NFL Parlay of the Week
We are down to the final eight teams in this year’s quest to earn a spot in Super Bowl XLVIII after the first four teams were eliminated in last week’s Wildcard Round.
The top two seeds in both the AFC and the NFC will now take to the field to face last week’s survivors in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. I dug deep into the numbers for all four matchups on this weekend’s slate to uncover a pair of gems that come together perfectly form my NFL parlay play based on lines provided by 5Dimes.
Game 1: New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks
Pointspread: Seattle -8
Total Line: 47.5
ATS Matchup Stats | NFL Gambling Insight!
Much was made about New Orleans’ dismal play in its last three road games of the regular season as well as in past playoff games on the road, but some of those demons were exercised in last Saturday’s 26-24 victory over Philadelphia as a three-point underdog on the road. I am a firm believer that success breeds confidence especially when you can run the ball at this time of the year. The Saints torched Philly for 185 yards on the ground led by Mark Ingram’s 97 yards on 18 carries. You also have to give credit to New Orleans’ defense which held the Eagles’ high-powered offense in check for most of the game.
There is no doubt that winning in Seattle is much tougher than winning in Philadelphia, but in a winner-take-all scenario for a trip to the NFC Championship, anything can happen. The Seahawks have a clear edge in this matchup with the top-ranked defense in the league, but there will still be pressure on second-year quarterback Russell Wilson to put some points on the board. I like Seattle’s chances to come away with the straight-up win, but I absolutely love New Orleans’ chances to cover with the eight points.
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Game 2: San Francisco 49ers vs. Carolina Panthers
Pointspread: San Francisco -2
Total Line: 42
ATS Matchup Stats | NFL Gambling Insight!
San Francisco comes into this showdown riding a seven-game winning streak after sneaking by Green Bay 23-20 in last Sunday’s Wildcard Round as a 3.5-point favorite on the road. A big part of that win was quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s ability to burn the Packers running the ball around the edge to the tune of 98 yards on just seven carries. The 49ers also did a good job at keeping Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers under wraps for most of that game.
The Panthers have owned San Francisco over the years with an 8-2 SU record in the last 10 meetings while covering against the spread in nine of those 10 contests. In Week 10 of this past regular season, they went into San Francisco and grinded-out a 10-9 victory as six-point road underdogs. While Can Newton will have to take care of the ball and make some plays with his arm and his legs, this game comes down to Carolina’s ability to force Kaepernick to beat its defense with his arm. I like the Panthers’ chances considering they are ranked second in the NFL at stopping the run. Look for another low-scoring battle this time around that should once again stay UNDER the total, but the back-end play in this parlay is Carolina and the two points at home.
