NFL Wild-Card Weekend Picks From Wall Street’s Brain
Ahh the NFL wild-card weekend is here and the race for the Superbowl is alive and well. With two playoff games on both Saturday and Sunday, you can catch all the games live on 600 ESPN El Paso all weekend long.
Let me preface this piece with a clear note: most of my NFL picks this season have either been spot on or terribly, terribly wrong. I was the same person that said Drew Brees and the Saints would destroy the Cowboys earlier this year and look how that turned out.
Nonetheless, here are my wild-card weekend picks:
Saturday's games:
(6) Colts at (3) Texans: 2:35 p.m. MT
There's a lot of things I like about this matchup. First off, both teams beat each other in the regular season by a combined score of 58-58--yes, you read that right. The Colts' young defense has been outstanding and their big 33-17 win over Tennessee made them look like a overlooked playoff contender. Houston's talent on their roster makes them a desirable pick, though. Deshaun Watson has been under high-stake games like this before and this could be a win that propels him from being a good quarterback to a great one. However, if the Colts pressure Watson early on and make plays offensively, they could run off with this one. Still, I like Watson and the Texans to pull this one off in a close game. - - Houston 27, Indianapolis 24
(5) Seahawks at (4) Cowboys: 6:15 p.m. MT
The stage could not be bigger for the Cowboys come Saturday night and the question is will Dallas fold and throw away all that they accomplished late in the season, or can Dak Prescott and the defense step up and get a huge home playoff victory? Dallas is ranked in the top-10 in both offensive (ninth) and defensive (sixth) efficiency, but the key to scoring will be how well a rested Ezekiel Elliott can play in this one. On the other hand, Seattle has nothing to lose in this one. They have overachieved in what was supposed to be a "rebuilding" season for the Seahawks. Seattle has won at least one playoff game in all of Pete Carrol's six playoff appearances with the Seahawks and they get their seventh on the road against Dallas. -- Seattle 20, Dallas 10
Sunday's games:
(5) Chargers at (4) Ravens: 11:05 p.m. MT
After the Ravens handled the Chargers in Los Angeles, there is obvious unfinished business for the Chargers, who bolster a 12-4 overall record. Their only problem is the fact that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have been soaring as of late, especially on defense. With Phillip Rivers having a remarkable season, Melvin Gordon continuing to get better and better and the Chargers defense having some serious talent, it's hard to see who in the AFC could actually beat them. But I believe that the Ravens match up way too well against the Chargers specifically to lose this one. -- Ravens 31, Chargers 28
(6) Eagles at (3) Bears: 2:40 p.m. MT
The one team in the league that I wouldn't want to face off against is the Eagles, who have been seemingly reborn under quarterback Nick Foles. But the Bears defense is probably the best in the league, leading the NFL in turnovers (36) and interceptions (27). Not to mention the fact that Chicago is 7-1 at home this year too. However, Philly won five of their last six under Foles and January is where he shines. I'm picking the upset in this one, not so fast Brandon "Iceman" Cohn! -- Eagles 24, Bears 14