After a wild weekend of NFL playoff betting, US sportsbook players are scrambling to catch up with this weekend’s results. Having a good idea of what went down during Wild Card weekend can certainly help NFL bettors prepare for the rest of the 2018 postseason. Heading into this past weekend’s action, we had a good idea of what would go down. However, the results would not be without a few bombshells. So, what exactly transpired during the 2018 NFL Wild Card weekend?
Saturday’s AFC Wild Card Match || Tennessee Titans vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday’s action was kicked off with an AFC matchup between the Chiefs and the Titans. Earlier this season, most offshore sportsbook betting players knew that Kansas City would make their way into the postseason. So seeing the Chiefs competing in Wild Card weekend was not a shocker. However, the results that came from this matchup certainly were.
Despite the fact that Kansas City amassed a 21-3 lead through the first half, the Titans were still able to deliver a bombshell of an upset. Behind their defense’s 2 turnovers, which resulted in a Kansas City shutout through the second half of the game, Tennessee hung on 22-21. It was a shocking turnaround, but one got the feeling that the Chiefs shot themselves in the foot. Kansas City was too inconsistent this season, and it’s clear that that affected the team’s confidence in this one. It would’ve been hard to stop a determined Marcus Mariota as well.
Saturday’s NFC Wild Card Match || Atlanta Falcons vs. Los Angeles Rams
To conclude Saturday’s action, the Rams opened up their homes to the falcons. The Rams had been a dominant force all season long and opened up as US sportsbook betting favorites. However, many NFL bettors caught on to a clear mismatch in this postseason pairing; playoff experience. The Falcons were coming off a Super Bowl appearance while the Rams had gone 13 years without cracking a playoff spot. While the Rams were the better team, some felt that they didn’t have the experience to compete with Atlanta.
That turned out to be exactly the case as the Falcons came out on top 26-13. Ultimately, there were too many mistakes made on Los Angeles’ behalf – mistakes that reflected a severe lack of postseason experience. In fact, it took the Rams nearly 3 quarters to shake off their nerves. You’re not going to win too many playoff games with that kind of warm up.
Sunday’s AFC Wild Card Match || Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday’s action was kicked off by the Buffalo Bills, who were ecstatic to finally break their 18-year postseason drought. However, this is as far as the Bills would get as the Jags came out on top 10-3. Before this game began, some Bills players had some tough criticism for Blake Bortles, the man lining up under center for Jacksonville.
Specifically, members of the Bills joked that as long as Bortles had the ball in a game-winning situation; Buffalo had nothing to worry about. The punch line referred to Bortles inability to win a game in the 4th quarter, essentially calling the QB a choke. But in the end, it was Tyrod Taylor, the Bills’ own quarterback, who threw the game away. With under a minute left in the game, at Jacksonville’s 48 yard line, Taylor threw a pick that sealed the Bills’ fate. Hopefully Buffalo will keep quiet moving forward.
Sunday’s NFC Wild Card Match || Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints
Inarguably the best online sportsbook matchup we witnessed all weekend. The battle the Saints and Panthers put on was the most interesting of the weekend. However, it should me mentioned that Carolina was nowhere to be found early on as the Saints amassed a 21-9 lead through the first half. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t take long for the Panthers to come back into the mix. In the end, the Saints proved too much for Cam Newton and company to overcome. Newton suffered a massive hit on his head late in the game that probably played a part in their failure of a quarterback. But that’s what happens when you have a quarterback who would rather run than throw the ball.
