NFL Playoffs: 9/1 Sunday Night Treble

A thrilling first night of NFL playoff action saw both home teams come out on top, will that happen on Sunday? We pick out a 9/1 Sunday treble for you, covering all three games on the slate.

• Buccaneers -7.5 (Eagles @ Buccs)
• Under 46.5 total points (49ers @ Cowboys)
• Over 5.5 total touchdowns (Steelers @ Chiefs)

Buccaneers -7.5 (Eagles @ Buccs)

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers begin their playoff push, and while this team hasn’t quite flashed as expected on occasions, of course, you never discount Tom Brady when it comes to the playoffs.

In many ways this is the perfect start for Tampa, they play at home where they are comfortable, it’s the early game so conditions for Brady will be good, and they play against a team that will run the ball a lot. Tampa are ranked 3rd for run defence this season, an element of their team that has been as good as last season.

The Buccs can stop the Eagles, Brady can put them ahead with the ball in his hands, and that is going to open the game up and force Jalen Hurts to throw the ball and take risks, a part of his game that is not his strongest point.

That will all play into the hands of Brady and the Buccs, allowing them to storm clear of the Eagles and win this game easily.

Under 46.5 Total Points (49ers @ Cowboys)

Of the three games on Sunday, this one looks likely to be the closest, and where an upset could be found.

The 49ers may do that, or may fall short, but what they can do, regardless of the outcome, is keep this game very tight and low scoring. They’ve been playing to get in the playoffs for the past few weeks, and three of their last four games have been under the 46 point mark (44, 37 & 30).

There is always a lot of pressure on Dallas to perform, and we are going to see that again. They would prefer a matchup against a team that likes to play a more open game, and while they may come out on top, it won’t be by many.

Forget trying to call the winner here, and go with the under, for a tight, low scoring game.

Over 5.5 Touchdowns (Steelers @ Chiefs)

This game should be comfortable for the Chiefs, though backing them either offers no value or involves a big handicap line. If on top, they are likely to run the ball a lot more, so that also rules out backing Mahomes TD’s.

With that in mind, we are going with over 5.5 touchdowns in the game here. We expect the Chiefs to control the game, which should force Pittsburgh to chase things, and take a few more risks than usual. While that is happening, the Chiefs are not going to slow down, as they have a strong run game, and there is likely to still be good opportunities for them.

A game featuring multiple touchdowns is our bet here, with the line requiring six or more.