Wild Card Weekend 2017: NFL Playoff First Round Odds & Predictions – Can The Lions, Raiders, Dolphins, Or Giants Pull Off Upset Wins?

Wildcard Weekend 2017 is upon us. With all of the home teams being listed as favorites in every NFL playoff game this weekend, according to Vegas oddsmakers, is there any visiting team that can become a road warrior and defy the odds?

The parity in the NFL this year is at an all-time high, and to think that one of these road teams can’t pull off a win or two this weekend is definitely putting the cart before the horse.

According to Sportline, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the biggest favorite this Wildcard weekend and probably are the best bet for a home team not to lose.

The Steelers will face the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon and will be sky-high for this match-up. While the Dolphins have had a great season, they will be without their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, which puts them at a huge disadvantage, as they will be facing a very underrated and tough Steelers defense.

Speaking of defense, the Dolphins have a pretty good one themselves, however, they had better be ready for Pittsburgh’s big three in Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown.

Las Vegas odds makers have the Steelers listed as a 10-point favorite with the over/under number set at 46. The match-up goes to the Steel City.

Pick — Pittsburgh -10

Now, on to the other three Round 1 games that are expected to be a bit closer.

Can the Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants pull off upset wins on the road? In the playoffs, anything is possible.

The Raiders get the NFL playoffs underway on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Oakland will have to start rookie quarterback Connor Cook after injuries to Derek Carr and Matt McGloin. Houston has also played the QB merry-go-round this season, but not due to injury. Brock Osweiler was Houston’s big offseason splash signing, yet he has been a major free-agent disappointment.

The Raiders may be short at the QB position, however, with starts like Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree plus a huge offensive line, don’t think the Raiders will go down without a fight. Gut feeling here, this game comes down to the last team with the ball.

Pick — Oakland +4

Now, on to the NFC.

First up: the Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks.

This team will go as far as Matt Stafford can take them. Stafford should be considered a lot more for the NFL MVP this season, and he just doesn’t get the props nationwide that he should. Pulling off a huge upset Saturday could change that.

The Lions have zero running game, which puts a lot of pressure on Stafford and the wideouts. Losing Theo Riddick down the stretch run of the season has hurt Detroit a ton on offense. Riddick was great for the Lions, not just running the ball but catching swing passes out of the backfield for big gains.

The Seahawks aren’t the powerhouse they were, but they still have tons of talent — and Pete Carroll just doesn’t seem to lose at home. The points look good, but Seattle pulls off the win.

Pick — Detroit +8.5

Last but not least is the New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers. The field will be frozen, the temperature will flirt with zero degrees, and the Packers fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is the best match-up in the first round by far because both of these teams are loaded with talent and could easily meet up in the NFC championship. Unfortunately, one of them will be done for the season when this game is over.

Aaron Rodgers is on fire, but so is the Giants defense. This is just a tough game to call. Take the points. Even if the Giants lose, this game has overtime written all over it.

Pick — NY Giants +5

Here is a look at the NFL Wild Card schedule, TV start times and odds for this weekend.

WILD CARD WEEKEND: SATURDAY, JANUARY 7

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: No. 5 Oakland at No. 4 Houston (-4) — 4:35 p.m. — ESPN/ABC

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: No. 6 Detroit at No. 3 Seattle (-8.5) — 8:15 p.m. — NBC

WILD CARD WEEKEND: SUNDAY, JANUARY 8

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: No. 6 Miami at No. 3 Pittsburgh (-10) — 1:05 p.m. — CBS

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: No. 5 New York Giants at No. 4 Green Bay (-5) — 4:40 p.m. — FOX

[Featured Image by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images]