NFL Postseason Opening Weekend Outlook; Saturday, Jan. 15 

How can you not love football? It’s impossible not to love football. This weekend, the NFL has blessed us with extra playoff football. We have six games instead of five because only the first seed in each conference receives a bye this year.

The games begin on Saturday with Las Vegas and Cincinnati. They conclude with a Monday night primetime battle between Arizona and Los Angeles. The betting handle is going to be huge this weekend, but before you place a wager, it’s time to start preparing.

Here is your NFL postseason opening weekend outlook. Let’s go to work!

Las Vegas Raiders Travel to Cincinnati to Face the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals ended their five-year losing streak with a 10-7 record, the AFC North crown, and at least one home game as the Raiders visit on Saturday. The Bengals crushed Las Vegas by 19 last November 21, but a lot has changed since then. From that point on, Cincinnati won four more games in a variety of ways.

The Bengals could be one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs behind Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Additionally, very few people believe Cincinnati has the team to win, which makes them dangerous as an underrated threat.

However, the Bengals are expected to get off to a great start this weekend when they face the Raiders. Las Vegas clinched a playoff spot in the final game of the season, knocking out the Chargers.

The Raiders have always been able to come back. And when they went from 6-7 back to .500, it appeared to be a minor issue. But the narrative remained all too familiar. That is, until Las Vegas won four in a row and returned to the postseason after a four-year absence. Since January 2003, the Raiders haven’t won a playoff game.

The Bengals opened as a 6.5 point favorite. The Bengals are 10-7 ATS compared to the Raiders at 8-9, but the consensus is split evenly on this pick. The total is set at 49 points, and 84% of bettors believe this game will go over the total.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.