NFL picks against the spread for the first round of the playoffs
Neil Greenberg, The Washington Post
Jan. 8, 2021
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Home-field advantage has been anything but in the opening round of the NFL playoffs. Since 2002, when the league expanded to 32 teams, home squads are 38-34 in first-round games (.528) and even worse against the spread (30-39-3, .435). Home teams favored by three or more points don t provide value, either, with a measly 22-22 record against the spread in that span. Even New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton, a solid betting choice in most circumstances, is 0-2 at home in the opening round, failing to cover the spread by an average of eight points.
He didn’t.
“It’s a question of who can be that guy that can help you win,” Tepper said when asked about Bridgewater. “That’s the most important position on the field. . Unless you have that guy for sure that gets you to the playoffs and Super Bowls, you have to keep evaluating that, because . the only thing that matters is Super Bowls.”
That’s one reason the Panthers took an exploratory look at quarterback Dwayne Haskins on Tuesday when the 15th pick of the 2019 draft was released by Washington after being benched in Sunday’s loss to Carolina.