Long Odds For Wild Cards Teams To Advance In NFL Playoffs

NFL News - January 7th, 2010 - Written by John

This weekend's wild card round promises to be one of the most intriguing in recent memory, with three rematch games from Week 17. All of those previous three games were won in blowout fashion, and only the Arizona Cardinals scored a point as a losing team.

Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals were shutout by the teams they will face again in this weekend's NFL Playoffs.

Of the four wild card teams playing on the road, only the Eagles lost in the finale, meaning the New York Jets, Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens are rolling at just the right time and will be trying to hold on to that created momentum.

According to Bodog, two wild card teams winning this weekend is the likely outcome, and is giving 1/1 odds on that scenario. But not far behind are the odds for only one team to advance at 3/2, and then three teams at 4/1.

All four wild cards winning is the longshot at 20/1.

It would appear as if the Packers have the best chance to continue the run, winning seven of it's last eight, including a 33-7 mauling of the Cardinals last week. Aaron Rodgers threw for 235 yards and had two scores in that game, and has only been picked off twice since Week Nine. In that week, he threw three interceptions in an embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that pushed the team to a crossroads.

Afterwards, Rodgers, among others, called a team meeting in the name of soul searching and reportedly became more focused. They went on to win six in a row before falling 38-37 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in another one of Ben Roethlisberger's heroic comebacks.

Green Bay has the smallest spread as an underdog at plus-one, according to BetUS, and is 8-1 against the Cardinals since 1985.

The Jets also have a commanding history against their opponent. Since 1990, they are also 8-1 against the Bengals, only losing in 2007 in a 38-31 shootout.

It's conceivable that the Ravens would also be a meddlesome opponent in the first round when they visit to the New England Patriots. With essentially the same roster from last year's AFC Championship game, Baltimore is one of only two teams from last year's playoffs to be playing in the first round.

The Ravens have three of four and are matched up against a New England team playing without leading-receiver Wes Welker. But they have only beaten the Patriots once since 1995, and that was in a preseason game last year.