Early NFL Injuries to Monitor for Wild Card Weekend & How Betting Lines Could Be Impacted
- There are plenty of key injuries to monitor ahead of Wild Card Weekend
- Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (knee) and Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (head) are both questionable after missing multiple games
- Keep reading for a breakdown of the NFL injuries ahead of Wild Card Weekend and how they might impact the betting lines
Wild Card Weekend kicks off on Saturday, and there’s no shortage of key injuries to monitor leading up to nearly every one of this weekend’s six games.
The most pivotal injuries are to a pair of AFC quarterbacks, and whether or not they wind up starting will have a major impact in the betting market.
NFL Injuries Ahead of Wild Card Weekend
| Player | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Williams (LAC) | Back | Questionable |
| Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) | Head | Questionable |
| Teddy Bridgewater (MIA) | Knee/Finger | Questionable |
| Raheem Mostert (MIA) | Thumb | Questionable |
| Terron Armstead (MIA) | Toe/Knee/Hip/Pec | Questionable |
| Lamar Jackson (BAL) | Knee | Questionable |
| Tyler Huntley (BAL) | Shoulder/Wrist | Questionable |
| Dre Greenlaw (SF) | Back | Questionable |
| Vita Vea (TB) | Calf | Questionable |
| Carlton Davis III (TB) | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Julio Jones (TB) | Knee | Questionable |
| Leonard Williams (NYG) | Neck | Questionable |
Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson headlines the list of injured stars along with Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins are the most injury-riddled team limping into the playoffs, as their starting RB and stud left tackle are also banged up.
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Dolphins Decimated With Injuries
Tagovailoa still hasn’t been cleared for any football activity, and the team doesn’t expect an update on his condition until Wednesday. The Dolphins starter has been in concussion protocol since December 26th, marking the second time he’s been dealing with a concussion this season.
From Mike McDaniel’s comments that Tua Tagovailoa is feeling good, sweating (seemingly after exercise) but not yet cleared for non-contact football activity yet it would appear Tua is in Phase 2 or 3 of NFL return-to-participation concussion protocol.
Reminder breakdown here: pic.twitter.com/7Z381lkj6L
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 9, 2023
To make matters worse, Miami’s backup Teddy Bridgewater is also injured. He sat out Week 18 with a thumb injury and there’s no indication he’ll be ready to start if Tua can’t. That leaves Skylar Thompson as next man up, and he certainly hasn’t done anything this season to give Miami backers confidence.
Starting RB Raheem Mostert’s status is also unclear. He broke his thumb last Sunday, leaving the second half of the Fins’ victory over the Jets in a brace.
There’s also a question about who’s going to be protecting the blind side of whoever winds up starting. Stud left tackle Terron Armstead has missed Miami’s last two games due to multiple injuries, and it’s currently unclear if he’ll be ready for Sunday.
No Word Yet on Lamar Jackson
Back to Jackson now, who’s missed the last five games with a knee injury. Reports out of Baltimore are that Jackson wants to play, but there’s no guarantee he’ll even be ready to practice this week.
Jackson is looking to become the first QB since Byron Leftwich in 2005 to miss the final five games of the regular season and start in the Wild Card Round.
Baltimore Ravens Offense – Last 5 Games
| Opponent | Total Yards | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 309 | 16 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 324 | 13 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 299 | 17 |
| Cleveland Browns | 240 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 387 | 16 |
The Ravens’ offense has fallen off a cliff without Jackson, averaging just 13 points per outing without him. They’ve scored only four touchdowns during that stretch, the second fewest in the league from Weeks 14-18.
If Jackson can’t go, Tyler Huntley will likely get the call despite also being banged up. Huntley is dealing with shoulder and wrist injuries but would have been able to start in Week 18 if the game wasn’t meaningless.
Other Key Wild Card Injuries to Monitor
Another injury to pay close attention to is Mike Williams’ back ailment. Williams was hurt in a meaningless Week 18 outing against Denver, where the Chargers inexplicably played their starters for nearly the whole contest.
He needed assistance leaving the field, but an MRI confirmed no fracture or muscle injury. Early reports expect him to return to practice and be ready for Saturday which is big for Justin Herbert and Co. LA is 2-2 without Williams this season, averaging just 20 points per game.
The only other team dealing with multiple significant injuries to prominent starters is Tampa Bay. The Bucs had several key defenders miss Week 18, including run-stuffing tackle Vita Vea and shutdown corner Carlton Davis III. Early reports suggest all the ailing Buccaneers will be ready for their Monday Night showdown with the Cowboys.
How Injuries Are Affecting Wild Card Round Lines
As of Tuesday morning, the Dolphins-Bills line suggests Tagovailoa will not play. Buffalo is currently laying 10 points to Miami, which is three more than when these two teams met in Week 15, also in Buffalo. Tua is worth at least 3 points to the spread, and you could argue even more given how Thompson performed last week.
If Tagovailoa is ruled out, expect money to pour in on Buffalo increasing the number in their favor. If Tua is deemed the starter, this line will likely get bet down at least a couple of points.
The Ravens-Bengals point spread meanwhile, currently suggests Jackson will play. Cincinnati is favored by 6.5 points over its divisional rival, after closing as 11.5-point favorites versus a Baltimore team missing Jackson and a number of other key starters last week.
Best take I’ve heard on Lamar Jackson’s injury and contract, via @JimTrotter_NFL pic.twitter.com/gOyMac0Bxj
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) January 10, 2023
If Jackson sits, the line will creep up multiple points in the Bengals’ favor, closing around double-digits.
As for Williams and the Bucs players, they’re key contributors but their availability isn’t likely going to move the line one way or another.
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
