NFL Betting Projections for NFC Conference Winners

New Orleans is in the driver’s seat in the NFC side of the bracket right now. They had needed help from the Rams after losing to Dallas, but the Rams provided it when they lost in Chicago on Sunday night. Can the Rams win a big game on the road? It didn’t look like it on Sunday, as the cold confines of Soldier Field led to a six-point performance from one of the NFC’s top offenses. Now the Rams need the Saints to lose one of their last three to have a shot at the top seed — and the Saints get to play Carolina twice, sandwiched around a home game against Pittsburgh. We put together an article yesterday about our NFL betting predictions for the NFC Conference playoffs, but here are some more sports betting thoughts about the NFC contenders.

NFL Betting Projections for NFC Conference Winners

We mapped out the Giants’ path the the NFL playoffs https://t.co/wZsOnRuNUH pic.twitter.com/VBOm2cscWg

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) December 11, 2018

The fourth seed in the NFC will lose to Seattle in the wild-card round

Right now, the fourth seed would be Dallas. They have won five straight, including an impressive home win over New Orleans and an overtime win to sweep Philadelphia, but there are lots of problems for the Cowboys. They have already lost to Seattle once this season, and their offense gets stuck in the mud easily despite the presence of Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott. Yes, Cooper scored three touchdowns in the win over Philadelphia, but two came in the fourth quarter and the third came in overtime on a pass that could easily have been a pick-six, but a lucky carom sent the ball to Cooper. The Cowboys’ defense can hold firm — but the Eagles were able to torch Dallas in the fourth quarter, in ways that the Seahawks most assuredly will break down on film. What if the fourth seed is Chicago? Their defense is as good as Dallas’ — and their offense is just as balky. Mitch Trubisky has a lot in common with Dak Prescott. They’re both fast and durable runners, and they can both make clutch completions, but accuracy is a concern for both of them, which means that drives can stall even when wide receivers can get open. Seattle just took down Minnesota at home this past weekend, and I would argue that the Vikings, at least on paper, are as tough an opponent as the Cowboys or Bears. I like Seattle to take the top wild card and to advance to the divisional round.

Minnesota will take the sixth seed

There are only six teams in the whole NFC with records that are .500 or above, and the Vikings are right at the bottom of that list, with that 6-6-1 slate. It’s helpful that the other mid-range teams are hitting huge problems right now, of course. Washington has already seen Alex Smith and Colt McCoy break bones in their legs at quarterback, ending their seasons, and now has their fortunes in the hands of Mark Sanchez, who threw two pick-sixes against the Giants last week. Philadelphia hasn’t seen the same Carson Wentz this season, which could have a lot to do with the lengthy rehab process after tearing two ligaments in the same year, and which could also have a lot to do with the fractured vertebra that doctors found in his back yesterday. Nick Foles is the backup (and the defending Super Bowl MVP), but he didn’t look good in Weeks 1 or 2. The other 6-7 team is Carolina, but they have lost five in a row, including a six-point loss in Cleveland last week. That’s not the sort of performance that builds confidence, as the Panthers’ defense has been giving up huge plays at just the wrong time late in games. Green Bay (5-7-1) is always a threat as long as Aaron Rodgers is at quarterback, but the Packers already have lost to Arizona at home this season (although they looked strong last week). Tampa Bay, at 5-8, has an identity crisis at quarterback and also has an unreliable defense. So out of that mess should come the Vikings — who would likely play Chicago in Week 17 and then again in the wild card round.