NFL Wildcard Weekend: Whoyagot?

As I did with the BCS bowls, I'll just be going through the NFL playoff matchups and picking a winner and against the spread. The odds are found here. Amazingly, all four road teams are favored by oddsmakers (aka the betting public). How often does that happen in the playoffs?

Game 1 (Saturday, January 3rd, 3:30 CST):
Atlanta Falcons (-1.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The Take: The Falcons look like a dangerous team in the playoffs this year, with the kind of solid ball-control offense and strong defense we saw out of last year's Giants. The Cardinals looked like they got back on track a bit last weekend against a poor Seattle team. For Arizona to win this one, Kurt Warner is going to have to play like he did early in the season when the Cards still had something to play for. The Falcons need to control the ball and the clock and keep Warner and company on the sideline. This is a very tough game to pick because of how good the Cards can be when they're on, and how bad they can be when they're not.
The Pick: I'm going Falcons to win and cover. Rookie QB Matt Ryan and crew have been counted out time and time again, and they always show up big. Look for a huge day from Atlanta RB Michael Turner.

Game 2 (Saturday, January 3rd, 7:00 CST):
Indianapolis Colts (-1) at San Diego Chargers
The Take: The Chargers are playing great ball offensively right now as they demonstrated last weekend in a rout of the Broncos. The Colts are on a 9-game winning streak and could be the hottest team playing this weekend. Here's the catch: the Chargers seem to be Peyton Manning's Krytonite. He never seems to be able to play well against San Diego in the playoffs, but then he's always had to face Shawn Merriman on that defense, and Merriman is out for the season. Plus, Manning is coming in knowing that he's won his third NFL MVP (announced Friday). One thing I know is that the atmosphere in San Diego will be electric Saturday night.
The Pick: I know I'm probably going to regret this, but I think the Colts pull this one out in a tight, tight game. It may even come down to a late Adam Vinatieri field goal, but I think the Colts win and cover.

Game 3 (Sunday, January 4th, 12:00 CST):
Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Miami Dolphins
The Take: The Ravens have a great defense and a running game that few teams have been able to contain. The Dolphins have a great defense and a running game that few teams have been able to contain. The Ravens have a rookie QB (Joe Flacco). The Dolphins have a veteran QB that has played in the playoffs multiple times, winning several playoff games and winning comeback player of the year twice. If this game comes down to it, as much as I like the Ravens defense, I think Chad Pennington is the difference here (I never thought I'd write a sentence like that). Assuming this is a close, low-scoring game, I think the Dolphins to have just enough offense to win it.
The Pick: I'm sure both teams will have some more high school inspired offensive plays to unveil, which should make it fun to watch. I'm taking the Dolphins to win and cover in an upset here.

Game 4 (Sunday, January 4th, 3:30 CST):
Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Minnesota Vikings
The Take: This is an all-time battle of coaches that have a tendency to not know what's going on. If this one comes down to clock management, it will be a nightmare for the viewing public. Both Andy Reid (Eagles) and Brad Childress (Vikings) are well known for their failings in clock management and basic in-game decision-making, so this may like watching a chess match between two five-year-olds. Looking at the rosters, Philly appears to have the edge in experience, especially at the quarterback position with Donovan McNabb against Tarvaris Jackson. In terms of talent, I believe these teams are very much comparable, and this is a match of two of the league's top five running backs (Philly's Brian Westbrook and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson) who have two very different styles. Given the coach and QB situations in this one, if it comes down to one team needing a long drive late to win or tie, I don't have much faith that either offense will pull it off.
The Pick: This was another difficult choice, but I think I have to side with the betting public here and take the more experienced Eagles to pull off the win and cover on the road. I just can't ever see betting on the Brad Childress/Tarvaris Jackson combo.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.