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NFL Playoff Picks 2020: Updated Super Bowl Odds, Wild Card Round Analysis
December 30, 2019
In the final game of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers stopped the Seattle Seahawks at the goal line to secure the NFC West.
In the process, the Niners shoved Seattle into the NFC Wild Card Round.
Rather than having a first-round bye, the Seahawks now must navigate a road-heavy slate if a Super Bowl trip is to happen. Meanwhile, the 49ers clinched home-field advantage in the NFC, something the Baltimore Ravens had already earned in the AFC.
Now that Week 17 has concluded, the roads to Super Bowl LIV officially run through Baltimore and Santa Clara.
And according to Caesars, the Ravens will enter the postseason as the favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Super Bowl Odds
Baltimore Ravens (+200; bet $100 to win $200)
Kansas City Chiefs (+300)
San Francisco 49ers (+350)
New Orleans Saints (+350)
Green Bay Packers (+700)
Seattle Seahawks (+900)
New England Patriots (+1800)
Minnesota Vikings (+2500)
Buffalo Bills (+3500)
Houston Texans (+4000)
Philadelphia Eagles (+4500)
Tennessee Titans (+7500)
Wild Card Round Preview
Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins didn't play in Week 17, but Houston's star quarterback and receiver will be ready for the postseason. The Texans will host the Bills, who might be the most difficult team to predict.
Buffalo played relatively well down the stretch, but the Josh Allen-led offense is an inconsistent unit. The Bills finished 10-6 yet averaged just 19.7 points during the regular season.
If the Texans can score 24-plus points, Buffalo will probably find itself in some trouble on the road.
Elsewhere in the AFC, the Titans must travel to New England. The clash is a showdown between Bill Belichick and his former player, Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel. And if recent results are any indication, the Titans have a real chance in Foxborough.
The Patriots have dropped three of their last five contests, including Sunday's head-turning loss to the Miami Dolphins. Tennessee went 4-2 after its Week 11 bye, and the losses happened opposite the playoff-bound Texans and Saints.
Granted, this is still Belichick and Tom Brady. While the Patriots haven't played a Wild Card Round game since 2010, they're still deserving favorites in this matchup.
Minnesota faces a difficult task going to New Orleans, where the Saints are a perfect 6-0 in playoff games under Sean Payton.
Fortunately for the Vikings, running back Dalvin Cook should return from the chest and shoulder injuries that sidelined him for the final two games of the regular season. But if Minnesota's offensive line doesn't protect Kirk Cousins or create running lanes for Cook, the Saints might he headed for a blowout win.
New Orleans enters the playoffs with victories in six of the last seven outings and four straight games of 34-plus points.
The Eagles—though it hasn't been aesthetically pleasing—are riding a four-game winning streak. They'll take on the Seahawks, who must travel across the country for the matchup.
Seattle is no stranger to tight finishes, ending the regular season 10-2 in one-score games despite Sunday's loss. That's probably an unsustainable way to advance in the playoffs, but knocking off an injured and inefficient Eagles team is doable.
Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.