The NFL’s loaded Wild Card schedule has six games this weekend. We used the OddsTrader BetStation app to find the best computer-generated predictions for this week’s games.
This app is freely available at your device’s app store. It will show you statistical comparisons of each matchup, information on past meetings, as well as spread movement, injury news, and even the weather forecast.
3. The Smith vs. Purdy Playoff Shootout We All Expected
The Seattle Seahawks (9-8) beat some long odds to make the playoffs in the final week of the season, but now they must find a way to crack this San Francisco defense that has swept them this year. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy is also making his playoff debut for a team that has won 10 games in a row.
The 49ers are a 10-point home favorite with a total of 42.5 points at many of the top-rated sportsbooks.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers
Saturday, January 14, 2023 – 04:30 PM EST at Levi’s Stadium
There are three division rematches this weekend, but this is the only one that should have two starting quarterbacks these teams actually want in the game. Few would have imagined we’d be saying that about Brock Purdy going into December, but the rookie is doing a great job and has thrown multiple touchdowns in all six games since Jimmy Garoppolo was injured.
If the Purdy story wasn’t so crazy, we might be making a bigger deal out of the shock of Geno Smith being in the playoffs with a Pro Bowl nod he definitely earned after throwing 30 touchdown passes and leading the league in completion percentage (69.8%).
But even though Smith has been accurate in two games against these 49ers, it has not led to many points. The Seahawks have 13 points in eight quarters on offense against this defense, though maybe the third time will be the charm.
With finals of 27-7 (Week 2) and 21-13 (Week 15) between these teams, that means the Seahawks should be ready to win this one 19-15 if they’re going to continue increasing their scoring by 6 points while the 49ers decline by 6 points.
Kidding aside, this should be the highest-scoring game yet between these teams this season.
The Story So Far
When they met in Week 2, Trey Lance was injured, and Jimmy Garoppolo came off the bench. The Seahawks were still unsettled with Geno at quarterback, and this was before Kenneth Walker III exploded at running back.
In Week 15, the game was on a short week on a Thursday night, Purdy was a little banged up, and Walker was just returning at running back for the Seahawks. The teams left some points on the field, including Jordan Mason, the 49ers back who decided not to score a 57-yard touchdown run on the final drive before wisely going down at the 2-yard line to run out the clock.
This time, they have a recent matchup to study, the quarterbacks are ready and healthy, and the 49ers have scored at least 33 points in their other five games with Purdy. They could do a lot of damage at hitting the over just on their own.
The Pick
The last three San Francisco games have ended with 57, 71, and 51 points. The Seahawks bring the No. 9 offense and No. 25 scoring defense to this matchup. While their recent games have been low scoring for the last month, this one brings an elite offensive opponent and what should be solid weather.
It is hard to see the Seahawks winning this game, but short of both quarterbacks imploding in their playoff debuts, this should be a game that hits the over for your betting picks.
OddsTrader NFL Final Score Prediction: 49ers 27 – Seahawks 21
OddsTrader NFL Total Pick: Over 42.5 (-108) at FanDuel
2. Behold the Chargering in Jacksonville
If Seahawks-49ers is the game with two quarterbacks making surprising playoff debuts, then Chargers-Jaguars is the game with quarterbacks we expect to be part of many AFC playoff fields in the years to come in Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence.
But despite Jacksonville winning 38-10 in Week 3 in Los Angeles, and the Jaguars having an extra day of rest and home-field advantage in this one, the Chargers are a 2-point favorite, with some sportsbooks even going to 2.5 as we get closer to Saturday. The total is set at 47.5 points, the second-highest game this weekend.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Saturday, January 14, 2023 – 08:15 PM EST at TIAA Bank Stadium
With the road team favored by a small spread, it feels like a close game is what we’ll get here. But it is surprising to see the Chargers favored after they played so poorly in Denver to end their regular season in a game they really did not need to play. They certainly didn’t gain anything by losing and getting wide receiver Mike Williams injured with back spasms.
Williams did not practice Wednesday, which is not a good sign for his availability this Saturday. Williams caught the Chargers’ only touchdown in Week 3 against this Jacksonville defense that held the Chargers to a season-low 10 points.
The Jaguars also made the Chargers allow a season-high 38 points as Lawrence and the run game were both excellent as Jacksonville controlled the trenches on both sides. The Chargers rushed for a season-low 26 yards, which is saying something because this team has 13 games where it failed to crack 100 yards rushing.
Good News for the Jaguars Offense
Meanwhile, the Chargers boast arguably the worst run defense in the league, as teams averaged a league-high 5.4 yards per carry against them.
This should be great news for Travis Etienne, who had a quiet game against Tennessee’s front last week. Etienne wasn’t a big factor yet in Week 3 when the Jaguars dominated the Chargers, but he can do anything James Robinson did.
The Pick
That imbalance is why it feels like the Jaguars are the right pick here. We were happy to see the OddsTrader BetStation agreed with their final score prediction of the Jaguars winning this game. But while most sportsbooks are offering this one at Jaguars +2, you can get Jaguars +1.5 at the best odds (+102) at SBK.
That should be a good value pick as the Jaguars are statistically a better, more balanced team than the Chargers, who will essentially be banking on Herbert to deliver a road masterpiece in his first playoff start, which may be without his best deep threat-receiver.
Let’s go with the Jaguars in this one.
OddsTrader NFL Final Score Prediction: Jaguars 25 – Chargers 21
OddsTrader NFL Spread Pick: Jaguars +1.5 (+102) at SBK
1. When Does Minnesota Run out of Magic Beans?
There are some games with big spreads this weekend, as quarterback injuries are a big problem. The Cowboys and Buccaneers are also both sloppy teams, so that could be a rough one on Monday night.
With every game a rematch from the regular season this weekend, if the last meeting is any indication, then the game of the week just may be the Giants in Minnesota to take on the Vikings, the only 13-win team in NFL history to have a negative scoring differential.
The Giants blew their only fourth-quarter lead of the season in Week 16 when the Vikings came back to win 27-24 on a 61-yard field goal. It was the record-tying eighth game-winning drive and fourth-quarter comeback of the season for the 2022 Vikings, who have been living a charmed life all year in close games.
The Giants are a 3-point underdog in a game with a total of 48 points, the highest total this weekend.
New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, January 15, 2023 – 04:40 PM EST at U.S. Bank Stadium
If the Vikings follow the path they have this year, they’ll win a close one over the Giants and get blown out in San Francisco next week. There is no in-between with this team. That is how they have 13 wins and a minus-3 scoring differential, which had never been done before.
But it would be nice to see regression hit and trip these Vikings up in a close game. Head coach Kevin O’Connell won the Super Bowl last year with the Rams as their offensive coordinator, and that included a run where they became the first team to win three straight playoff games by three points.
Can he really do it again with the Vikings? In his last 20 games as a coach, O’Connell is 14-0 in close games and his teams have 11 game-winning drives and 10 fourth-quarter comeback wins. They also pulled off the biggest comeback in NFL history after trailing by 33 points against the Colts.
Will the Giants Be Up for the Challenge?
This is insane stuff just dying to regress to the mean. The Giants are the team that can do it because they had five game-winning drives earlier this season to help rookie coach Brian Daboll get off to a quick start at 6-1.
The Giants rested starters last week, but their previous two games were among the best all year for Daniel Jones and company. The Giants had a season-high in yardage in Minnesota and then scored over 30 points for the first time all year against the Colts.
They can move the ball against this Minnesota defense. They just have to avoid the turnovers and blocked punt they had last time.
Still, even with all those mistakes, the Giants lost to a 61-yard field goal.
The Pick
This could be a game for them to steal on the road as the Vikings have a statistical claim to being the worst 13-win (and 12-win for that matter) team in NFL history.
But you cannot deny this Minnesota team is fun to watch (when not getting blown out). We’ll take the Giants to cover in another thriller.
OddsTrader NFL Final Score Prediction: Vikings 26 – Giants 24
OddsTrader NFL Spread Pick: Giants +3 (-101) at SBK
