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Before the first round of the 2014 NFL playoffs kicks off, I thought we'd have some fun by looking at the spreads for this week's round of Wild Card games. Here are my suggestions when trying to beat Vegas. You can find all of today's NFL betting lines and more at the SB Nation odds page. Click here for a complete schedule of this weekend's games.
Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts (Pick): No spread here, just a pick 'em. The Chiefs are getting some players back from injury, but I'm just not too sure about them. They have two wins since November 3rd, and both came against teams picking in the top five of the 2014 NFL Draft. KC has beaten one team with a winning record all year, which was the Eagles in Week 3. Meanwhile, the Colts have won four of their last five games and are on a three game winning streak. Give me Indy straight up. Pick: Colts (pick)
New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles (-3): During this four game home winning streak, the Eagles average a win with a score of 33 to 17. The Eagles have scored at least 24 points in each of those games and never allowed more than 21. In the playoffs, dome-dwelling teams playing in temperatures below 35 degrees on the road are 3-22. New Orleans is 0-5 against the spread in its last 5 games on the road. I think the Eagles have too much going in their favor for me not to pick them. Pick: Eagles -3
San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals (-7): I'm not in love with this one. The Bengals have been great at home in 2013, sporting an 8-0 record. The smart bet here is to stick with Cincy, but the Chargers have gone on the round and won some big games in the second half; look at their victories over KC and Denver. At the same time, those were division games, and SD didn't look too sharp against the Chiefs' backups at home last week. The Bengals will likely take win this game, but I can't rule out the Chargers covering. My advice to you is to play it safe and stick with Cincy. Pick: Bengals -7
San Francisco 49ers (-3) at Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers is back, but Clay Matthews will be out for Green Bay. The weather will be freezing in this one and that might favor the Pack. However, the 49ers have been really hot to close the season and I don't think cold weather will cool down their performance. I'm not a fan of betting against Rodgers in Green Bay, but I think you have to go with the favorite here. Pick: 49ers -3
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