NFL Wild Card Weekend 2020: Updated Odds, TV Schedule and Predictions

The New Orleans Saints have a perceived postseason advantage by playing at home.

For Sunday's NFC Wild Card Round matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, the NFC South champion may contain a distinct on-field edge because of injuries in the opposing secondary. That may allow quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Michael Thomas to handle the Minnesota defense with ease and cover the largest point spread of Wild Card Weekend.

New Orleans is one of three home favorites, with the Houston Texans and New England Patriots being the others. The Patriots stumbled into the postseason, but they have a long run of playoff success at Gillette Stadium that they can bank off of Saturday to down the Tennessee Titans.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Schedule

Saturday, January 4

Buffalo at Houston (-2.5) (4:35 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Tennessee at New England (-5.5) (8:15 p.m. ET, NBC)

Sunday, January 5

Minnesota at New Orleans (-7.5) (1:05 p.m. ET, Fox)

Seattle (-1.5) at Philadelphia (4:40 p.m. ET, NBC)

Odds via Caesars; predictions against the spread in bold.

Predictions

Minnesota at New Orleans (-7.5) 

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Minnesota could have a hard time containing the NFL's leading receiver because of some secondary absences.

According to ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin, defensive backs Mackensie Alexander and Mike Hughes will not play Sunday. That leaves Xavier Rhodes, who has been a target of many opposing passing attacks, Trae Waynes, Holton Hill and Kris Boyd as the available cornerbacks.

Waynes had the best season of the quartet, with eight passes defended and a pair of forced fumbles, but he may draw the unenviable task of defending Thomas. The Saints wide receiver owns 10 100-yard performances and has been targeted on at least seven occasions in every contest.

Mike Zimmer's team could commit a safety to limit Thomas' deep-play threat, but that would open up more space for other players to benefit from Brees' passing success.

Eight New Orleans players racked up more than 200 receiving yards, with tight end Jared Cook, running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. directly beneath Thomas on the statistical chart.

Then there is the looming threat of Taysom Hill as either a quarterback or wide receiver that the Vikings will have to account for on certain plays.

Sean Payton's team's abundance of weapons and defensive ability to silence opponents may be too much for Minnesota to handle. The Saints have held three foes to 10 points or fewer at the Superdome, and they limited 10 opponents beneath 100 rushing yards.

If the home side smothers the top threats of the No. 6 seed, it may pull away and cover the 7.5-point spread.

Tennessee at New England (-5.5) 

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

New England deserves every bit of criticism sent in its direction after failing to secure the No. 2 seed against the Miami Dolphins in Week 17.

However, this is still a team with the most postseason experience of any playoff participant and a squad that has rarely lost at Gillette Stadium in the Bill Belichick era. The Patriots own a 10-game home winning streak in the playoffs, with their most recent defeat coming against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 AFC Championship Game.

Tennessee was one of the recent casualties, falling by 21 points in the divisional round two seasons ago.

The Titans conceded at least 300 total yards in 13 of their 16 regular-season games, which opens up the possibility for quarterback Tom Brady to spread the ball around. Running back James White could be the key to New England winning and covering the 5.5-point spread.

White averages 5.22 yards per target in the postseason, and he has hauled in four receptions in at least one game in each of the last four playoffs.

The Titans allowed the second-most receptions to running backs with 101, and they conceded the ninth-most receiving yards to players at that position. If White takes advantage of that weakness to help Brady progress the ball down the field, the Patriots may avoid short drives and maintain a six- or seven-point advantage.

The Patriots defense could also shine Saturday by containing Derrick Henry. They held six opponents under 100 rushing yards at Gillette Stadium and forced 12 turnovers on home soil.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.