WINNER$ – WILD CARD WEEKEND

The second season. A fresh start. There’s nothing quite like the NFL playoffs. It’s also what I like to call “money making season”. Starting with the bowl games thru the Super Bowl this is my most lucrative time of the year for sharps and sportsbooks with March Madness being a close 2nd. I’ll pick every NFL playoff game in this column thru the Super Bowl. It all starts with the Wild Card. Good luck.

Playoff Record: 0-0
2016 Season Record: 14-17

Wild Card Weekend WINNER$:

RAIDERS +4 at Texans
This could quite possibly be one of the worst QB matchups ever in a playoff game. Connor Cook vs. Brock Osweiler, yikes. Both will most likely be relegated to game managers on Saturday afternoon so expect a low scoring game. Houston could and should win this game by a field goal since their defense is slightly better.

LIONS +8 at Seahawks
This line is way too high. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the Seattle defense that scares me the most about this game. Matthew Stafford has had a resurgent season under 1st year offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, and the Seahawks secondary has had one of their worst seasons since the Legion of Boom arrived. Seattle could and should still win this game, but not by more then a touchdown.

STEELERS -10 vs. Dolphins
Speaking of lines being way too high, you rarely see double-digit favorites on wild card weekend but I still think there is value on Pittsburgh. Unlike Seattle, Pittsburgh’s offense can explode at any moment, meaning large spreads aren’t impossible to overcome. Vegas obviously set this line so high to induce Miami action and it’s worked with 56% of the tickets so far going towards the underdog. I’m not biting. Give me a rested triple-B squad to win big over the fish.

GIANTS +4.5 at Packers **BEST BET**
The Giants are winning this game, plain and simple. Bet the ML, bet the reverse spread, do whatever you want but make sure it’s the Giants on the winning side. When I saw this matchup come into focus I started salivating at a potential underdog scenario for big blue, and Vegas has delivered. This line opened at 7.5 late Sunday night and in a matter of minutes, was gobbled down to 4.5. An incredible sharp push on the underdog in a short time span. What it tells me is Vegas got this game wrong. The Giants are the sharper side.