NFL 2021-22 Wild Card Round Against the Spread Betting Picks

The NFL regular season was an exciting one that saw the final playoff rankings decided by an OT field goal kick with no time left on the clock. It was a suitable end to what was a thrilling season full of surprises and upsets. We now have to wait and see if all of that carries over into the postseason. Will one of the early favorites go all the way and lift the Lombardi Trophy, or will we see a dark horse emerge to upset the apple cart? We will begin to get answers on Saturday when the Wild Card Weekend begins, with 6 games spread out over 3 days. We have already made our SU picks for this weekend. Let’s now turn our attention to some ATS picks so you can make sure to place your bets against the NFL Playoffs odds.

Wild Card Weekend ATS Picks | NFL Playoffs Betting Analysis

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (-4)

Given that these two teams are very familiar with one another, it is perhaps not really surprising that the bookies see this one as being rather tight. The regular season series between these two ended in a split, which also makes this one a little tougher to handicap. The Patriots went 5-3 ATS in road games this season, while the Bills were 4-3-2 at home. There are certain trends that you can look at which make a very good case for both teams, starting with the fact that the Patriots are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. That said, the Bills are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games versus divisional opponents. For me, it all comes down to home field advantage, with the Bills winning 13 of their last 16 in Orchard Park. I like them to win and cover here.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys (-3)

Cowboys fans are almost certainly delighted to see their team back in the NFL playoffs but ask anyone outside of Texas about the Cowboys chances and you don’t see a lot of people backing them to make a deep run. That is a little surprising when you consider that this team finished the season strong, winning 5 of their last 6 games. That is a solid piece of momentum, but the 49ers have that, too, as they looked dead and buried a few weeks ago. They went on to win 4 of 5 and completed an amazing comeback against the LA Rams in Week 18 to get into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. The tend that stands out to me in this one, though, is that the Cowboys are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 games versus NFC opponents.

Arizona Cardinals (+4) at LA Rams

I am closing out these ATS picks with one that might seem like a bit of a risk when you consider the Cardinals recent trends against the spread. It is especially risky when you consider that the Cardinals had just 1 win in their last 5 games of the season. The Rams came close to ending their regular season on a 6-game winning streak, but a stunning comeback from the 49ers in the final week of the regular season brought their positive run to a grinding halt. The Cardinals are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games, but they are also just 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 versus the Rams. That said, LA is just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games starting as a favorite. I think this one is tight all the way, which is why I am on the Cardinals to cover.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?