In what will be a historic weekend for the National Football League, the league will unveil its first ever Super Wild Card Weekend with a slew of playoff games. After a climatic end to the 2021 regular season, this weekend will feature a lot more drama with match-ups that could be anyone’s game in the AFC and NFC. With one team from each conference receiving a bye this weekend as the No. 1 overall seeds, the other six teams in each conference will be duking it out to see who advances from here.
Below, we break down the best matchups for favorites, underdogs, over/under of the weekend and who you can expect to come out on top.
| NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Highlighted Matchups | ||
|---|---|---|
| Game Spotlight | The Pick | BetOnline |
| Chiefs vs. Steelers | Chiefs -13 | -101 |
| Patriots vs. Bils | Patriots +4 | +170 |
| Cardinals vs. Rams | Over 50 | -110 |
| Eagles vs. Buccaneers | Under 49 | -110 |
When: Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 8:15pm ET
After an incredibly hectic final weekend of the regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to make the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. Thanks to a walk-off win from the Raiders in Vegas, Pittsburgh has kept their Super Bowl dreams alive at least for one more week in Big Ben’s swan song season. Their prize for getting into the wild card round? An incredibly tough matchup with Kansas City on the road. The two teams matched up the day after Christmas and the Steelers were dominated at Arrowhead to the tune of a 36-10 thrashing.
Prediction: Being able to cover 13 points in the NFL is a tough task for any squad, but if any team can do it, it’s the Chiefs in January at home. Just forget about the spread in this one and go straight up.
When: Saturday, January 15, 2022 at 5:15pm ET
In what will certainly be a matchup filled with bad blood, New England travels to Buffalo for their third match of the season. The teams have split the series so far on the season with the Pats taking care of business, 14-10, back on Dec. 6th at Buffalo. The Bills responded later that month with a decisive 33-21 trouncing of New England in Foxborough.
Prediction: New England is in a prime position to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Miami on the road. For whatever reason, the Pats seem to always have the Bills’ number and that trend will continue this weekend given the defensive mastery of head coach Bill Belichick.
When: Monday, January 17, 2022 at 5:15pm ET
Another divisional clash, Rams vs. Cardinals has all the makings of another shootout. In their prior two matchups this season, the squads have combined for 57 points (in October in Los Angeles) and 53 (in December in Arizona). Both teams seem to be relatively healthy heading into their rubber match clash this weekend in L.A. so look for the two stud quarterbacks, Matt Stafford of the Rams and Kyler Murray of the Cardinals, to put up some points.
Prediction: Taking the over in this seems fairly straightforward as both offenses feature strong passing attacks. One thing to keep an eye on is the return of running back Cam Akers for the Rams.
When: Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 10am ET
This game seems squarely in Tampa’s favor, but the final consensus on the total overall score is a bit up in the air. Back in October, the Bucs were able to hold off the Eagles 28-22 in Philadelphia. So while the over/under of 49 is not far off, expect the Tampa Bay defense to have a much better time flying around at home.
Prediction: When you have Tom Brady on your side anything is possible. The defending Super Bowl champs start the playoffs with a prime matchup, but it will be the Tampa Bay defense taking most of the headlines in this matchup with Philly.
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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