RADIO
San Francisco and Minnesota made me a little nervous early, scoring 24 combined points in the first half, but things slowed down in the second and the under hit comfortably. Baltimore just totally fell apart, and were stunned by the Titans, after being the top seed in the AFC. Green Bay teetered on blowing their lead, and thanks to a generous first down by the refs, they held on and covered the 4.5 point spread.
- Divisional Round Picks: 2-1 (66%)
- 2019-20 Picks: 37-35 (51%)
We have just two weeks of football left, which puts some pressure on handicappers to help those looking for insight to finish the season strong. We push on and look at recent trends, along with individual player playoff history to drive our research and make the best informed decisions possible.
Follow me on Twitter @sgjanik_6 to chat about football and my picks. I’m also on the Action App @sgjanik6 where I’ll post all the picks below and more this season. Good luck!
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Green Bay at San Francisco (-7.5)
O/U: 46.5
As winners of their last six, Green Bay is peaking at the absolute right time. Aaron Rodgers and company have averaged 353 yards per game in that stretch, and while they've only scored 25 or more twice, Aaron Jones and Davante Adams are weapons every remaining team would beg to have. An interesting split stat is that Rodgers is 1-2 in Conference Championship games with a 4/5 TD/Int. Defensively, the Packers have been stout, allowing more than 265 yards of offense just once over the six-game win streak, but they've been very streaky all season, so at any moment they could fold. The 49ers don't just love to run the ball, they're also very good at it, rushing for 143ypg over the last seven, so Green Bay will need to focus on stopping the run over anything.
San Francisco took care of business in their first playoff game since 2013, defeating Minnesota 27-10. Jimmy Garoppolo wasn't needed for much, throwing for just 122 yards, with a touchdown and interception in his first career playoff game. Like Kyle Shanahan has done all season, the 49ers grounded and pounded their way to 186 yards and two scores and the Vikings had no match. The Packers Defense can easily be run on, but they have had their moments of being an elite run defense this year. On the 49ers defensive side, they brought their top effort post bye week. Richard Sherman, Nick Bosa, and the rest of the Niners defense are able to take over a game in a handful of plays, but the Packers will certainly be a fair match.
After wins this season, Green Bay has seen the total go under eight times, while San Francisco has had the total go under seven times. Rodgers doesn't have a great Conference Championship portfolio but their weapons are arguably the best of the remaining team. The 49ers Defense is the best remaining unit on that side of the ball, which gives them a big boost, on top of their love of running the ball. I see a close, low-scoring affair on tap in the NFC Championship game.
Pick: Green Bay +7.5 and Under 46.5
Tennessee at Kansas City (-7.5)
O/U: 52
Tennessee continues to roll through the playoffs, while shocking some of the top NFL fan bases with upset wins over the Patriots and the top-seeded Ravens. Derrick Henry might on one the best stretches of football in the last 20 years; he's rushed for over 100 yards in seven of the last eight games, which includes six games with 149 yards or more. While Ryan Tannehill was an enormous part of the Titans getting into the playoffs, he's been equally unneeded over the last two games, throwing for just 160 yards on 15 completions with three touchdowns and an interception. Defensively, Tennessee has been pretty vulnerable to giving up yards, but keeping points off the board. This is evidenced by the 13 points allowed per game and 379 ypg over the last three contests.
The Chiefs are coming in fresh off one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history; overcoming an early 24-point deficit, Kansas City showed that they're for real by dropping 41 unanswered points. Patrick Mahomes' five touchdown passes are what most expected out of the third-year signal caller this season, which hints that he's getting hot at the perfect time. His favorite target was Travis Kelce, to the tune of of 134 yards and three touchdowns, so if the Chiefs can get Tyreek Hill going, this offense will be deadly at home. The Chiefs Defense is easily the weakest of the remaining teams, and this is the same defense that gave up 188 rushing yards to Derrick Henry in Week 10. If they're unable to contain him, this could have the similar making of last week's game.
Both of these offenses are dangerous in their own ways, while their defenses have their weaknesses. Compared to the NFC Championship game, this matchup has the makings of a shootout. Early and often, the Titans might let Tannehill throw it around a little more than normal, which will catch KC off guard. Meanwhile, the Chiefs offense will want to prove that their 41-point outburst wasn't a fluke, so they should come out, guns blazing.
Pick: 1st Half Over 25.5
