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Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Wild Card Best Teaser

By Jared Shlensky | Last updated 1/13/23

We saw our season-high six-game winning streak come to an end last week after the Raiders failed to cover, but that doesn't mean we can't start another streak with the playoffs kicking off on Saturday. We finished above .500 on the season and closed out the regular season with six wins in the last seven weeks, and nine victories in the 12 final weeks. But just like the 14 teams remaining in the NFL postseason, nobody cares what you did in the regular season. People want to see results in the playoffs, and we've got a solid teaser play to kick off the first round of the postseason.

Even if wide receiver Mike Williams was 100% healthy for the Chargers, we'd still take the Jaguars +8.5 on the teaser. But with Williams banged up, again, don't be surprised if Los Angeles struggles to stretch the field vertically. Williams is the Chargers' best red zone option and biggest threat on the outside, and without him fully healthy, LA will have to rely that much more on Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler. And that's far from ideal, especially considering Jacksonville has won five straight and has allowed 22 points or less in four of its last five games.

And don't forget Jacksonville spanked Los Angeles, 38-10, back in Week 3. Obviously, that was a long time ago, but two things are clear — the Jaguars are the healthier team, and enter Saturday's game with more momentum. So, even if Los Angeles wins, don't expect it to be by more than eight points. Seven of the Chargers' 10 wins this season have been by one score, and there's no guarantee Los Angeles even wins this game, especially considering how well Jacksonville has played as of late.

As for the last leg of our teaser, we love the Tampa Bay Buccaneers +8.5 via the teaser against the Dallas Cowboys. Tom Brady is a perfect 7-0 in his career against the Cowboys, and Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since 2018. Don't be surprised if Tampa Bay wins this game outright, but with 8.5 additional points thanks to the teaser, well, that's just too good to pass up.

Tampa took it to Dallas back in Week 1, and don't forget the Cowboys played their starters for most of Sunday's game against Washington, and still lost 26-6. The Dallas offense arguably had its worst offensive performance of the entire season last week, and even though the game didn't mean a whole lot for the Cowboys, entering a playoff game following a dud of a performance the week before is far from ideal. Mike McCarthy has had his ups-and-downs in the postseason, and that makes us that much more confident Tampa Bay covers an 8.5-point spread.

The Teaser: Jacksonville Jaguars (+2.5) to (+8.5) AND Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2.5) to (+8.5) (-132 odds via Barstool)

Bet $132 to win $100

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