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NFL PLAYOFFS: Our official predictions for who wins in the divisional round

Jan 15, 2021, 23:19 IST
Insider
Tom Brady.Patrick Smith/Getty Images
  • The NFL playoffs are here.
  • Eight teams remain in the fight for the Lombardi Trophy, with four thrilling games set for this weekend to determine who will face off in the the conference championships.
  • This weekend we're backing Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to avenge their losses to the Saints from earlier in the season, plus three more best bets for the Divisional Round.
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The first weekend of the playoffs came went plenty of surprises. The Rams leaned on stellar defensive performance to find a way to win despite quarterback Jared Goff playing through a broken thumb, and the Browns came up with an upset win over the Steelers that was two decades in the making.

Our bets fared well. After a tough regular season, we're off to a 4-1-1 start to the playoffs - one that would have been 5-1 if you caught the Washington Football Team as an 8.5-point underdog or better. Let's see if we can keep the wins coming this week as we head into the Divisional round (* indicates home team).

LAST WEEK: 4-1-1
OVERALL: 4-1-1

Green Bay Packers* (-6.5) over Los Angeles Rams

Aaron Rodgers.AP Photo/Mike Roemer

The Green Bay Packers have scored 30 points or more in 12 of their 16 games this season, leading the league in points per game. They'll be facing a Rams defense that has only given up more than 20 points six times through 17 games.

Unstoppable force, meet immovable object.

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But even with the near-touchdown line here, I'm backing the Packers. Rodgers and the Green Bay offense have plenty of weapons at their disposal, and wide receiver Davante Adams is having such a year that it's hard to imagine even All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey stopping him from getting his. Barring a perfect game from the Rams defense, the Packers should be able to take care of business here.

Baltimore Ravens (+2.5) over Buffalo Bills*

Lamar Jackson.Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

It feels like this could be the game of the weekend, with two walking-highlight-reel quarterbacks facing off in the biggest games of their respective careers. I'm backing the Ravens because after last weekend's emphatic win against the Titans, it feels like they could go all the way to the Super Bowl, making up for last year's disappointing postseason performance.

The one major concern I have here is weather. Snow could be in the forecast in Buffalo on Saturday, and that could be a problem for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. "Zero," Jackson said, when asked about his experience playing a snow game. "Saturday would be my first time playing football in the snow, if it does. Hopefully, it don't."

For what it's worth, snow could conceivably help Jackson be even more elusive than he already is - we've seen some notable snow games in the past from hard-to-catch rushers. Still, regardless of what side you're betting in this one, it might be best to wait until kickoff to see what the weather is looking like before locking in.

Kansas City Chiefs* (-10) over Cleveland Browns

Patrick Mahomes.AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't won a game by more than 10 points since a dominant performance over the lowly Jets in Week 8. While they haven't lost since, all of their wins over the second half of the season came in one-score games, making covering here a tall order.

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But if any team can "turn it on" in the postseason, it's Kansas City. Last year the Chiefs faced a double-digit deficit in every playoff game they played, and won each of them by 10 points or more. Cleveland is coming off of an emotional win during which every ball bounced their way. If they can win the turnover battle by a 5-0 margin again against Kansas City, they may have a chance, but that's a big ask.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) over New Orleans Saints*

The last time these two teams met, the Saints ran the Buccaneers off of the field in a 38-3 primetime win. It was one of the worst losses and worst all-around performances of Tom Brady's two decades in the NFL.

If this game was just Brees vs. Brady, I would probably back Brees. But it isn't. This is Vengeful Brady vs. Brees. It's not that Brady eases off the throttle in any particular game, but it's difficult to imagine him letting a slight like their embarrassing loss earlier in the year pass by with no vengeance. The Saints are the better team here, but getting three points, I will take an angry Brady every time.

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