NFC Spot Plays Selections for the Divisional Rounds, Jan. 16-17, 2021. Thank you for visiting and best of luck this weekend. Enjoy the games and always wager within your comfort level and budget.
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers (-6.5 ATS, 45.5 Over/Under), 4:35 p.m. ET
I’ve never been a big fan of the Rams as they are one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL. They can look like world beaters one week and then struggle against an inferior team the next. Jared Goff will be at the helm at Green Bay this Saturday and he is going to be in for a long, cold day. Worse yet, the Rams appear to have some critical injuries heading into this game.
Green Bay has had two weeks to prepare for this game, and they figure to brow beat the Rams in this home game at Lambaugh Field. MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers is 6-0 ATS in his career against the Rams and we look for him to extend that to 7-0.
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills (-2.5, 50), 8:15 p.m. ET
Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson put the naysayers to rest by ‘finally’ conquering his awful 0-2 post season record (sic). He showed his mettle by not getting flustered against Tennessee (the team that upset him last year) and overcoming a 10-0 deficit after an ugly interception early in the game.
Here’s the problem for Buffalo. They have the 20th ranked rushing defense by yards against, and that bodes well for Jackson who has been tearing it up on the gridiron.
According to ESPN, Baltimore is 9-1 ATS and 7-3 outright as an underdog since drafting the UofL star in 2018. Jackson is 6-1 ATS and 5-2 outright as an underdog. Look for Baltimore to keep their hot streak going by covering and possibly winning outright in upstate New York.
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs (-10, 57), 3:05 p.m. ET Sunday
Is that Cleveland win last week for real? Did they really go into Pittsburgh and kick their you-know-what up and down the field despite the lack of a head coach and a few key players? Yes, that did happen. But will Cleveland suffer a let down after upsetting their big rival, the Steelers?
Cleveland has the 26th worst passing defense by opponents’ number of completions per game. That is an ugly stat heading into Arrowhead to face the guy who could go down as the GOAT.
All the betting angles, historically speaking, actually point to the Browns. But real tangibles point to a big Chiefs’ win. Lay the points.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (-3, 52), 6:40 p.m. ET Sunday
The prime time game on Sunday is the matchup between two of the great quarterbacks in the history of the game. And that is where I feel the Buccaneers have the edge. Tom Brady is a winner, period. Brees, as great as he is, hasn’t looked nearly as sharp over the past couple of years, especially in the post season. It’s hard to get his performance from last year’s game against the Vikings out of our minds. Then last week, they had a tough time putting the Bears away.
The Bucs gain the services of linebacker Devon White for this game, and that is a key cog back in the lineup for Tampa Bay. Tampa is healthy and it’s a revenge game with obviously a lot on the line.
The Saints defeated the Bucs by 46 combined points in its two regular-season games. That’s the highest point differential in a sweep for any team prior to a third meeting against an opponent in a single season. In each of the previous three highest instances, the team that got swept in the regular season won the playoff rematch outright.
Take the points with the Bucs.
