Wildcard Weekend and next week’s Divisional Round card are among the best Saturday-Sunday-Monday combos on the calendar — in sports and life. It’s just wall-to-wall high-stakes football.
Dustin Baker’s NFL Wildcard Playoff Predictions | 2024
So, let’s predict this weekend’s winners.
(5) Los Angeles Chargers at (4) Houston Texans
Saturday, 1/11, 3:30 pm CST
The Texans just have too many injuries to playmakers like Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. They’ve also sputtered in the last few weeks — at the worst possible time.
Los Angeles may not have a Super Bowl-caliber roster in Year No. 1 of Jim Harbaugh’s reign, but it will defeat Houston on the road and head to Kansas City or Buffalo next weekend.
Prediction: Chargers over Texans, 24-20
(6) Pittsburgh Steelers at (3) Baltimore Ravens
Saturday, 1/11, 7:00 pm CST
The upset special, Pittsburgh daggers Baltimore on the road, solely because this is a rivalry game.
The Steelers have performed terribly since the AFC North show premiered on HBO, but because the Ravens are their most bitter rival, Pittsburgh shocks Jon Harbaugh and Co.
Prediction: Steelers over Ravens, 20-17
(7) Denver Broncos at (2) Buffalo Bills
Sunday, 1/12, 12:00 pm CST
Denver possesses one of the sports’ top defenses, meaning this won’t be a total rout.
Yet, the Bills will win somewhat handily, mainly because Bo Nix won’t play at an elite level in his first-ever postseason game. Bills fans will start to daydream about the Super Bowl even more intensely.
Prediction: Bills over Broncos, 30-20
(7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, 1/12, 3:30 pm CST
Some will pick Green Bay here because it spanked Dallas in the same situation last year. But the Eagles’ offensive and defensive trenches are too much to handle.
The Eagles will roll over the Packers, winning by two scores.
Prediction: Eagles over Packers, 27-17
(6) Washington Commanders at (3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, 1/15, 7:00 pm CST
Sunday, 1/12, 7:00 pm CST
This might be the most entertaining game of the weekend.
The Buccaneers are one of the few teams in the NFL that can beat anyone on a Sunday — and damn near lose to anyone. The Seattle Seahawks also fit this criteria.
This go-round, Tampa Bay will be hot against Washington’s somewhat suspect offense and prevail by a touchdown.
Prediction: Buccaneers over Commanders, 31-24
(5) Minnesota Vikings at (4) Los Angeles Rams
Monday, 1/13, 7:00 pm CST
Perhaps the reason you’re here reading the article, the Vikings take on the Rams in Arizona on Monday Night Football.
The Rams’ defense isn’t deadly, their offensive line is penetrable, and the Vikings are the more complete team. Minnesota will also have some semblance of homefield advantage.
Minnesota gets a little bit of vengeance for a Week 8 loss to the same team and will head to Detroit for a Divisional Round showdown next weekend.
Prediction: Vikings over Rams, 27-21
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.