MetroBet takes a look at where to place your money for the two Sunday NFL playoffs games.
Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints (-8)
Moneyline: Eagles +325, Saints -355
Betting Total: 50.5 points
Time (Eastern), TV: 4:40 p.m., FOX
The Eagles are to be commended for going into Solider Field and coming away with a win last week, even if they were a little lucky to have Cody Parkey miss a last-second field goal. However, Philly will be hard-pressed to compete with the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome, where they lost 48-7 in Week 11.
The Saints struggled down the stretch, failing to cover in four of their final five games, but they had the division and the top seed secured for most of that time. Drew Brees even sat out of Week 17’s 33-14 loss to the Panthers, so it seems that this was all part of New Orleans’ plan.
The Saints are not to be taken lightly at home, where they are an unblemished 5-0 in the postseason since Sean Payton took over in 2006. Expect Brees to carve up the Eagles’ 30th-ranked secondary en route to a decisive victory.
Prediction: Saints win, 30-17
The play: Saints -8
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots (-4)
Moneyline: Chargers +170, Patriots -190
Betting Total: 45.5 points
Time (Eastern), TV: 1:05 p.m., CBS
There are a slew of conflicting trends in Sunday afternoon’s Chargers-Patriots matchup that make it arguably the toughest of the four playoff games to predict this weekend.
L.A. hasn’t lost outside the state of California this season, going 8-1 straight-up and against the spread. That includes their 23-17 victory in Baltimore last Sunday that shouldn’t have even been that close. Philip Rivers has never been to a Super Bowl, but it’s worth noting that his team is 5-1 against the spread in road playoff games with the NC State product under center.
However, New England is 12-3 against the spread in their last 15 games as home favorites (per oddsshark.com) and hasn’t lost a playoff game at Gillette Stadium since 2013. The best course of action in handicapping this game may be to throw out the record book and dive straight into the stats.
The Chargers’ offense appears to have a sizeable edge over the Patriots’ defense. L.A. was fifth in yards per play this year, while New England was 21st. The Patriots’ 22nd-ranked pass stoppers seem ripe for the picking.
On the other side of the ball, Tom Brady could be in for a long day against Melvin Ingram, Joey Bosa, and the rest of the Chargers’ pass rush, which tallied seven sacks and forced three fumbles against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens last week.
There’s no question who the more “clutch” team is in this contest, so think twice about betting L.A. straight-up, but grab the points with the road warrior Chargers this Sunday.
Prediction: Chargers win, 27-24
The play: Chargers +4
