NFL wild-card projected scores: Model predicts point spreads and totals for every game
The New York Times••sports
Key Points:
- The NFL wild-card playoff round is highly unpredictable this year, with no clear favorites in the AFC and closely contested games in the NFC.
- The Athletic provides live coverage of key matchups including Rams vs. Panthers and Packers vs. Bears.
- An NFL Projection Model has been developed using play-by-play data to estimate expected points per game for offense and defense, adjusting for opponent strength and garbage time.
- The model's projections differ from BetMGM odds, favoring the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Buffalo Bills by one point and predicting the under on total points.
- It also forecasts the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears to cover the spread against the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers, respectively.
