Every week billions of dollars are wagered on the NFL. The most popular type of bet is the spread. Each week there are a few games with an appealing spread and others with an ugly spread. To help bettors figure out which spreads they should bet on and which to avoid, two of our NFL writers, Mike Fanelli and Dale Money, give their take on every spread for each of this weekend’s games.
To recap, last week, Mike finished with a 1-5 record while Dale finished 4-2. For the year, Mike is 123-135-2 while Dale is 140-118-2. Let’s take a look at their picks for the Divisional Round.
Spreads are provided by Jazz Sportsbook. Please bet responsibly.
Be sure to check out our NFL betting advice article each week.
Game
Mike
Dale
Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans -3.5
CIN +3.5
CIN +3.5
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers -6
SF +6
GB -6
Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3
TB -3
LAR +3
Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs -2
BUF +2
BUF +2
The Team to Bet
Mike: Buffalo Bills +2
The Bills finished the record season with an 11-6 record, including a 10-6-1 record against the spread. They were the favored team in 14 of their 17 regular-season games. The Bills were never more than 3.5 point underdogs this season. They went 2-1 straight up in those three games, including a 38-20 win over the Chiefs in Kansas City. Josh Allen was unstoppable in that game, throwing for 315 yards and scoring four total touchdowns. While the Kansas City defense has been excellent the second half of the season, they got exposed by the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense in Week 16. Allen will have arguably his best game as a pro and lead the Bills to the outright victory.
Dale: Los Angeles Rams +3
Jalen Hurts was a relatively easy opponent for Tom Brady last week. Hurts’ accuracy issues severely crippled the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense. However, Brady may have met his match this weekend against Matthew Stafford. Stafford has always been an accurate passer, with his completion percentage being on par with Brady’s this season. Cooper Kupp’s play has undoubtedly revitalized Stafford’s career. The Rams’ dominance of the Arizona Cardinals was, no doubt, a surprise to many. With the return of Cam Akers, the Rams offense has a consistent and explosive running game. If the Rams can successfully run the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they can keep Brady off the field. Take the Rams and the points in this one.
The Team to Avoid
Mike: Tennessee Titans -3.5
Everyone is excited to see how the Tennessee offense will play with the return of Derrick Henry. However, the Titans have struggled when favored this season, going 4-5 against the spread in those games. Furthermore, they were only 1-2 against the spread when favored by four points or less this season, meaning the Titans are a hard team to predict. Meanwhile, the Bengals have won four straight games with Joe Burrow under center, winning by an average of 8.8 points per game in those contests. The last time we saw the Titans, they barely defeated the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Bengals have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Cincinnati pulls off the upset and makes their first AFC Championship game appearance since 1988.
Dale: San Francisco 49ers +6
Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers played well against the Dallas Cowboys last week. However, if Dallas handled the final drive better, the Cowboys could have easily won that game. Aaron Rodgers is the likely MVP for a reason, as he won’t make those same mistakes. While Garoppolo played his best game last week, his luck will run out at Lambeau Field. The Packers have a 5-1 record against the spread when five or more point favorites at home this season. Take Rodgers and the Packers to cover the six-point spread in what could be a blowout.
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