Best NFL Picks & Parlays for Wild Card Playoff Games | Sunday, 1/16/21

The NFL Playoffs continue on Sunday with a Wild Card tripleheader. The action kicks off with an NFC Wild Card matchup just after lunchtime as the 7-seed Philadelphia Eagles take on the 2-seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A second NFC contest occupies the late afternoon window as the 6-seed San Francisco 49ers battle the 3-seed Dallas Cowboys. The action concludes in primetime with an AFC Wild Card showdown between the 7-seed Pittsburgh Steelers face and the 2-seed Kansas City Chiefs. For bettors, Sunday’s three-game slate presents numerous opportunities to fire on NFL player props.

While placing prop bets individually is a fun and common practice, those looking to up the ante might consider stringing multiple predictions together to form an NFL player props parlay. Although the chances of cashing a parlay are less than for a straight prop wager, strategically selecting NFL parlay picks can lead to some very rewarding payouts. Make sure to include the revamped OddsShopper Tool as part of your handicapping and bet selection process. The tool will help point you in the direction of the best NFL props and betting picks as well as the best odds and value available in the market.

Let’s put OddsShopper to the test and take a look at some of the best NFL player props and parlay picks for Sunday’s Wild Card Playoffs tripleheader.

NFL Betting Parlay Picks | Sunday Wild Card Games

With OddsShopper, finding the best NFL betting player props is fast and simple. All users have to do is filter the prop selections, sort the page and find the best pick to bet. The process is extremely quick and highly effective. Try out the tool for yourself with the featured NFL parlay picks below! In addition, readers are encouraged to explore Awesemo’s brand new Parlay Builder Tool. This resource will work in tandem with OddsShopper projections to generate amazing NFL Playoffs parlay picks for you at the click of button!

In New York? Do not forget to check out Alex Baker’s article on how to MAXIMIZE your sportsbook bonus.

Quez Watkins Over 25.5 Receiving Yards (-110, FanDuel)

Second-year wideout Quez Watkins was probably not the name many bettors had in mind to start off our NFL player props parlay picks. However, Watkins has emerged as one of the more reliable weapons for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. In fact, one could very easily make the case that he is the third option in the passing game behind DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Watkins has seen at least three targets in all but two of the Eagles’ nine games played since the start of November.

Considering how difficult it is to run the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hurts and the passing attack will have to do their part to at least keep the defense honest. With the Bucs undoubtedly planning to focus their attention on covering Smith and Goedert, there is a real chance that Watkins will be able to exploit some favorable matchups in Sunday’s NFL Playoffs game. Watkins found some success against Tampa Bay in the regular-season meeting between the teams. The former Southern Mississippi star caught three of five targets for 44 yards in that October game. Furthermore, his prowess on deep routes gives him the ability to clear the NFL player props line of 25.5 yards on a single play.

With a projection of exactly 39.29 receiving yards, Awesemo gives the over a 62% chance of hitting on this NFL prop bet. OddsShopper also shows the majority of sportsbooks are listing this line two yards higher at 27.5. At the preferred total and standard -110 odds, this prop has a healthy expected ROI of 18% as a standalone bet.


The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds


Jimmy Garoppolo Over 20.5 Completions (-110, BetMGM)

If there were any doubts about the ability of Jimmy Garoppolo to play through a thumb injury on his throwing hand, they were effectively erased last week. The veteran San Francisco 49ers QB completed 23 of 32 pass attempts for 316 yards and a score in a must-win regular-season finale. That performance came against a Los Angeles Rams pass defense that is much more daunting than the one the Dallas Cowboys bring into Sunday’s NFC Wild Card matchup.

While the Cowboys have improved drastically on defense from a year ago, rookie pass-rusher Micah Parsons really stands out as the unit’s heart and soul. Assuming the 49ers’ sturdy offensive front can neutralize him, Garoppolo should be able to connect with each of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle multiple times. In addition, the 49ers’ passing attack figures to benefit if they are successfully running the football early on. Given that Dallas ranked just 16th in adjusted defensive efficiency against the run, the Niners should be able to establish a power ground game.

Concerning the NFL player props line of 20.5 Garoppolo completions, OddsShopper shows that most sportsbooks are juiced in that direction. In addition, one shop lists the line a full completion higher at 21.5. This over prediction sets up as one of Awesemo’s favorite NFL prop bets for Sunday’s playoff games. An exact projection of 23.83 completions sits over three higher than the preferred NFL betting total. Along with a 72% win probability, Awesemo gives this wager an expected ROI of 37% at optimal -110 odds.

Chase Claypool Under 42.5 Receiving Yards (-110, FanDuel)

Despite seeing no fewer than six targets in each of the final three games to close the regular season, Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Chase Claypool failed to top 41 receiving yards in any of those contests. That high-mark came in Pittsburgh’s blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs back in Week 16. OddsShopper shows the NFL betting market has his receiving prop total set on either side of that number for Sunday night’s AFC Wild Card matchup. While most shops list the line at 42.5, there is a total of 40.5 available for action. Awesemo believes there is value in betting under the higher of the two available NFL player props lines.

While Claypool boasts a world of talent, his skillset simply does not fit well with this year’s Steelers team. The former Notre Dame star profiles as a pure outside receiver capable of winning against man coverage. However, because the Steelers’ offensive line is so bad, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has no choice but to uncork throws as quickly as he can following the snap. As a result, Diontae Johnson, tight end Pat Freiermuth and running back Najee Harris has been more consistent producers in the passing game compared to Claypool.

Even if he sees several targets in Sunday’s playoff game, the short-yardage nature of most Pittsburgh pass plays means that Claypool will likely have to convert on several targets in order to surpass the NFL player props total. At optimal -110 odds, Awesemo gives this under prediction an expected ROI of 9%.


The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds


Shopping for the Best NFL Parlay Odds

Once again, the importance of shopping the betting odds at various sportsbooks cannot be overstated. Even when constructing NFL parlay picks, bettors are wise to obtain the most favorable prices they can to lock in the greatest potential payout possible. Below is a breakdown of how the three NFL player props selections above would look in a parlay at several major sportsbooks.

FanDuel

Quez Watkins Over 25.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
Jimmy Garoppolo Over 20.5 Completions (-130)
Chase Claypool Under 42.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
Total Parlay Odds: +545

Caesars

Quez Watkins Over 27.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
Jimmy Garoppolo Over 20.5 Completions (-110)
Chase Claypool Under 42.5 Receiving Yards (-130)
Total Parlay Odds: +531

DraftKings

Quez Watkins Over 27.5 Receiving Yards (-120)
Jimmy Garoppolo Over 20.5 Completions (-115)
Chase Claypool Under 42.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
Total Parlay Odds: +541

BetMGM

Quez Watkins Over 27.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
Jimmy Garoppolo Over 20.5 Completions (-110)
Chase Claypool Under 42.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
Total Parlay Odds: +567

As seen in the breakdown above, while some sportsbooks may offer slightly better payout odds on this parlay, bettors might be effectively sacrificing one completion and/or multiple yards in order to net this extra profit. When it comes to shopping the odds, always target the best NFL player props line first before worrying about the accompanying prices.

Note that these lines and odds are bound to change between now and the start of Sunday’s NFL Wild Card games. Be sure to check in with OddsShopper for the latest updates before placing your NFL betting parlay picks.

Thanks for reading to the end of this article! If you appreciate this free content and want to see more of it every day, you can help us out by sharing this article on social media!

Check out Stokastic's Best Bets home page for more sports betting picks and predictions.

Author

DFS Winners from the Stokastic Community

Subscribe to the Stokastic newsletter

DFS advice, exciting promos, and the best bets straight to your inbox

Stokastic.com - Daily Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting Data, Tools, & Analytics

Please play responsibly. Only customers 21 and over are permitted to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.