NFL Week 18 Overreactions
USAT’s Prince Grimes breaks down the NFL playoff picture after closing out the regular season.
Sports Seriously
The Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars play on Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Jaguars’ EverBank Stadium in a game on the NFL playoff schedule for wild-card weekend.
Which team will win the first-round NFL postseason game?
Check out these NFL playoff picks and NFL playoff predictions for the game, which can be seen at 11 a.m. MST on CBS (stream with FUBO).
The Bills are a 1.5-point favorite over the Jaguars in NFL playoff odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
Buffalo is -120 on the moneyline, while Jacksonville is +100. The over/under (point total) is set at 51.5 points.
NFL playoff picks: Rams at Panthers | Packers at Bears | Bills at Jaguars | 49ers at Eagles | Chargers at Patriots | Texans at Steelers | The Republic’s score predictions
Watch Bills at Jaguars live on FUBO (free trial)
Jeremy Cluff writes: “Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars were an early underdog in this game against Josh Allen and the Bills, despite having a better regular season record and being on an eight-game win streak. Buffalo has more postseason experience, but Jacksonville is at home and has a lot of momentum. It will keep that momentum going for another week in an upset win.”
Bookies.com: Bet the Jaguars with the points vs Bills
Bill Speros writes: “The Jaguars quietly tied for the best record ATS this season (with the Rams and Seahawks), going 12-5 on the number. Trevor Lawrence, in many ways, plays with the same ferocity and physicality as Allen. Just not as many people have noticed. The Jaguars defense steals the shoe here and stacks up against Allen and Cook – forcing the Bills to rely on a less-than-stellar receiving corps. While the Bills are one-dimensional these days, Travis Etienne Jr. gives Lawrence the ability to vex defenses with play-action. The Jags have won 8 straight, including an impressive 34-20 win at Denver. Jacksonville pushes to score early and play from the front. They’ll be jacked in Jacksonville for this one. The Duuuuval crowd helps the Jaguars get over the finish line, especially as home underdogs.”
NFL playoff schedule: Rams at Panthers | Packers at Bears | Bills at Jaguars | 49ers at Eagles | Chargers at Patriots | Texans at Steelers | Seahawks next game | Broncos next game | NFL playoff bracket | When is Super Bowl? | TV channels, streaming
The site’s formula predicts that the Jaguars will win the NFL playoff game against the Bills.
ESPN: Jaguars have a 51.2% chance to beat Bills on Sunday
The site gives the Bills a 48.8% shot at winning the NFL playoff game.
NFL playoff odds: Rams at Panthers | Packers at Bears | Bills at Jaguars | 49ers at Eagles | Chargers at Patriots | Texans at Steelers | Wild-card odds | Super Bowl odds
Dimers: Bills 26, Jaguars 24
It writes: “After extensive simulations, our model gives the Bills a win probability of 56%, while the Jaguars have a win probability of 44%.”
Sportsnaut: Jacksonville Jaguars 27, Buffalo Bills 24
Matt Johnson writes: “We also expect the Bills offense to struggle in this one, even with Allen putting on the proverbial cape and going into Superman mode. From Weeks 11-17, Jacksonville’s defense held opponents to a 65.2 QB rating and 61.7 percent completion rate, allowing just 5 yards per pass attempt with nearly five times as many sacks recorded (19) as passing touchdowns allowed. We’re buying into the Jaguars’ hot streak.”
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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