NFL Wild Card Weekend: The Panel's Picks For Saturday's Games

Our team of experts examines all the NFL Wild Card action this Saturday, focusing on odds and insights from top betting sites. 

Continue reading for The Panel's in-depth coverage and expert predictions as the NFL postseason gets underway with the Rams facing the Texans and the Steelers against the Ravens.

NFL Saturday Night Football Predictions:

• The Panel Pick 1: Chargers And Texans Under 41.5 Points - 20/21 With Betway
• The Panel Pick 2: Pittsburgh Steelers +9.5 Points - Evens With Betway

Chargers Vs Texans Pick: Points Will Be At A Premium

While the Chargers have won three straight games, the Texans split their contests coming off their bye week.      

Houston's problem is that its offense is compromised. Now Houston are facing the top team in terms of points allowed, Los Angeles, who gave up a mere 301 points during the regular season. 

The Texans have not scored more than 23 points in the past five weeks. Jim Harbaugh has a hard-nosed defense and a top flight quarterback in Justin Herbert.

Herbert shook off foot and ankle issues early in the season to throw for 3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns and only three interceptions. 

The quarterback rarely makes a mistake and on the road and that is truly a commodity.

Then there are the red zone defenses. Los Angeles ranks number one in the NFL, yielding touchdowns only 45% of the time. Houston ranks 26th at 63.6%. 

Things get worse when it comes to the offensive side. The Texans are 27th, while the Chargers are a more respectable 18th (12th during the second half of 2024). 

We're going to keep this simple with the under 41.5 points for the game total with betting apps. 

The Panel Pick 1: Chargers And Texans Under 41.5 Points - 20/21 With Betway

Steelers Vs Ravens Prediction: Pittsburgh To Progress

The nightcap on Saturday features an old-fashioned AFC North matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. 

Baltimore rolls in with a 12-5 regular season record and another AFC North division crown. 

The Steelers stunned the Ravens in their first regular season meeting, but Baltimore countered with an emphatic second half to win the second battle. 

Now, the third part of the trilogy will take place on Saturday night, though there is one wrinkle to this contest. 

The injury to Zay Flowers is significant. Flowers, a rookie from Boston College, stretched the field. By the end of the season, he had led the team with 1,059 receiving yards and 74 catches. 

Teams can run on the Steelers and the Ravens have the best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, led by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson.

Pittsburgh will attempt to make fewer mistakes and keep the game close, like the first meeting between the two teams.

Our second pick is for Pittsburgh to cover.

 The Panel Pick 2: Pittsburgh Steelers +9.5 Points - Evens With Betway