Every week on "The Action Network Podcast," Chris Raybon and Stuckey give out a plus-money moneyline parlay. This week, even with just six games for NFL Wild Card Weekend, is no different.
The pair of experts are on each end of the slate, starting with Chargers vs. Texans on Saturday afternoon and then Vikings vs. Rams on Monday night.
Let's break down their +428 NFL parlay for Wild Card Weekend.
NFL Parlay Picks — Wild Card Weekend
Raybon: Texans Moneyline +136
I'm not totally sold on the Texans, who had a point differential of zero this season. Houston was 31st in early down success rate, and C.J. Stroud failed to build off his strong rookie season.
That's not necessarily a recipe for success against a quarterback like Justin Herbert, who doesn't turn the ball over much and has an efficient run game to back him.
Simply put, though, I cannot get to this spread. I don't see the Chargers as three-point favorites and make this game closer to Chargers -1 or a pick'em, so I'm happy to include them in a parlay like this.
I believe in Stroud, who still has a go-to guy in Nico Collins. I think the Texans will be able to run the ball here against a cautious Chargers defense, and Houston's defense is absolutely an elite unit.
There have been some key injuries, and I’m curious how the Texans will match up with Chargers rookie sensation Ladd McConkey in the slot. Houston has shown all season long, though, that it has one of the best defenses in this league.
I'm taking the three points with Houston on the spread and including the Texans moneyline for this parlay.
Stuckey: Rams Moneyline +124
At the end of the day, I am taking the "not-so-home" underdog. I think the Rams, especially Matthew Stafford, will benefit from what was essentially a bye last week against the Seahawks.
Los Angeles ended the season with nine wins in 12 games, and one of those losses was in Week 18 when Jimmy Garoppolo played well and nearly beat the Seahawks' starters.
The Rams finished the season with a better Weighted DVOA than the Vikings, which takes recent performances more into account than the season-long metric.
I make Los Angeles a slight favorite here.
