Deadspin’s 2021 NFL Wild Card picks you can bank on: Day 2

It’s day two of the NFL triple header. Have you left your couch? No. Do you have your bets in order? Probably not.

Luckily, Deadspin’s got you covered.

Unfortunately, Saturday’s home teams didn’t cover their spreads and my picks are off to a shitty start. I’m 0-2-1 with three more games to go.

Fade us if you hate us, but a winning week is still possible. Here’s who I like today.

All times listed are Eastern

The road Ravens are favored in Nashville. Why? Maybe because they’re one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Since their COVID outbreak, Baltimore has gone 5-1, winning five straight and covering their final six games. The Ravens are also 10-5-1 ATS on the season. The Titans? 7-9.

Tennessee is also really good at beating bad teams. They’re 4-4 against playoff teams and 7-1 versus everyone else.

The Pick: The Titans shocked Baltimore last year in the divisional round and handed Lamar Jackson his second straight playoff loss. It’s a hunch, but I think the third time’s the charm for the young QB. I’ll take Baltimore to cover on the road.

Coming in with the scariest spread this Sunday it’s the New Orleans Saints at -10!

You couldn’t convince a conspiracy theorist to take the Bears straight up. But what about with the points? Well, Chicago is 8-8 ATS and 5-3 ATS on the road. They finished the season 4-1 beating Super Bowl contenders like the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Bravo, really.

In sum, the Bears are the reason we shouldn’t’ve expanded the playoffs.

The Pick: This is the NFL’s Nickelodeon game but I think kids will need a parental advisory warning before this 8-8 Bears squad takes the field. Mitch Trubisky in the playoffs? It could get ugly. WIth that said, 10 is A LOT to lay in any playoff game. Chicago’s D will make this a close one. I’ll take da points and Da Bears.

Last week, Kevin Stefanski and other Browns players and staff tested positive for COVID-19. Stefanski will not coach, and a number of players will not participate in tonight’s matchup. Will the game go on? Absolutely. Have you been following the NFL this season?

With Stefanski out, Cleveland has promoted special teams coordinator Mike Priefer to the role of POS… I mean HC.

Pittsburgh will have a normal roster and coaching staff. Plus, Ben Roethlisberger will be back after a week of rest.

Cleveland hasn’t been in the playoffs since Nelly released Hot in Here. How will they fair without a coach or any recent experience?

The Pick: Not well. The Browns have given us a regular season of unexpected wins, losses, and bad beats. Sure, the Steelers have looked shaky down the stretch. But they’re a pretty good bet after going 10-6 ATS on the season. What about Cleveland? They’re 6-10, the worst ATS record of any playoff team. I like Pittsburgh’s chances.