While the AFC has Saturday all to itself on Wild-Card Weekend, the NFC takes the stage on Sunday with its two games.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
At 1:05 p.m. ET, the sixth-seeded Minnesota Vikings visit the No. 3 New Orleans Saints. The current NFL playoff format began in 1992 and just twice previously had a team with 13 victories not earned a first-round playoff bye. The 2019 Saints became the third despite tying for the conference’s best record. The Saints lost a head-to-head tiebreaker with No. 1 San Francisco thanks to a last-second 48-46 loss to the Niners in Week 14. That’s the only defeat for the Saints in their past seven games.
New Orleans lost the tiebreaker for the second seed with Green Bay because the Packers had a 10-2 record against the NFC compared to a 9-3 mark for the Saints. Both the Niners and Packers nearly lost in Week 17 and then New Orleans would have been the No. 1. It was last year with the same 13-3 mark.
Could Sunday be the last home game for Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees? There has been speculation he could retire after this season, especially if Brees wins the second Super Bowl of his career. The Saints are the biggest favorites on Wild-Card Weekend at -8 but are just 2-10 ATS in their past 12 as playoff favorites. The most recent home postseason game for New Orleans was last year’s NFC title tilt against the Los Angeles Rams, which the Saints lost in overtime because of a horrible missed pass interference penalty committed by the Rams.
Minnesota’s players will be well-rested as the Vikings were locked into the No. 6 seed and rested all their key players in Week 17. Top running back Dalvin Cook has missed the past two with a shoulder injury but will play Sunday. The Vikings have won just two of their past 14 road playoff games and are 3-11 ATS in those.
At 4:40 p.m. ET, the fifth-seeded Seattle Seahawks visit the No. 4 Philadelphia Eagles. The Seahawks are the only road favorites on the weekend at -2.5. They have won nine of their past 10 as road favorites.
Seattle had a chance to win the NFC West in Week 17 and get a home playoff game but came up about six inches short of the winning touchdown in the final seconds against San Francisco. Philadelphia won fairly easily at the New York Giants to clinch the NFC East but is down several injured starters. Seattle has won the past five in this series, including 17-9 in the City of Brotherly Love in Week 12.
