Wild Card Weekend is finally here and the NFC has two intriguing matchups with Minnesota traveling to New Orleans and Seattle heading to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. Green Bay and San Francisco will be watching and waiting to find out who they play next week in the Divisional Round. Carson Wentz and Kirk Cousins are searching for their first playoff win and Drew Brees and Russell Wilson are both striving for another Super Bowl ring. The Vikings and Saints kick off the action Sunday afternoon followed by the Saints and Eagles Sunday evening. Here are my top prop bets for NFC Wild Card Weekend.
NFC Wild Card Round Game Info – Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Time: Sunday, January 5th @ 1:05 PM ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Weather: Indoors
TV: Fox
Spread: Saints -8
Money Line: +315|-450
Total: 49.5
Vikings at Saints Prop Bets
1. Dalvin Cook Over 65.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
When healthy, Cook is an elite and explosive player in the run and pass game. All signs point to Cook playing without restrictions against New Orleans. He has missed the past two games with a shoulder injury and the Vikings offense struggled badly in his absence. Cook finished with over 1600 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns and needs to be accounted for on every snap. The Vikings need to control the clock and keep the Saints efficient offense off the field and Cook will be key to the game plan.
2. Alvin Kamara Any Time Touchdown (-120)
Kamara is lethal with the ball in his hands, and the Saints will make sure he touches the ball in multiple ways to try and create mismatches. He has almost 800 yards rushing with 81 catches and over 500 yards receiving. I expect him to get close to 20 touches, and New Orleans will create ways to get him in space where he is most dangerous. He has four combined touchdowns over the past two games and should have multiple chances to score against the Vikings.
3. Adam Thielen Over 3.5 Receptions (+108)
Adam Thielen has had a rough season mainly due to a hamstring injury that has hampered him for much of the year. He’s only played in 10 games and sat out last week to continue to rest his hamstring. Thielen is as close to 100 percent as he can be at this point in the season and seems poised for a productive game. Saints Pro Bowl corner Marshon Lattimore will likely be matched up with Stefon Diggs which will give Thielen a more favorable matchup. If Thielen is truly healthy, he has value against a tough Saints defense.
NFC Wild Card Round Game Info – Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
Time: Sunday, January 5th @ 4:40 PM ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Weather: 43 F Sunny
TV: NBC
Spread: Seattle -1.5
Money Line: +100|-125
Total: 45
Seahawks at Eagles Prop Bets
1. Carson Wentz Over 23.5 Completions (-126)
Wentz has played great football over the past month of the season. The Philly offense has been decimated by injuries, and he has still led the Eagles to the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Eagles received some good news on the injury front with Zach Ertz and Miles Sanders both medically cleared to play. Philly throws a ton of intermediate passes to their tight ends and running backs which will help Wentz with this player prop. Over the past eight games, Wentz has had at least 23 completions in seven of them.
2. Marshawn Lynch Under 36.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
Lynch provided a lift to the Seattle offense in his first game out of retirement last week. He ended up with 12 carries for 34 yards. He split carries with Travis Homer who ran well and had 62 yards on the ground. The two backs will split carries again this week against the strong run defense of the Eagles. Philly has the third best rushing defense in the league allowing 90 yards per game. Look for the Philadelphia defense to contain the Seahawks rushing attack and put the game in Russell Wilson’s hands.
3. Jordan Howard Any Time Touchdown (+310)
Howard missed six games in a row before briefly playing last week against the Giants. Miles Sanders left the Giants game with an ankle injury and he is expected to play against Seattle but likely won’t be 100 percent. Howard was the lead back before injuring his shoulder and I think he could play a factor in goal line situations especially if Sanders is limited. Howard is a veteran player who has playoff experience unlike the other backs on the Eagles roster. I’m taking the chance that he gets a few touches Sunday evening.
