It was a wild, wild wildcard of games this past weekend, which sets up a possibly crazier second round of NFL playoff matchups. If you need help betting on the four games, then read this. We’re giving you three free bets on the 2022 playoff divisional round right here!
Against The Spread: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Division rivals square off with a ticket to the NFC championship on the line. Despite the familiarity between the two, the best NFL betting sites aren’t particularly optimistic the game will be close. As it stands, the Eagles are clear touchdown favorites over the Giants:
If there’s one major takeaway from the wildcard weekend, it’s that beating a division rival isn’t particularly easy — even if your starting quarterback is out. Both the Dolphins and Ravens were big underdogs in their playoff games whilst they were on third-string and backup signal callers. But despite this, the two teams covered their spreads that were a touchdown or more. We have a sneaking suspicion that the Giants will do the same.
And here’s the thing: New York isn’t playing with a backup. No, in fact, it was the play of their starting quarterback which won them a road game against Minnesota. The embattled Daniel Jones completed 24 of 35 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 78 yards on 17 carries. No QB in NFL history has thrown for at least 300 and run for at least 70. Jones’ was so effective that Saquon Barkley only had nine carries on the ground.
We get why oddsmakers are so big on Philly. They beat New York twice this season — first a 26-point whopping then again by six to close out the season. But in the season-ender, the Giants rested their starters and still fared well. We think this game is close and honestly, we wouldn’t be stunned to see New York pull off the outright upset. As they say, it’s hard to beat an NFL team three times in a single season…
Over/Under 50 Points: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills
After a scary, near-death accident only three weeks ago, these two teams finally face off. The spread is a little too close for us to call, but we’re jumping on the Cincy-Buffalo over/under that’s set at 50 points:
Honestly, both teams had letdown performances last weekend, especially on offense. Take the Bengals, for instance. They averaged a meager 4.3 yards per play against the Ravens. If not for a 99-yard defensive touchdown, there’s a strong chance the Bengals don’t even advance. Speaking of turnovers, that was the Bills' big bugaboo on Sunday. Josh Allen threw two interceptions and fumbled another time (which was scooped up for a defensive touchdown). At other times, Allen was going for “home runs” and not giving what the defense gave him.
Dare we say this game is heading toward an under? While there’s zero shortage of offensive talent on both sides — Ja'Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon — playoff football is just different. Intensity ramps up, third-down conversions become harder, and even coaching becomes less aggressive. As elite as Joe Burrow and Allen are, we think they’ll be held in check come game time.
Against The Spread: Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs
You can erase a 27-0 deficit to win a playoff game and still not get respect at the sportsbook. That's the predictament the Jaguars find themselves in. Bookies have made Jacksonville almost 10-point underdogs against Kansas City — that's the most lopsided spread of the whole weekend.
These two teams faced each other in November, also in KC's home field. The number-oned-seeded Chiefs won 27-17, which helps explain why this spread is where it is. However, we think the Jaguars you'll see this time around are different. They're more confident given they've won seven of the eight games that followed that defeat — a stretch where quarterback Trevor Lawrence has upped his play significantly.
Here's one way we can see Jags giving the Chiefs a good fight: turnovers. For all of Kansas City's strengths, an area they are weak in is turnover differential. KC finished the year -3 in the category, which ranked 22nd in the NFL. Jacksonville just won a game where they lost the turnover battle by five. Just imagine how they can fare if they actually win that battle? We're betting this game is close and the Jags cover in the process.
How To Bet On 2023 NFL Playoffs?
We’re inching closer and closer to the Super Bowl, which makes these next two weeks must-bet occasions. To get a full list of 2023 NFL playoff betting options, hit one of the underneath bookies. They’ll have all the lines available, from props to spreads to futures. And of course, any one of them will be go-to Super Bowl sportsbooks with a full gamut of odds on that big game.
If you need extra spending money for the last month of the NFL season, consider cashing in a sign-up bonus. The best bonuses available right now are listed underneath. As you can see, you can cash out anywhere from $500 to $2500 in free play depending on the site. That’s a whole lot of dough to bankroll your NFL bets from now until the Super Bowl! See the table for full details.
