The opening round of the NFL postseason provided tons of excitement, but that doesn’t mean the NFL schedule is done there. The divisional round will feature four intriguing matchups, all of which should be interesting to wager on. Let’s take a quick look at each of them.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The divisional round action will kick off Saturday afternoon when Jacksonville takes a trip to Kansas City. The Jaguars made some history while hosting Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers last Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Chiefs got to take a week of rest as the AFC No. 1 seed.
After falling behind by 27 points, Jacksonville Jaguars rallied to notch a 31-30 triumph over its visitors. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s night didn’t begin as he would have liked, as he tossed four interceptions that helped the Chargers pull away. He became only the third passer in the Super Bowl era to gift that many picks in the first half of a playoff game — the others being Detroit’s Gary Danielson and Denver’s Craig Morton.
Only two other playoff comebacks erased more significant deficits. Lawrence connected with Evan Engram, Marvin Jones, Zay Jones, and Christian Kirk for touchdown strikes as the Jaguars clawed their way back into things.
This one has the largest of the NFL point spreads this weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs are 8.5-point favorites, with their NFL odds listed at -110. Jacksonville has the same chances to cover the spread while being +350 underdogs on the money line. The total is set at 52.5 points, with the over set at -112 and the under -108.
Our NFL divisional games prediction for this one is to go with the over. Kansas City has an explosive attack, and the Jaguars have shown the ability to play catch-up. It’s almost sure to be a track meet.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
In the Saturday nightcap, the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants meet up for the third time this season. Philly has won both of the first two, with the second coming recently, in Week 18.
The Giants went into Minnesota Sunday and brought home their first playoff victory in 11 years. Signal-caller Daniel Jones impressed the masses with a 301-yard, two-touchdown showing in his first career postseason tilt. It was the Vikings’ first loss in a dozen one-score games this campaign.
Saquon Barkley rumbled for another two scores and broke a tie halfway through the final quarter. The final score was 31-24.
The Eagles, who boast NFL MVP candidate Jalen Hurts and have been a formidable crew all year, are -7.5 on the spread with -112 odds, while New York is -108 to cover. The Giants are +290 on the moneyline and the total is fixed at 48.5 points. The over is -106 and the under is -114.
Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo and Cincinnati Bengals crossed paths shortly after the new year was rung in, but the rest of the game was canceled after Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. This time around, on Sunday, the two squads will be fighting for the right to head to the AFC title game.
Both of these teams were in action last weekend, as Buffalo outlasted division rival Miami and the Bengals downed Baltimore, sans Lamar Jackson. Josh Allen threw for 352 yards against the Miami Dolphins, who put up much more of a fight than many thought they would, being that they were starting a rookie third-stringer behind center.
Cincinnati pulled out a home win over the Ravens using a huge defensive play by Sam Hubbard, who recovered a goal-line fumble and returned it 98 yards for a momentum-shifting score. The AFC North champions are heading into this one with a head of steam.
The home team Bills are -4.5 at -112 odds, and the Bengals are -108 to cover the spread. The Bengals are +190 underdogs. The over/under is marked down at 48.5 points.
Go with Buffalo Bills on the money line at -230 here. The Bills will have some extra motivation to finish what they started in the Queen City in Week 17.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys
San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys certainly have playoff history. This will be yet another chapter and will also finish out the weekend of postseason football.
The 49ers, of course, have a rookie quarterback and Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy. He’s posted some pretty impressive NFL player stats, throwing for two touchdown strikes in each of his starts to this point.
The Cowboys have to make up for being a few days behind, but Dak Prescott hopes to have another solid showing. Dallas made easy work of Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Monday night and is aiming to make it back to the game’s brightest stage. With this one, you have to factor in that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hadn’t done the best in terms of NFL team standings this season.
Closest Game on the NFL Bracket
This promises to be the closest game on the NFL playoff bracket this week. San Francisco is favored by three points and has -118 odds to cover the spread. They’re -184 on the money line, while the Cowboys are +154 underdogs. The total is down at 46.5 points, with both the over and under set at -110.
Take the 49ers on the spread with this NFL divisional games prediction. Not only do they have a young passer who has played above what many thought he could, but they have a solid rusher in Christian McCaffrey, whose early surge set the tone against Seattle and helps with impressive NFL team stats on the ground.
Of course, you can combine multiple picks to use in your NFL picks and parlays. Make sure to use any NFL divisional games prediction we’ve made. The NFL matchups this week all seem to be toss-ups — maybe with the exception of that between Jacksonville and Kansas City.
Make sure to keep up with the NFL injury report, which fluctuates throughout the week.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.