2014 NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS PREVIEW AND FREE PICKS
Before You Bet's 2014 NFL betting picks continue with a look at the first Wild Card Weekend. On Sunday morning we have two great playoff games and then another couple of games on Monday. Stay tuned right here for all the free tips.
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers (Sunday at 8:35am AEDT)
It is unbelievable that the Carolina Panthers are in the playoffs, let alone “Hosting”. They will face the Arizona Cardinals who have won four more games than the Panthers. However we all know that records and statistics can be deceiving and in this case they are both irrelevant.
That’s because on paper you would think the 11-5 Cardinals would be favoured against the 7-8-1 Panthers who at one stage had lost 7 games in a row, yet we see the Panthers favoured by -6.5 points. I really believe this line is inflated due to last week’s thumping of Atlanta and you know I hate buying stocks when the price is high!
The game total is also a tale tail sign of how the game should be played. It opened at a low 38 and now sits half a point lower at 37.5 and I still like the under. The fact that it could very well be a 14-17 or 17-20 type game makes me more confident in Bruce Arians and the Cardinals.
I know I have said that this is a quarterback driven league and I still believe that but there’s always exceptions and the Arizona Defense is the front man of this band.
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday at 12:15pm AEDT)
This looks familiar. Two old foes will battle it out at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The Baltimore Ravens with a 10-6 record will start as 3 point underdogs in this one and they will have to make history as they have never beaten the Steelers in the playoffs (0-3) all three losses were played in Pittsburgh.
There has been too much emphasis on Le’Veon Bell this week. I do agree he is a big loss (If he doesn’t play) but the Pittsburgh Steelers are ranked 2nd in Passing Yards for a reason. Ben Roethlisberger has turned back the clock with some outstanding quarterback play. Big Ben has almost 5,000 yards and 32 touchdowns and a big big part of his success is Mr Antonio Brown. Brown is a weapon and it will be up to him and Ben to take control of this game. Brown has 129 receptions for 1698 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Baltimore allows 248 yards through the air (ranked 23rd). Pittsburgh average 301 yards in the air (ranked 2nd). Plus the big home field advantage.
2014 NFL Wild Card Betting Picks
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
