NFL Spread and O/U Picks: Hunter's Wildcard Round Weekend Best Bets
Wildcard weekend is upon us! After what feels like a decade or two of the same bunch of quarterbacks dominating the playoff field, 2025 finally has the changing of the guard feel. Only three of the starters this year will have played in 10 or more playoff games, while three quarterbacks are making their first playoff start ever. Something to note: since 2002, QBs making their first playoff start vs experienced playoff QBs are 20-39-1 against the spread and 20-40 straight up. This year, we will have Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, and Drake Maye adding a playoff start to their career achievements. Are you fading them?
Week 18 recap: 4-4 for -.79 units. Boy, did we get some shades of 2024 with our Week 18 bets. It started in Tampa, where the Bucs set up for a short 38-yard field goal to essentially lock up the cover. Nope. Blocked. But the Bucs ultimately force a long 4th and 8 and promptly forgot that wide receivers are permitted more than 5 yards downfield. Seattle had all the yardage and possession stats for a team total over, but ended 0-3 in the red zone after a hilarious botchery of their first trip. But the football gods spared us on the Steelers bets, and we closed the week on a 4-2 run to just lose a little juice on the week.
2025 Year to Date:
- Sides: 38-26 +25.61 Units
- Totals: 44-35 +10.20 Units
- Overall: 82-61 +35.81 Units
NFL Wildcard Round; Bet #1: San Francisco 49ers +3.5 -110 v Philadelphia Eagles (graded at Circa, FD/BetMGM/Bet365 all have the same, C’s has -118)
Risk: 2.2 units to win 2 units
I thought this would stay on the other side of 3. I make it close to a pick, and that's after spending a whole lot of time trying to get the 49ers back to the basics after watching a truly good defense dismantle them on Saturday night.
I figured my 49ers number was pretty high coming into last week, and I talked about the reasoning of why in my write-up for the Seahawks team total over bet, but I made some pretty significant changes for this time of the season, and I am still not getting out to a field goal.
Update: Since placing this bet Sunday night, almost every bit of injury update news possible has gone against it.
