upsetting the Patriots ( or Chiefs ) is an understatement.
But alas, both have earned their shot in spite of the fact that their quarterback play is now below-average at best and absolutely abysmal at worst.
These clubs did meet in Mexico City in what was an entertaining game in November, a 27-20 Raiders victory.
Lions at Seahawks – Saturday 8:15 p.m. ET
Things are going from bad to worse for the Lions. They lost each of their last three games of the regular season to go from 9-4 and two games up in the NFC North to 9-7 and just barely good enough to hold onto a Wild Card spot, and now, they have to go on the road to Seattle, a place where the Seahawks haven't lost a playoff game in nine tries dating back to 2004.
In his career, Russell Wilson has lost exactly two home games to teams from outside of the NFC West, and it just flat out doesn't seem likely that Detroit is going to be the next team to add its name to that list, particularly in a playoff game in January. There's a reason that these two teams are separated by so many points on the Wild Card odds, a number that really can only rise as we see it from here.
Steelers at Dolphins – Sunday 1:05 p.m. ET
Much like the Raiders and Texans, the Dolphins are limping into the playoffs without any semblance of a starting quarterback. It's Matt Moore's time to shine for perhaps the last time in his career with a dinged up Miami team going on the road to Heinz Field, one of the toughest places to go and win in the NFL.
The Dolphins did win when these teams met in October, and they did so by dominating at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. But can Jay Ajayi really be counted upon to rush for 200+ yards again? And will Ben Roethlisberger really play a horrible game and get knocked down no less than 20 times again? We doubt it on both accounts.
Giants at Packers – Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET
The best game of Wild Card weekend by far. This is the only game of the four in which both teams are legitimately Super Bowl contenders, and for our money, the two teams with the best shot of actually reaching the Super Bowl playing this weekend as well.
The first meeting between the two was far from a classic; a sluggish 23-16 win here at Lambeau for the Packers early on in the campaign. But that could be a precursor for what could be a great game. We know that the Giants aren't afraid to go on the road in the playoffs; Eli Manning is 8-3 all-time in the postseason, including going 5-1 on the road. He beat Brett Favre here in the frigid cold in the NFC Championship Game in 2007 en route to the big upset of the 18-0 Patriots. He also handed Aaron Rodgers his one career playoff loss at home, a 37-20 romp in the divisional round of the playoffs en route to a second Super Bowl win over the Pats.
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