Bleacher Report NFL analysts Brad Gagnon, Kris Knox, Gary Davenport, Brent Sobleski, and Maurice Moton — along with editors Wes O’Donnell, Ian Hanford, and Bryan Toporek — have released their 2024 NFL Wild Card Round expert picks and predictions.
Check out the Bleacher Report football staff’s 2024 NFL Wild Card Round picks, predictions, and best bets below.
Bleacher Report 2024 NFL Wild Card Expert Picks and Predictions
Bleacher Report’s NFL staff members have published their expert picks and predictions for three wild card matchups of the 2023 NFL season. First off, the Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET this Saturday.
Next, the Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs at 8:10 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Finally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles at 8:10 p.m. ET on Monday night.
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Browns (-2)
Knox, Hanford, and Moton are among the Bleacher Report NFL analysts who are picking the Cleveland Browns to win on the road against the Houston Texans this Saturday. “I fully expect this to be one of the most fun games of Wild Card Weekend,” Knox wrote.
“It involves two Coach of the Year candidates and an intriguing matchup between rookie phenom C.J. Stroud and elder statesman Joe Flacco. Cleveland has the better defense, though even without counting the meaningless finale, it has surrendered 29.4 points per game on the road.
“I think Flacco’s experience makes the difference here, though if the line were even slightly larger, I’d back Houston — and I won’t be completely shocked if the absence of kicker Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) ultimately sends the Browns home early.”
Sobleski agreed with Knox because of the battle at the line of scrimmage.
“Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud experienced a historically good rookie season. He’s the favorite to claim this year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year hardware,” Sobleski added.
“However, Stroud didn’t play when these two teams met during the regular season. The outcome shouldn’t be any different, though, because the Browns defense will almost certainly wreck Stroud’s world. … It’s not going to end well in Houston.”
Other 2024 NFL Wild Card Round expert picks are on the main page.
Dolphins (+4.5)
Additionally, Sobleski has the Miami Dolphins upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. “To be fair, the Dolphins are banged up and it’s easy to understand why people are putting money down on the Chiefs. Two factors play in the Dolphins’ favor, though,” he wrote.
“First, a cold snap blanketed the Kansas City area. The high for Saturday is supposed to be around 21 degrees, so this should be a tight game based on the weather.
“Second, the Dolphins are a superior running team, which is critical when the temperature makes the ball feel like a rock. Miami ranked sixth overall in rushing offense, while the Chiefs find themselves among the bottom half of the league. With or without a healthy De’Von Achane, the Dolphins can run to, at minimum, keep the game close.”
However, Gagnon disagreed with Sobleski.
“It’s admittedly difficult to feel great about the Chiefs right now, but there’s one stat I can’t get past with Miami. On the road against playoff teams this season, the Dolphins went 0-4 with an average margin of defeat of 21.5 points,” Gagnon added.
“Against a resilient and highly experienced winner like Kansas City at Arrowhead, I just doubt the Dolphins can hang around.”
Eagles (-3)
Also, Moton and O’Donnell are the only Bleacher Report NFL staff members predicting the Philadelphia Eagles will win at home over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. “[Baker] Mayfield may not be able to take full advantage of the Eagles’ 31st-ranked pass defense with his nicks and bruises,” Moton wrote.
“In the Buccaneers’ last two outings, he’s thrown for just two touchdowns and two interceptions and recorded a season-low 137 passing yards against the Panthers in Week 18. Tampa Bay has allowed an average of 119.5 rushing yards per game over the previous two weeks.
“Even if [Jalen] Hurts plays through pain in his dislocated finger, he can hand off to running backs D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell to test the Buccaneers’ interior front. Philadelphia gets its second victory since December thanks to a physical offensive line and Swift’s ability to break off big gains on the ground.”
Meanwhile, Toporek trusts Tampa Bay’s defense to step up against Hurts.
“Over the past four weeks, the Eagles have lost to the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Giants, all of whom missed the playoffs. They turned the ball over nine times during that span, and their defense has collapsed under new play-caller Matt Patricia (surprise, surprise),” he wrote.
“A well-coached team would have a clear game plan to counter blitzes, but the Eagles are not a well-coached team at the moment. … I’m expecting the Bucs to win this game outright, so I’m thrilled to be getting 2.5 points here.”
For all of the Bleacher Report NFL Wild Card Round picks, go to the site. More NFL Wild Card expert picks are on the main page. Try out the available welcome bonuses right now for the best NFL betting apps.
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