The New Orleans Saints hope to have both Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara in the lineup on Sunday afternoon when they host the Chicago Bears as 10-point favourites on the NFL odds in Wild Card Weekend action at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Thomas returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since suffering an ankle injury last month, but his status remains uncertain for Sunday’s matchup at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Kamara looks set to return to the lineup after missing last weekend’s 33-7 win over Carolina. The team leader in receiving yards, rushing yards, and touchdowns was forced to miss last week’s visit to Carolina after testing positive for COVID-19 coming off a spectacular six-touchdown performance a week earlier.
Straight-up and against the spread winners in their past two games, the Saints have averaged 38 points per game over their past three outings. New Orleans has also tallied six straight SU wins over the Bears, but has been outscored by a wide 55-20 margin in two previous playoff losses to Chicago, according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
While the Saints return to health, the Cleveland Browns find themselves battling a COVID-19 outbreak ahead of Sunday night’s visit to Pittsburgh as fading 6-point underdogs. With multiple team members testing positive, the Browns were forced to close their facilities and were unable to practice until late Friday afternoon.
The outbreak has spoiled the team’s return to the postseason for the first time in two decades, and comes on the heels of a 24-22 win over the Steelers last weekend. Cleveland has tightened up defensively in recent weeks, allowing an average of just 17 points over its past three games, but has managed to cover just three times in its past 11 outings.
The Browns have posted wins in just two of their last 11 road dates with Pittsburgh, which rested several regulars in last week’s loss. However, the Steelers have work to do to recapture their early-season dominant form after losing four of their past five games while averaging just 19.8 points per game.
And earlier in the day on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens look to avenge last year’s early playoff ouster when they visit the Tennessee Titans as 3-point chalk at online betting sites. The Ravens have impressed since overcoming their own COVID-19 crisis, scoring over 37 points per game during a 5-0 SU and ATS run.
The Titans have topped 30 points in five of their last six outings, powering a 7-1 run for the over in totals betting. However, Tennessee has struggled at times in home dates with teams that have clinched playoff berths this season, going 1-3 SU and ATS.
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