NFL Divisional Weekend Predictions

MIKE

Saints vs. Seahawks (-7.5)

Seahawks 28-20 (Seahawks cover spread)

The Saints put some of their critics to rest by coming up with a gritty road playoff win at Philly last week. The 12^th man will be in full force for the Divisional Round come Saturday afternoon, and the Saints will certainly have to perform much better on both sides of the ball from the Week 13 encounter to stand a chance against the NFC’s top seed. Saints DC Rob Ryan will have to be at his play-calling best in order to slow down the multitude of options the Seattle offense possesses. QB Drew Brees has never performed great away from the Superdome, and more so against the stout Seattle defense. I don’t expect this encounter to be as one-sided as the Monday night game several weeks ago, but the Saints aren’t built to win back-to-back playoff games on the road.

Colts vs. Patriots (-7)

Patriots 33-30 (Colts beat spread)

The Colts pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in postseason history in upending the Chiefs on Wild Card Weekend. QB Andrew Luck was far from his best but managed to carve up the KC defense when it mattered most. Coach Pagano will have his team ready to go in Foxboro on Saturday night, but so will Coach Belichick. QB Tom Brady has quietly put together an outstanding season with less weapons than he had at his disposal in previous seasons. It seemed as if the Pats found ways to climb out of troubling predicaments all season long, and will call upon those games to get it done once again this week. When you have a HOF QB and Coach combination as successful as Brady and Belichick at the helm, you always stand a chance to win the Super Bowl. Luck will make this one competitive throughout, but the Pats will find a way to sneak one out at home to reach the AFC Championship game.

49ers (-1.5) vs. Panthers

49ers 24-21 (49ers cover spread)

These two identical teams will go head-to-head in a physical playoff game that will truly be earned. QB’s Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick are very similar in that they can beat defenses with their accuracy and strength throwing the football, but also with their elusiveness and speed running the ball when the play breaks down. These teams possess two top five defensive units, and yards and points will be hard to come by. The extreme cold in Green Bay did not bother the 49ers last weekend, and they will surely welcome the comfortable temperatures of North Carolina on Sunday. Coach Rivera has done an excellent job in turning the Panthers around this season, capturing the NFC’s 2^nd seed and winning the NFC South. Unfortunately, this weekend he will run into a similar team to his that does everything a little bit better. RB Frank Gore is an improvement from RB’s DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and the receiving corps of San Francisco contains more playmakers and game-breakers than Carolina’s. This will be a hotly contested game, but the 49ers will move on to their third consecutive NFC Championship game with another hard-fought win.

Chargers vs. Broncos (-9.5)

Broncos 38-27 (Broncos cover spread)

The Chargers were impressive in forcing Bengals’ QB Andy Dalton into several mistakes and capitalized on them with a solid offensive performance in winning last weekend. San Diego can certainly draw positives from their Thursday night win in Denver several weeks ago. They held QB Peyton Manning and that vaunted Denver passing attack in check and came away with a huge win in their playoff push. Manning and the Denver offense will reverse the trend on Sunday and explode for a huge offensive performance. The top-ranked offensive unit in the NFL will get their revenge against San Diego, and Manning will have a big day distributing the ball to his talented receivers, backs and tight ends. QB Philip Rivers has arguably been the second-best quarterback behind Manning this season, and will have a solid day throwing the ball against a shaky Denver pass defense. RB Ryan Matthews and WR Keenan Allen will have to have huge performances in order to potentially cause the upset in Mile High. Manning has had to prolific of a season to be bounced in the Divisional Round as he was last year, and will do his part to set up an intriguing AFC Championship game with longtime rival QB Tom Brady and the Patriots. 

ADAM

Saints vs Seahawks (-7.5)

27-21 Seahawks

The Saints will be sure to make this matchup much closer than their regular season meeting. In the end I think the combination of the Seahawks defense, Russell Wilson, and home field advantage will be too much for Drew Brees and the Saints to overcome.

Colts vs Patriots (-7)

31-21 Patriots

After their ridiculous comeback win against the Chiefs last week I want to pick the Colts but I can’t let myself pick against Tom Brady at home. The Colts will again find themselves playing from behind in the second half but won’t be able to pull off the same magic they did last week.

49ers (-1.5) vs Panthers

23-20 Panthers

It’s not easy to pick against the 49ers after the way they have been playing as of late but I believe in Cam Newton and this Panthers team. Cam will keep this game close for his team and the Panthers will win on a late field goal to prove to everyone that this season was not a fluke.

Chargers vs Broncos (-9.5)

35-27 Broncos

This one is a no brainer for me. Peyton Manning will show how superior he and the Broncos are by exploiting the Chargers secondary all day. Broncos roll and set up the long awaited AFC Championship matchup against the Patriots.