The Wild Card weekend has been and gone. We now approach what many dub the best weekend in the NFL year, the divisional round. It is where the ‘pretenders’ have been eliminated and the elite is left.
Let’s see who we think will take another step towards the Super Bowl.
Saturday, January 18th
Houston Texans @ 
Kansas City Chiefs
A lot of people thought the Texans would lose in the wild card at home to the Chargers, so how sweet it must have been for DeMeco Ryans and the whole organization to rubbish those predictions with a 32-12 win. Running back Joe Mixon clocked 106 yards on the ground with a TD while Nico Collins added 122 yards and a TD through the air. QB C.J Stroud didn’t have his best game but did enough, while the defense really swarmed all over Justin Herbert and essentially won the game for the Texans. It was complementary football and they will need more of the same going into the home of the champs.
Speaking of the champs, Kansas City enjoyed a week of rest, in fact two weeks as they rested their starters in week 18. Will that mean Patick Mahomes and co will come into this one rusty? Perhaps. But it’s got to be a net positive that they have been able to sit back and watch others slug it out while they get healthy. KC is going for an unprecedented three-peat, and you wouldn’t back against them at this stage.
I think, despite possible rustiness, Kansas City will advance once again to the AFC Championship game.
Chiefs to win Moneyline @-450
Washington Commanders @ 
Detroit Lions
What a result at Tampa Bay and what a season it has been for the Commanders. The 23-20 win in Florida was Washington’s first playoff win since 2006, and in Jayden Daniels they have found their franchise QB. The rookie showed no signs of nerves in his first ever postseason appearance, throwing for 286 yards and two TDs. He has been compared to Lamar Jackson with his ability to evade pass rushers and throw dimes everywhere, and those comparisons looked valid on Sunday. He has put this team on his shoulders and led them to the divisional round.
Daniels will need to find all of that magic and more as his team travel to the best team in the NFC, the Detroit Lions. Dan Campbell’s men will come into this one fresh after having the week off, earning the bye by claiming the No.1 seed. In more good news for Detroit, they expect to welcome back running back David Montgomery from injury, so he can form his Sonic and Knuckles partnership with Jahmyr Gibbs out of the backfield.
I think the Commanders will push Detroit all the way, but the Lions will come out on top.
Lions to win Moneyline @ -520
Sunday, January 19
Baltimore Ravens @ 
Buffalo Bills
So we come to the clash of the two most likely MVP candidates. This will be billed as Lamar vs Allen but of course, there is much more to it than that. The Ravens dismantled the Steelers in the Wild Card round, the 28-14 score line doesn’t really reflect the dominance Baltimore enjoyed. The combo of Lamar and Derrick Henry was impossible for Pittsburgh to stop, with Jackson recording 175 yards and two TDs while Henry ran for 186 yards and two TDs. The Ravens have also boasted one of the best defenses in the NFL over recent weeks and at this moment they look like a complete football team.
Many pundits thought the Broncos would push the Bills all the way, but in truth, except for a opening drive TD from Denver, it was never close. In the 31-7 romp, Josh Allen had 272 yards and two TDs, while James Cook ran for 120 yards and a TD. There were a couple of times Allen looked a bit antsy, particularly early on, but he soon settled into his usual rhythm and Buffalo looked comfortable.
This is obviously very tough to call. Two quarterbacks in excellent form, two running backs in Henry and Cook who can change a game in an instant. I am going to go with the Ravens to pick up a win on the road. I think their defense has really come to the party and will do enough to disrupt Allen and come away with a massive win.
Ravens to win Moneyline @ -118
LA Rams @ 
Philadelphia Eagles
It has obviously been an emotional time for everyone associated with Los Angeles over the last week or so. The Rams wanted to represent their people properly against the Vikings, and boy did they do that. They dished out a a 27-9 beatdown of a team that had won 14 games in the regular season. The defense sacked Sam Darnold nine times for a loss of 82 yards, and Matthew Stafford had full control of the offense, spreading it out all over the field.
The Eagles were just too strong for the Packers in the Wild Card, winning 22-10 when it could and should have been a bigger deficit. Jalen Hurts was solid, throwing for 131 yards and two TDs while Saquon did what Saquon does, running for 119 yards. The only criticism of the Eagles in this game was they weren’t great through the air. They will need to get A.J Brown much more involved in the passing game if they want to make inroads to the Super Bowl. They certainly have the O Line to protect Huts and give him enough time in the pocket to go throuh his reads.
This could be tougher than people think for the Eagles, who didn’t get it going through the air last week. But I think they will have just enough.
Eagles to win Moneyline @ -290
Divisional Round Parlay Picks
It is time to see who has really got what it takes, as the Conference game is within reach for all of these teams. I think the Lions and Chiefs will show their class and am confident in their victories. The Ravens-Bills game seems so close, but with the way Lamar is playing, I just can’t bet against him.
If you want to have a go at creating your own parlay and seeing what returns you could get, you can use our free parlay odds calculator.
