At long last, the 2024 NFL playoffs are here.
We are set to enjoy six intriguing Super Wild Card Weekend matchups beginning on Saturday, Jan. 13, through Monday, Jan. 15.
Now that the opening-round schedule is set, let’s take an early look at the slate and target some early value bets.
Here are the current NFL playoff odds and lines for Wild Card Weekend.
NFL Wild Card Odds & Lines
NFL odds below are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook unless otherwise noted and are current as of Monday, Jan. 8, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
NFL Wild Card Games
(5) Cleveland Browns vs (4) Houston Texans (Sat. Jan. 13, 4:30 p.m.)
Browns -2.5 (-115) vs Texans +2.5 (-105)
The Browns were fortunate enough to rest every player of significance in Week 18. So while they did not cover the spread to close out the season, they covered in each of their last four contests prior to Week 18.
While the Texans have made for a great story with NFL Coach of the Year candidate DeMeco Ryans and Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner C.J. Stroud, Cleveland is red-hot and Kevin Stefanski looks like the award’s frontrunner.
Few players are performing like Joe Flacco right now. In his five starts this season, he has thrown for 13 touchdowns and 1,616 yards. That’s good for 323.2 yards per game.
Houston has a well-balanced team; however, Cleveland has been the better team on defense all year and under Flacco’s care, the offense is wildly more efficient.
I like the Browns to cover the spread and this contest to hit the Over (44).
(6) Miami Dolphins vs (3) Kansas City Chiefs (Sat. Jan. 13, 8:00 p.m.)
Dolphins +3.5 (-112) vs Chiefs -3.5 (-108)
It was a rocky close to the season for the Dolphins, with three losses (Titans, at Ravens, Bills) in their last five contests.
Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t thrown for 300 yards since mid-November. In his last four games, Tyreek Hill hasn’t cracked 100 receiving yards and only scored once.
When these two teams met in Frankfurt back in Week 9, the Chiefs easily covered the spread and held on for a 21-14 win.
Kansas City is 2-4 ATS in its last six, although the two covers came in its last two. Miami is 4-3 ATS in its last seven, but failed to cover in its last two against Baltimore and Buffalo.
I’m anticipating a cold weather game and that pushes me toward the Chiefs ATS and the Under (42.5).
(7) Pittsburgh Steelers vs (2) Buffalo Bills (Sun. Jan. 14, 1:00 p.m.)
Steelers +10 (-110) vs Bills -10 (-110)
The Bills just keep rattling off wins, six of their last seven in fact. But do you want any piece of the Steelers right now?
Pittsburgh has covered in its last three and while Mason Rudolph isn’t putting up huge numbers, he’s protecting the football and playing efficiently. He’s completed 74.6 percent of his throws in his three starts, while passing for 719 yards (238.6 ypg) and three TDs.
Those numbers are nothing to write home about, but they’re All-Pro caliber compared to what the quarterback position was producing these last two seasons.
The Steelers will be without the services of EDGE T.J. Watt, who has been ruled out due to a knee injury.
Ultimately, I believe the Bills will win but it’ll be a one-score game.
(7) Green Bay Packers vs (2) Dallas Cowboys (Sun. Jan. 14, 4:30 p.m.)
Packers +7.5 (-115) vs Cowboys -7.5 (-105)
There’s no team playing this year that’s played better at home. The Cowboys are the only team with a perfect home record.
The Packers only forced seven INTs all year, second-fewest in the league. To make matters worse, Green Bay allowed 2,181 rushing yards, fifth-most.
After beating the Eagles by 20, Dallas slid with three straight ATS losses to playoff teams (Buffalo, Miami, and Detroit). That said, the losses to the Bills and Dolphins were both away games.
Given the home advantage and the Pack’s middling defense, I believe the Cowboys will cover and win by two scores.
(6) Los Angeles Rams vs (3) Detroit Lions (Sun. Jan. 14, 8:00 p.m.)
Rams +3 (-105) vs Lions -3 (-115)
No team has been better against the spread this year than the Detroit Lions. They finish the regular season with a 12-5 ATS record, including four straight ATS wins and five of their last six.
Not to be outdone, the Rams are playing like a team possessed with six ATS wins in their last seven and seven straight-up wins in their last eight. The only team to take them down in that stretch were the AFC No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens.
In his last six games, Kyren Williams scored eight touchdowns and won a lot of people their fantasy football leagues.
However, the real difference between these two teams is the Lions’ run defense outclassing the Rams’ run defense. I believe both offenses are a push and in a tight spread, Detroit will do enough defensively to cover, especially when you consider L.A. has the league’s worst special teams DVOA by a country mile.
(5) Philadelphia Eagles vs (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Mon. Jan. 16, 8:15 p.m.)
Eagles -2.5 (-120) vs Buccaneers +2.5 (+100)
Is any team sleepwalking into the postseason quite like the Eagles? They are losers of five of their last six and 0-6 ATS in that same span.
After putting together three straight tight wins in November against Dallas, Kansas City, and Buffalo, Philly got shellacked by San Francisco in Week 13 and have been nearly aimless ever since.
Meanwhile the Bucs are playing steady football, winning five of their last six and finishing the year 4-1 ATS in their last five.
If you line this game in mid-November, the Eagles are probably a 10-point favorite. Given where we are now, the line feels generous for Philadelphia, as evidenced by the vig at (+100).
I don’t mind taking the Bucs moneyline at (+124), but if you would rather play it a little safer, you can take the +2.5 points assuming the (+100) vig holds.
