Super Bowl
NFL Wild Card Round preview: 49ers to bulldoze their way to the Super Bowl?
Following on from an eventful end to the season, the NFL is back this weekend for the Wild Card round of fixtures. The opening game sees the Seattle Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers, and then an in-form Buffalo Bills face off against the Miami Dolphins for a massive clash between the AFC East rivals.
We preview the best of the action below.
Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are in red hot form with their victory over the Arizona Cardinals last weekend extending their winning streak to double digits. The side have been incredibly physical and the pressure they exert in both offence and defence has earnt them this space in the playoffs.
Kyle Shanahan’s squad also have an impressive 11-6 record against the spread this season, with their main offensive weapon being the diversity they have in the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, with the latter scoring 11 touchdowns this season.
The 49ers are 1/5 to come out on top and continue on their road to the Super Bowl, with the spread at -9.5. The 49ers have already faced the Seattle Seahawks twice this season, bettering the side on both occasions.
The Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs after the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers last weekend. Although coach Pete Carroll was happy for his side, it was short lived when the realisation hit that his side’s next opponents would be the 49ers, with the coach admitting they’re real Super Bowl contenders and are on a healthy roll.
The Seahawks placed second in the NFC West division behind the 49ers, although they can come in with some confidence on their two-game win streak following last weekend’s win over the LA Rams in overtime.
Pete Carroll’s side are 4/1 to produce a victory on the road, although considering how this season has shaped up for the 9-8 side, it seems a long shot at this moment. To make matters worse, both running back DeeJay Dallas and defensive end Shelby Harris picked up minor injuries during their last game and missed the practice session on Tuesday.
On balance this seems like an easy win for the 49ers, but producing a win on such a large stage is never as easy as it seems. A high scoring game is anticipated with both teams to score at least two touchdowns priced at EVS.
Check out the latest betting odds at William Hill
Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills ended their season in style with a 35-23 victory over the New England Patriots which coincidentally secured the Miami Dolphins a spot in the playoffs. The Bills finished up on a seven-game win streak and were 13-3 after the dust settled.
Sean McDermott’s squad are 2/13 favourites in this matchup and considering their devastating offence and solid defence which landed them second in points allowed per game this season, it’s no surprise as to why.
As much as the Bills have to offer, the -12.5 point spread will also be due to the weakness of the Miami Dolphins who ended the season with just one win from their last six games. Despite this the Dolphins were actually one of the few sides to better the Bills this season and that must count for something.
The main problem for the Dolphins has been the injuries which have plagued their key men, including two of their quarterbacks, with it still very much in the air as to who will be wearing the jersey come kick off, although Skylar Thompson seems the likely choice.
Despite their weakness in some aspects, the Dolphins managed to scrape the playoffs after their win over the New York Jets which was in no small part thanks to coach Mike McDaniel picking up on some luck of his own last weekend when finally winning a successful challenge after being 0-5 prior to the game, giving his side the perfect opportunity to go ahead in the last quarter.
The Dolphins are 19/4 ahead of the game, and now that we know their star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won’t be returning this weekend after failing concussion protocol, their chances seem to be slim.
Overall, this fixture should be dominated by the Bills, but Mike McDaniel is a nifty coach, and his side haven’t come this far to go down without a fight. You won’t want to miss this one with the points spread priced at 10/11 for over 43.5 points between both sides.
