Baltimore Beatdown Game Picks: Wild Card round

As the Ravens rest up thanks to their first-round bye, eight other teams are taking the field this weekend. Join our team in choosing the winners for each of the following matchups.

Saturday:

• Texans vs. Bills
• Patriots vs. Titans

Sunday:

• Saints vs. Vikings
• Eagles vs. Seahawks

Final standings

T-1) Bb readers & Vasilis: 165-91

2) Spencer: 158-98

3) Frank: 157-99

4) Kyle: 156-100

5) Eric: 151-105

Bills @ Texans

In what could wind up being a down-to-the-wire type of game, our staff leaned in favor of the Texans, although three writers did choose the Bills. Deshaun Watson will to battle with a top-ranked Buffalo defense that slowed down high-powered offenses throughout the season. He’ll do so, too, without one of his top offensive weapons in WR Will Fuller V.

Even so, the Texans are a 2.5-point favorite. Josh Allen is playing in his first career playoff game, while Watson has just one postseason matchup under his belt.

Picks: Texans (6) > Bills (3)

Titans @ Patriots

This was supposed to be a matchup between the Titans and Chiefs, but plans changed last week when the Patriots lost to the Dolphins and ceded the No. 2 seed in the AFC to Kansas City. Now, the Patriots will look to defend home-field advantage against a Tennessee squad that surprised many this season, losing just three games since Week 9 and narrowly missing out on a division title.

Traveling to Foxborough in January is no easy task for any team but many have been willing to take the Titans in an upset, including two of our writers. If Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry can generate some offense against New England’s defense, they may just have a shot.

Picks: Patriots (7) > Titans (2)

Vikings @ Saints

Two years ago, the Vikings stunned the Saints with a last-second, walkoff touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs. Flash forward to today and these two NFC foes are once again set to do battle, albeit under much different circumstances.

The Saints, who are playing at home, are heavy favorites and that’s reflected with our staff’s picks - as New Orleans was a consensus pick to win.

Picks: Saints (9) > Vikings (0)

Seahawks @ Eagles

In a battle of two injury-riddled teams, the Seahawks travel to Philadelphia on Sunday to take on the Eagles - who won the NFC East despite winning only nine games. In his first taste of playoff action, QB Carson Wentz will look to continue carrying his offense on his back, as the Eagles have essentially no offensive weapons outside of TE Zach Ertz and rookie RB Miles Sanders.

On the flip side, the Seahawks recently lost RB Chris Carson and T Duane Brown for the remainder of the season. Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin are back in the fold and will ideally take some pressure off Russell Wilson, who put forth an MVP-caliber season but his production tallied off over the final several weeks of the regular season.

Picks: Seahawks (7) > Eagles (2)