Houston triumph & more top bets for NFL Wild-Card weekend
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The 2016 NFL playoffs kick off in style tonight as the Oakland Raiders look to upset the odds against a Houston Texans side with an imperious record at NRG Stadium.
That’s the first of four fantastic Wild-Card clashes, and with a host of big hits and last-gasp drama on the horizon, the Ladbrokes News team have compiled out best bets for the weekend’s action.
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans (Saturday – 21:35)
Injury to star Quarterback Derek Carr in Indianapolis on week 16 saw the Oakland Raiders’ Super Bowl hopes disintegrate in heartbreaking fashion. That point was hammered home by their 24-6 defeat at Denver in the final game of the regular season, as the Raiders recorded their lowest points total in over two years.
By contrast, the Texans are more or less unstoppable on their own patch, winning seven of eight this season. But they’ve generally done so by modest margins, with four of their victories in NFL 2016 coming by 7-9 points.
Best Bet: Houston to win by 7-12 points @ 4/1
Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks (Sunday – 01:15)
This pair have been among the real entertainers this season, with the Seahawks in particular involved in one high-scoring thriller after another.
In the regular season, 10 of Seattle’s games produced 44 points or more, including each of their last two games. For Detroit, eight matches finished with 44 or above, including a 31-24 loss at home to Green Bay in their last outing.
That means the 10/11 on offer for this game to produce over 43.5 points should prove very popular, while the 2/1 for over 50 points could also prove a savvy bet at 2/1.
Best Bet: Over 43.5 points @ 10/11
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday – 18:05)
Okay, the Steelers are understandably considered favourites in this one – but at 4/1 in the Money Line betting, there’s actually considerably more reason to get your money behind Miami.
The Florida franchise have won seven of their last nine games, but just as importantly, they swept Pittsburgh aside by a 30-15 margin when they visited Hard Rock Stadium back in October.
With wide receiver Kenny Stills having enjoyed the season of his career so far, the Steelers defense could well their opponents too hot to handle.
Best Bet: Money Line – Miami Dolphins @ 4/1
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (Sunday – 21:40)
While the Pack’s running game has developed this season with the emergence of Ty Montgomery, their biggest touchdown threat has undeniably been experienced wide receiver Jordy Nelson – with the 31-year-old chalking up an incredible 14 in the regular season.
In fact, Cheeseheads have seen their side win comfortably in the last three games where he’s chalked up a touchdown.
That should worry a Giants side who have already lost four times on the road this season – including a 23-16 defeat at Lambeau Field where, yep, Jordy Nelson grabbed a TD.
Follow all the latest NFL playoff odds right here.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
