The NFL’s Wild-Card Weekend kicks off Saturday with two games, both from the AFC. At 4:35 p.m. ET, the fifth-seeded Buffalo Bills visit the fourth-seeded and AFC South champion Houston Texans. It’s the first-ever postseason meeting between those franchises with the Texans as 3-point favorites. Buffalo has lost its past seven playoff games as an underdog.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
It’s actually not the first time Buffalo has played Houston in the postseason. On January 3, 1993, in Buffalo in a Wild-Card Round game, the Bills staged the biggest comeback in NFL history in stunning the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime. Behind future Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, the Oilers were up 35-3 early in the second half. Buffalo was without its own future Hall of Fame QB in Jim Kelly, and backup Frank Reich led the miracle rally. He’s now the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
Both the Bills and Texans lost at home in Week 17 but starters on both teams were rested in meaningless games. Buffalo has been a terrific road bet of late, going 7-1-1 ATS in its past nine away from home. Houston, meanwhile, is just 1-6 ATS in its past seven as a home favorite. It beat visiting Buffalo 20-13 in a defensive slugfest in Week 6 of the 2018 regular season in the last meeting. Current Bills starting QB Josh Allen was knocked out injured in the third quarter.
At 8:15 p.m. ET, the sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans visit the No. 3 New England Patriots, who are 4.5-point favorites. New England shouldn’t be playing on Wild-Card Weekend as it was a 17-point home favorite in Week 17 against a bad Miami team but was shocked 27-24 to lose out on the second seed and a first-round playoff bye. The Patriots have never made the Super Bowl in the Tom Brady era without a first-round bye. This is their first time playing on Wild-Card Weekend since 2009. The Pats are 7-2 ATS in their past nine playoff games.
Tennessee earned the AFC’s final playoff spot with a 35-14 victory in Houston in Week 17. Derrick Henry had a monster day with 211 yards rushing and three touchdowns to overtake Cleveland’s Nick Chubb for the NFL rushing title. The Titans have lost their past six trips to New England, coming by an average margin of 19.8 points.
