The 2022 NFL playoffs kick off this weekend with an NFC West showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Though there are plenty of things to look forward to in the playoffs, there's also a lot to be desired, especially with the number of backup quarterbacks in the mix. So, to keep things interesting, we broke down five bets you can place to keep the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs interesting.
The #TeamUnderdog parlay: +1000
The bet: Jaguars moneyline (+110), Giants moneyline (+138), Buccaneers moneyline (+114)
You win if: The Jaguars, Giants and Buccaneers all win. Bet $10 to win $100 in profit for a takehome total of $110!
Why you should bet an amount you’re very comfortable losing on this:
We all love rooting for an underdog. These are just the few I think have a chance at an actual upset, by virtue of their own recent performance (in the case of the Jaguars) or an underwhelming performance by their opponent (in the case of the Giants, Bucs).
The "these games were boring but at least I made money" parlay: +1020
The bet: Chargers-Jaguars UNDER 40.5 points, Giants-Vikings UNDER 40 points
You win if: The Chargers and Jaguars combine for 40 or fewer points AND the Giants and Vikings combine for 40 or fewer points. Bet $10 to win $102 in profit!
Why you should bet an amount you’re very, very comfortable losing on this:
This bet is really just about hedging (or lack of) fun in these two games. Nobody would have guessed that the Jaguars and Giants would have made it to the playoffs this year. It's been a nice story for both of them. What happens if the moment is too big for them, though?
These matchups are the highest projected scoring matchups of the week on FanDuel Sportsbook, but there are flaws for both teams (inexperience and inconsistency, namely) that leave enough room for doubt that the offense could disappoint.
The "Rookies Gonna Ball" parlay: +614
The bet: Brock Purdy OVER 1.5 passing touchdowns (-114) AND James Cook 40 or more rushing yards (+118) AND Kenneth Walker OVER 12.5 receiving yards (-114)
You win if: Brock Purdy throws 2 or more touchdowns, James Cook has 40 or more rushing yards AND Kenneth Walker has 12 or more receiving yards
Why you should bet an amount you’re very comfortable losing on this:
Let's be real. There are way too many rookies playing in the Wild Card Round for my comfort. That doesn't mean we can't believe in them, though! Once again, we root for the underdogs that are the rooks! Here's why:
Brock Purdy has yet to throw for fewer than 2 touchdowns in any game he's started as a rookie and gets a Seattle defense that hasn't been particularly porous but also isn't unbeatable
James Cook hasn't gotten consistent work, but he has been incredibly efficient with the work he does get, averaging 5.7 yards per rush attempt in his rookie season. He's hit the OVER here in four of his last seven games, despite a limited workload. It seems reasonable that Cook could see some extra playing time if the Bills take a decent lead in this game, as oddsmakers are projecting.
The 49ers' run defense is stout. If they can't get it done on the ground, Seattle feels likely to turn to Walker as a receiver. In their last meeting, Walker saw five targets — the second-most he'd seen all season — and he caught four of them for 32 yards.
The "86 THE DEFENSE" parlay: +934
The bet: Daniel Jones OVER 238.5 passing yards (-114) AND Isaiah Hodgins OVER 43.5 receiving yards (-114) AND Ravens-Bengals OVER 40.5 points (-110) AND Seahawks-49ers OVER 42.5 points (-108)
You win if: Daniel Jones has 239 or more passing yards, WR Isaiah Hodgins has 44 or more receiving yards, the Ravens and Bengals combine for 41 or more points AND the Seahawks and 49ers combine for 43 or more points
Why you should bet an amount you’re very, very comfortable losing on this:
Remember when we hedged the high point totals earlier for the Giants-Vikings game? Now we're leaning into it! Buying into Giants player props feels like a value at this point, when you consider the following: 1) Nobody believes in the Giants, so they've set the over/under on their player props relatively low, 2) The Vikings have allowed 280 pass yards per game — the second-most in the NFL — and their defense is kind of iffy.
Regarding the Ravens-Bengals and Seahawks-49ers point totals, it feels like these are being pegged as low-scoring affairs due to the lopsided matchups. However, the 49ers and Bengals have both been efficient offenses averaging more than 27 points per game on their own.
"49ers go crazy" parlay: +5016
The bet: Christian McCaffrey anytime TD (-165) AND Elijah Mitchell anytime TD (+250) AND Jordan Mason anytime TD (+650)
You win if: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell AND Jordan Mason score a touchdown. Bet $10 to win $501.64!
Why you should bet an amount you’re very, very, very comfortable losing on this:
We all know Kyle Shanahan's run game is ridiculous. Pair that with the fact that Seattle has manned one of the most dreadful rushing defenses in the league this year, and we have ourselves a winner!
Long hair, don't care: +4839
The bet: Trevor Lawrence OVER 13.5 rushing yards (-114) AND Justin Herbert UNDER 284.5 passing yards (-114) AND George Kittle anytime touchdown (+115) AND Trent Irwin anytime touchdown (+500)
You win if: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence has 14 or more rushing yards, Chargers QB Justin Herbert throws for 284 or fewer pass yards and 49ers TE George Kittle + Bengals WR Trenton Irwin both score touchdowns. Bet $10 to win $483.90!
Why you should bet an amount you’re very, very, very comfortable losing on this:
Fact: Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert have long-ish hair. So do George Kittle and Trent Irwin. Who doesn't love long hair? But for real, here are four reasons why the long hair, don't care parlay might actually work out (though it probably won't):
The Chargers have allowed every somewhat decent rushing quarterback 20+ rushing yards this season
The Jaguars' defense has been kind of decent lately. In fact, they've allowed more than 260 passing yards just once since their Week 11 bye (to Jared Goff, in Detroit, where he's averaging an absolutely STUNNING 291 pass yards per game).
George Kittle has caught AT LEAST one touchdown in four of five games with Brock Purdy as a starter
Since Week 10, Trenton Irwin has had the same number of end zone targets (4) as Tee Higgins but is the only player with more than two touchdowns off of end zone targets. Meanwhile, in that same span, the Jaguars' defense has allowed a touchdown on 64% of opposing red zone trips — the seventh-highest rate in the league.
