NFL Playoffs 2015: Odds and Picks for Sundays Wild Card Clashes: The 2015 NFL playoffs are in full swing, and two more teams will punch their tickets to the divisional round Sunday as the Wild Card Round reaches its completion. In the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts and their high-powered offense will host a Cincinnati Bengals team that is looking to turn around its recent playoff misfortunes. The NFC will feature the Detroit Lions traveling to Arlington, Texas, to take on the surprising Dallas Cowboys. Both matchups certainly have the potential to go either way, and there will be plenty of star power involved in each of Sundays clashes. Here is a closer look at both games, along with predictions for how they will ultimately play out. *Point spreads courtesy of Odds Shark. Cincinnati Bengals (+3.5) at Indianapolis Colts This season marks the Bengals fourth consecutive playoff appearance, yet they havent won a postseason game since the 1990 campaign. Cincinnati has a playoff curse of sorts on its hands, and it will have to defeat the Colts on the road in order to break it. Much of the pressure is on the shoulders of Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton after signing a big contract extension in the offseason. With the organization so heavily invested in The Red Rifle, offensive coordinator Hue Jackson believes the time is now for Dalton and the team as a whole to prove themselves on the big stage, according to Peter King of The MMQB: We have to exorcise the elephant in the room. ... The contract was given by the organization with the expectation that we would be back here, in the playoffs, again, and not just for one year. Now is the time we really need to earn our keep. [Coach] Marvin Lewis and [owner] Mike Brown have put a lot of faith in us. The guy who signs our checks, Mike Brown, deserves a return on his investment. I mean, you have to acknowledge that. You cant let it go. We have to validate all the work weve done this year on Sunday. Unfortunately for Dalton, though, he is likely to be without his top offensive weapon in wide receiver A.J. Green, who is nursing a concussion, per NFL on ESPN: That certainly limits what the Bengals can do on offense, but it doesnt necessarily mean that they have no chance. Cincinnati boasts a spectacular running back duo comprised of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, who combined to rush for more than 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns during the regular season. The New England Patriots exposed deficiencies in the Colts run defense in Week 11 when they rushed for 246 yards behind then-unknown Jonas Gray. If the Bengals commit similarly to the run, then they can wear down Indys defense and keep quarterback Andrew Luck off the field. Luck clearly gives the Colts their biggest advantage, but Ross Tucker of NBCSN points out that the Bengals may be the better team at most other positions: The Colts have struggled to beat mediocre teams in recent weeks, while the Bengals defeated the Denver Broncos just a couple weeks ago. Cincinnati is a better team than it has been given credit for, and it will pull off the upset away from home. Dallas Cowboys (-6.5) vs. Detroit Lions Expectations werent especially high for the Dallas Cowboys entering the 2014 season, but they emerged as one of the NFLs best teams by going 12-4 and winning the NFC East. Their reward is a home playoff game against the Detroit Lions. Questions remain regarding the viability of Dallas defense, but it boasts one of the leagues top offenses. Running back DeMarco Murray rushed for over 1,800 yards, while quarterback Tony Romo enjoyed his best season, with over 3,700 yards, 34 touchdowns and a completion percentage of nearly 70 percent. Romo has been helped out immensely by Murrays excellence, although the sledding could be tough for the All-Pro running back against a Lions defense that ranked No. 1 in the league against the rush during the regular season. Detroit also dodged a major bullet, as defensive tackle Ndamukong Suhs one-game suspension was overturned, according to NFL on ESPN: He was initially banned for stepping on the leg of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but his punishment was ultimately reduced. Suhs presence is huge for the Lions, but they are still likely to be missing a key player, as defensive tackle Nick Fairley is doubtful, per NFL Networks Albert Breer: That means Murray should have some room to work with, which will open things up in the passing game for Romo, wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten. It can be argued that the Cowboys are playing as well as any team in the NFL right now, as they have won six of their past seven games, with many of those victories coming in blowout fashion. Detroit is 4-3 over its past seven contests, and it has a major question mark in the form of quarterback Matthew Stafford. While he can be excellent at times, he has a shocking record of futility on the road against winning teams, according to ESPN Stats & Info: That obviously doesnt bode well for the Lions, and with the Cowboys seemingly locked in, they will not only win, but also cover the spread at Jerry World. Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #Football #NFL #NFLPlayoffs #PreviewPrediction
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 15:23:40 +0000
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