NFL Wild Card Total Line Best Bets

 The NFL playoffs get underway this weekend into Monday night with six postseason showdowns in the opening Wild Card Round. 

As part of my weekly NFL coverage for the popular sports betting site ScoresandStats.com, my "best bet" picks for Saturday and Sunday's games have been reprinted below.

Five OVER/UNDER Picks for NFL Wild Card Weekend

The 2022 NFL playoffs get underway this weekend with the Wild Card Round. Recapping the final regular season betting trends in the league, the best bet against the spread were road underdogs with a winning percentage of 54.1.

Turning to bets on the NFL total line during 18 weeks of regular season games, 53.9% of those contests stayed UNDER the closing number. Here are my NFL Wild Card Total Line picks for Saturday and Sunday’s five matchups.

Saturday, Jan. 15

Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals: OVER 49

The Raiders needed Sunday night’s wild 35-32 overtime win against the rival Los Angeles Chargers to earn a spot in the playoffs. Cincinnati beat the Raiders 32-13 in the regular season in a game that stayed UNDER the 51-point total line.

Each of these teams should be able to put some points on the board in the rematch. The total has gone OVER in 12 of the Raiders’ last 18 conference games. The total has gone OVER in five of Cincinnati’s last six home games.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills: UNDER 43

The rubber match in this bitter AFC East rivalry should turn into a grinder that keeps the final score lower than expected. The road team won each of the regular season matchups with the total split 1-1.

The total has stayed UNDER in four of the Patriots’ last five road games. The total has also stayed UNDER in seven of Buffalo’s last nine games played in the month of January. There is a good chance that the weather in Buffalo for Saturday’s game could be a factor.

Sunday, Jan. 16

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: OVER 49

The Eagles played their way into the postseason with a straight-up 6-2 record over their last eight games. One of the early season losses was against Tampa Bay at home in a 28-22 setback that stayed UNDER 53 points.

The total went OVER the closing line in five of Philadelphia’s last seven games against the NFC. The total has also gone OVER in five of its last seven games against Tampa Bay. The total went OVER in five of the Buccaneers’ last seven January games.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys: OVER 50.5

The 49ers erased a 17-3 deficit at the half against the LA Rams on Sunday to win in overtime 27-24 with the total set at 46.5 points. Dallas has scored a combined 129 points in its last three games.

The total has gone OVER in eight of the last 10 meetings between these two teams overall. It has also gone OVER in seven of the last eight meetings in Dallas. The total has gone OVER in eight of the Cowboys’ last 11 games played at home.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs: UNDER 46.5

Pittsburgh needed overtime to get past Baltimore 16-13 to earn a playoff berth. The total has now stayed UNDER in four of the Steelers’ last six games. Kansas City beat Pittsburgh 36-10 at home in the regular season with that total closing at 44.5 points.

The total has stayed UNDER in four of the last five meetings in Kansas City. It has also stayed UNDER in six of the last nine meetings overall. The Chiefs have given up a combined 44 points over its last five games played at home.