Wildcard picks and predictions

Wild Card Weekend is the best week of the NFL season.

And today, we bring the Action Network anytime touchdown propster, Giles Gallantto discuss some of his favorite picks for TD scorers for the weekend.

Below we break down the best Wild Card Weekend picks and player predictions for the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Wild Card Weekend Player Picks and Predictions

Seahawks vs. 49ers (4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FOX)

Giles Gallant: Tyler Lockett +300 (FanDuel)

Gallant has three TD scoring props he’s targeting in the first round of the NFL playoffs, starting with Saturday’s matinee matchup between Seattle and San Francisco.

“Tyler Lockett has nine touchdowns this season,” Gallant told The Post. “He’s tied for 5th in the NFL. He had a six-game TD streak this season before the finger injury and had one last week. He hasn’t scored against the 49ers this season, but he’s had plenty of looks: 16 catches, 20 targets and 3 RZ targets.

He continued, “Lockett lining up in the slot at times makes him more dangerous than DK Metcalf, who mostly lines up on the outside. The 49ers have allowed six touchdowns out of the slot in their last four games. He can score from everywhere.”

Giles Gallant: George Kittle +180 (Caesars)

Another hot player coming into Wild Card Weekend is George Kittle, the forgotten man for much of the past two seasons – but not forgotten by quarterback Brock Purdy.

“He has seven touchdowns in his last four games and 11 this season, which is tied for third in the NFL. The last time the 49ers faced Seattle, Kittle went for four catches and two touchdowns. He has destroyed Seattle this year with four touchdowns. Seattle also ranks as the worst DVOA team against tight ends this season. eight TDs allowed at the position,” Gallant explained.

“In six games with Brock Purdy at QB, Kittle was a TD machine: 24 catches, 35 targets and 7 TDs. I expect the 49ers to run the ball most of the game, but the Purdy-Kitle connection is undeniable.”

Gallant likes Kittle and those odds are excellent, with Caesars best priced in the market at +180.

Chargers vs. Jaguars (8:15 p.m. ET, NBC)

Erich Richter: Austin Ekeler 50+ receiving yards +200 (Bet365)

While Brandon Staley upsets his team’s Super Bowl chances, Mike Williams’ absence will only help Austin Ekeler. Ekeler surpassed that number in just five of 17 regular season games, but is averaging 42.4 receiving yards per game.

The Jaguars are giving up the second-most receiving yards to opposing running backs (815) during the regular season. A shocking mark for Ekeler this weekend, who led all running backs in targets (127) and was 18th most among all pass catchers.

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Erich Richter: Keenan Allen Anytime Scorer +145 (BetMGM)

The Jaguars allowed the sixth-most touchdowns to opposing receivers during the regular season, and Keenan Allen is finally healthy. And while Joshua Palmer is a great talent for the Chargers, it should be Allen feasting on the red zone. His six inside-10 targets are tied with Ekeler for sixth-best in the NFL over the past eight weeks.

Giles Gallant: Trevor Lawrence anytime touchdown scorer +390 (Caesars)

The final pick from our guest today is a quarterback who always has his nose next to the goal line. A few notes on why Gallant is targeting Trevor Lawrence to run for a touchdown on Saturday:

“He has five rushing touchdowns this season and 14 red zone carries, which was sixth for all QBs in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Chargers are in the bottom 5th in rushing yards allowed – 17 rushing TDs. Three of them are at quarterback.”

He continued, “The odds for Travis Etienne are a little out of control. Anywhere between -105 and -135. During the Jags’ 5 game streak to close the season, Etienne only had 1 TD. In a do-or-die game at home, I like Lawrence to take the initiative and score at the goal line on Saturday.”

Dolphins vs. Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Erich Richter: James Cook All-Time Touchdown Scorer +220 (FanDuel)

In one of those games, the Bills will go to James Cook as a full-timer. With Devin Singletary hitting free agency this offseason and Cook looking like the much better player, it’s time to invest in his younger brother Dalvin Cook. The Dolphins run defense is about middle of the pack, but Cook’s odds are good enough to target. He was much more efficient. Numbers listed below, for the past four weeks:

Giants vs. Vikings (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX)

Erich Richter: TJ Hockenson anytime touchdown scorer +230 (PointsBet)

The Giants don’t defend tight ends well at all. They haven’t faced many elites this year, so their numbers aren’t as bad as they should be. But they are allowing the second-highest percentage of opposing tight ends in the NFL over their last eight games.

Hockenson took on the form of Rob Gronkowski in the Week 16 matchup, putting up flashy numbers with 13 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns against the G-Men. yikes

Ravens vs. Bengals (8:15 p.m. ET, NBC)

Erich Richter: Joe Barrow Anytime Scorer On Touchdown +625 (WynnBet)

This is more about value, as Burrow scoring a touchdown at +625 is a great price compared to the rest of the market. Many other books have this close to +300. The Ravens are largely fantastic on defense and don’t allow many points. But Barrow rushed for a touchdown earlier this season against the Ravens and should be looking to get into the end zone again this weekend.