FantasySP Fantasy Football Experts Game Predictions for Wild Card Round

The NFL playoffs are about to get underway, and all we can hope for as football fans are competitive games.

Everyone has their opinions on what’s going to happen, so some of the FantasySP writers (Morgan Rode, Daniel Hepner, Mark Morales-Smith and Ted Chymz) got together to give their predictions for all of the playoff games this week. 

All lines and over/under marks are accurate as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Jan. 10. Let the games begin!

Browns (-2.5) at Texans O/U 44.5

Morgan: I’ll take the Texans and the under, with Houston winning 24-20. I see the fun Joe Flacco ride coming to an end, and think C.J. Stroud makes some magic and guides his team to a home win.

Daniel: Texans 23-20. That would put it just under the total (a bet I’m not touching). Buying Houston up to +3 or +3.5 is a great bet in my view. Flacco was lucky on a few of his deep shots the last time these teams played, and I think it may swing the other way. With Stroud much better at home, I like the upset.

Mark: I’m going with the Browns and the over. Cleveland will win this game 28-24. I’ll trust the Browns defense to hold up against a beat up Texans offense more than the Texans D can hold up. 

Ted: I’m conflicted here. I agree with Daniel and Morgan that Flacco has been getting pretty lucky on his Cinderella run, but the Browns’ defense is just so good. With those two things in mind, I’ll back the Browns and the under. 

Dolphins at Chiefs (-4) O/U 44.5

Morgan: I like the Chiefs, but the Dolphins to cover, with a final score of 27-24. I see Miami jumping out to an early lead before Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce rescue Kansas City and keep the team’s chances of winning another Super Bowl alive.

Daniel: Chiefs 24-20. Miami is the better team by DVOA, but the injuries loom large. The offensive line is shaky because of those injuries, and Kansas City’s defense will take charge. I think it will be more of a defensive game; the Chiefs will score late then seal it with an interception.

Mark: The weather scares me a bit, as do the defensive injuries, but I’m going with the Dolphins winning 20-16. Miami hasn’t been good in games against top teams this season which is concerning. The Chiefs haven’t been good against anybody in months which is even more concerning. That offense is a mess and I don’t think they can get it done against a short-handed Dolphins defense. 

Ted: Both of these teams have lots of question marks to go along with some elite talent. A lot has been made of the Dolphins’ inability to beat “good” teams, but they have just as many wins against playoff teams as the Chiefs … one. I like Morgan’s prediction of the Chiefs winning while the Dolphins cover, but I’d lean towards the under on the 44.5 points.

Steelers at Bills (-10) O/U 36.5

Morgan: Give me the Bills, and I like them to cover in a 28-17 final. I think this will be a much closer game than many people think, but in the end, Josh Allen and company will make too many big plays and pull away late.

Daniel: Bills 35-17. Most of the matchups on Wild Card weekend look very close on paper. This is the one I see getting out of hand. Buffalo out-classes Pittsburgh by nearly every metric I’ve seen, and this looks like one where the Bills pull away in the second half.

Mark: The Bills should win this one a lot to a little. I’ll go 31-10. It’s hard to see this game being close. 

Ted: A 10-point spread in the playoffs is wild, but the Bills are simply a much, much better team than the Steelers. With T.J. Watt out this week, I like the Bills to cover and maybe even hit this total by themselves.

Packers at Cowboys (-7.5) O/U 50.5

Morgan: This is my upset special this week, with a lot of points being scored on each side - I like Green Bay to prevail 38-35. Both of these offenses can be electric, with the defenses struggling, and that’s how I see things playing out. Jordan Love stays hot and outduels Dak Prescott to continue Green Bay’s reign over Dallas.

Daniel: Cowboys 27-17. This is the type of game Dallas needs to control and win handily if they want to look like a real contender. Green Bay has played well, but the Cowboys are on another level with championship aspirations. It might not be a blowout, but Dallas will handle this game; I like buying them down to -6.5 and see value on the under.

Mark: This should be another blowout win. I’ll take the Cowboys winning 48-17. This is the game I have the least hope for this weekend. 

Ted: Jordan Love has been on fire, but so has Dak Prescott … and the Cowboys’ defense is much better than the Packers. Give me the Cowboys and the over, with Dallas eventually pulling away in a shootout. 

Rams at Lions (-3) O/U 51.5

Morgan: I like the Lions to win and cover in another fantastic finish, with the teams going over - I’ll say Detroit wins 28-27. Not having Sam LaPorta scares me, but I think the Lions still have enough weapons to get things done - I see Matthew Stafford playing well in his homecoming, but making a costly mistake late to seal things.

Daniel: Lions 27-24. Detroit is very good against the run but struggles against the pass, so Stafford may be the one who dictates the outcome of this game. The Lions are better by DVOA in all three phases, and LA’s best chance is their quarterback having a big day. The lines here feel just about right, and I’m staying away on any bets.

Mark: I think the Lions win an exciting game that will come right down to the wire. I’m going with the Lions 30-27. 

Ted: My heart says Rams and over, but my head says Lions and under. It’s hard to bet against a team on a four-game win streak heading into the playoffs, but the Rams' four wins came against the Commanders, Saints, Giants and San Francisco’s backups. Even with Aaron Donald, their defense is beatable, and the Lions are very hard to stop at home.

Eagles (-3) at Buccaneers O/U 44

Morgan: I’m taking another upset here in a low-scoring game - give me Tampa Bay by a 20-17 final. The Eagles have been bad for a while now, and I don’t see them turning things around this week - Baker Mayfield connects with Mike Evans early and often and the Bucs pull the “upset” at home.

Daniel: Bucs 35-34. I don’t know why this number is so low; neither of these teams can play defense, but they both move the ball, especially through the air, where both teams struggle most to defend. I see a lot of value on the over and getting the Bucs at +3.5

Mark: This is a tough game to get a good feel for because the Eagles have been tough to get a feel for. I still think they will be able to pull this one out. I’ll go Eagles 24-17. 

Ted: I agree with Mark here. The Eagles have been bad by their standards, but they’re still a better team than Tampa Bay. This game will be a shootout, going over the 44-point total, and Jalen Hurts will simply outduel Baker Mayfield at the end of the day.