The race to Super Bowl LVI begins today. We are on the doorstep of Super Wild Card Weekend in the NFL with six games on the slate that stretches from Saturday all the way to Monday night. And what's the only thing that makes playoff football better? That's right -- betting on playoff football! If you want to stay sharp over the course of the weekend and are looking for a bit of help doing so, you've come to the right place.
Each week, we collect all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, and more.
All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
Which picks can you make with confidence during Super Wild Card Weekend? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine, as their incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up over $7,400 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago.
Time: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Cowboys -3
Current: Cowboys -3
"The Cowboys have been a stellar bet this season, owning an NFL-best 13-4 ATS record. While they have a top-ranked defense and prolific weapons on offense, the 49ers are a tough draw in this opening round. Dallas' run defense ranks 16th in the NFL in DVOA and gave up 4.5 yards per rush (tied for fifth-most in the league) in the regular season. That plays into how Kyle Shanahan will want to play this game offensively and has weapons at the skill positions -- like Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, etc. -- to move the chains. Meanwhile, the Cowboys haven't faced much adversity down the stretch as their final few weeks saw them face inferior opponents. The only game over the last month-plus where they did play a playoff contender was a 25-22 loss to the Cardinals." -- CBS Sports NFL writer Tyler Sullivan on why he not only likes the 49ers +3, but also for San Francisco to pull off the upset over Dallas. To read the rest of his picks, click here.
"One team has a dominant run game that manages the clock. The other has a head coach that struggles with clock management. Watch for that to be the difference in the game." -- CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones on why he is picking the 49ers to upset the Cowboys. To read the rest of his picks along with his latest insider notes, click here.
SportsLine expert Micah Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20-plus years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos' book director. He's recently returned a profit of $265 on his last 11 NFL picks and has found a key X-factor in this showdown between Dallas and San Francisco. We can tell you he's leaning Over the totals, but to see his pick against the spread, you'll have to go to SportsLine.
Time: Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Chiefs -12.5
Current: Chiefs -12.5
"To pull off the upset, the Steelers are going to need to put some serious pressure on Patrick Mahomes and force him into making multiple mistakes. Of Kansas City's five losses this year, four of them came in games where Mahomes threw at least one interception. If the Steelers defense is good at one thing, it's getting to the quarterback. Thanks in large part to T.J. Watt's NFL record-tying 22.5 sacks, the Steelers racked up a total of 55 sacks this year, which led the NFL. Of the 15 games Watt played in this year, the Steelers went 8-2-1 when he recorded at least one sack and 0-3 when he didn't. If Watt can get to Mahomes once or twice, that could give the Steelers an outside chance to pull off the upset.
"On the other hand, the biggest problem for the Steelers is that if this turns into a shootout, they simply don't have the firepower to keep up." -- CBS Sports NFL writer John Breech, who is 11-6 ATS in Chiefs games this season, like the Steelers to cover, but K.C. to advance into the divisional round.
SportsLine's Larry Hartstein has been on an absolute tear when it comes to betting Chiefs games. He has gone an astounding 22-8 on his last 30 picks involving Kansas City, returning $1300 to $100 bettors. For this game against Pittsburgh, that features the biggest spread on the playoff slate, Hartstein has found an X-factor that has him confidently betting one side of the spread. Go check SportsLine to see Hartstein's pick and other analysis for Super Wild Card Weekend.
Time: Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Rams -4.5
Current: Rams -4
SportsLine expert R.J. White has been white-hot in games revolving around the Los Angeles Rams. White has gone 37-25-1 on his last 63 picks involving the Rams, returning more than $900 for $100 bettors. He's now locked in another confident pick against the spread for this final playoff matchup on the slate. We can tell you he's leaning Under the total, but to see the critical stat that has him confidently taking one side of this head-to-head, you'll need to go to SportsLine.
"The second divisional showdown of Super Wild Card Weekend will be played on Monday night, and it's sure to be an exciting one. When these two teams played in Week 4, the Cardinals used a 17-3 run in the second quarter to acquire a 24-13 halftime lead. Arizona then scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, and that was that. In their rematch in Week 14, the Rams rode a 14-point third quarter to victory. Matthew Stafford completed 23 of 30 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns while Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. combined for 200 yards and two touchdowns. The passing game was working on Dec. 13.
"Kyler Murray has historically struggled against L.A. He's 1-5 against the Rams with seven passing
