Miami Dolphins (+13-1/2) at Buffalo Bills: These division rivals split their regular season matchups with the home team winning each occasion (Miami 21-19 in Week 3; Buffalo 32-29 in Week 15).
The Dolphins will be woefully short-handed as starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is still recovering from a third concussion he suffered this season. Third stringer Skylar Thompson will get the nod under center.
Even if Miami was at 100%, the Bills are riding an emotional high after their fallen comrade Damar Hamlin has made remarkable progress in the aftermath of a Week 17 incident where he needed CPR on the field. No way the Bills peter out this early.
Buffalo 35 Miami 14
New York Giants (+3) at Minnesota Vikings: This is a rematch of a Christmas Eve game where my Vikings won 27-24 on a 61-yard Greg Joseph field goal at the gun. Of the six wildcard games this weekend, the national pundits seem to have targeted this one as the chic upset pick.
If the Vikes can get a lead early, I say they let Dalvin Cook....uh.....cook. The Giants are in the bottom five in run defense, so it would behoove the Vikings to be a little more balanced. In the regular season game vs the Giants, they attempted 48 passes to only 19 runs.
Giants QB Daniel Jones was very good in that Week 16 game, throwing for 334 yards. Add to that the Giants having no players with an injury designation (including stud RB Saquon Barkley) and you have a very formidable foe for the Vikes' first playoff game. Expect another thriller.
Minnesota 28 New York 27
Baltimore Ravens (+8-1/2) at Cincinnati Bengals: The defending AFC champion Bengals are hosting their division rivals for a second consecutive week. The Ravens have stumbled down the stretch without their starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed the final five games of the season with a knee injury. Jackson is out for this week . To make matter worse, backup Tyler Huntley is a "game time decision" due to shoulder and wrist ailments.
The Bengals will be close to full strength for this one. QB Joe Burrow having his full complement of offensive weapons against a porous Ravens pass defense will be the difference.
Cincinnati 31 Baltimore 17
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