Early odds for Sunday’s NFL Divisional Round games are out. As we might expect, home teams shows up as big favorites. But although home teams have an edge, are the Titans, Packers, Buccaneers and Chiefs worth backing to beat their opponents? Check out NFL Playoffs odds, analysis, and free picks for the 2022 NFL Divisional Round.
Early Updated Match Odds for Sunday Divisional Round Games
NFL Divisional Round
- When: Saturday, Jan. 22 – Sunday, Jan. 23
Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans -3 ½
Joe Burrow is a difference-maker. The Bengals quarterback has skills for days. But although Burrow can dominate any secondary, he requires time to get off his passes.
Time might be in short supply versus the Tennessee Titans. Mike Vrabel is a master at pressuring quarterbacks. The Titan’s front 7 is one of the best in football. Burrow could dominate Tennessee’s secondary, but the guess here is that the Titans get to Joe before he can escape and throw his miraculous passes.
Also, Derrick Henry returns. Henry and D’Onta Foreman give the Titans a couple of bruising running backs. In addition, Ryan Tannehill to A.J. Brown has become one of the best quarterback and receiver combinations in the NFL. At -3 ½, Tennessee is an overlay.
NFL Divisional Round Pick: Tennessee Titans
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers -6
We’d be all over San Francisco if not for the fact both quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and defensive end Nick Bosa are listed as questionable. Bosa suffered a concussion in the victory over the Cowboys.
Jimmy G. suffered a sprained shoulder in the second-quarter, which explains why he was sailing passes over his receivers’ heads in the second half. If Jimmy G. and Bosa were one-hundred percent, the Niners would be a great moneyline play.
As it stands, San Francisco is just the play against the spread. The problem the Packers will have in this game is stopping San Francisco’s rushing attack. Green Bay gave up 28 points or more in 5 of their last 7 games.
So the Niners should score even if Jimmy isn’t one-hundred percent. San Francisco is the pick to cover.
NFL Divisional Round Pick: San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3
The Rams sure looked good when beating the rival Arizona Cardinals 34-11 in Los Angeles’ first wild card game. However, we shouldn’t give the Rams more credit than they deserve.
LAR played a team that had lost 5 of its last 6 regular season games. Things had gotten so bad for AZ that they fell 38-30 to the Seattle Seahawks at home in Week 18 in a game that could have netted them a home playoff tilt.
Matthew Stafford goes from facing a bad defense to one of the very best in the league. The Buccaneers shut down Philadelphia’s vaunted rushing attack.
Tom Brady is a master at knowing how to beat the blitz before Buc’s center Ryan Jensen snaps it to him. This could get ugly to the tune of a 14 to 17 points Tampa victory.
NFL Divisional Round Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs -2 ½
Definitely consider going over in this game. Neither defense, although both are great, should have much success stopping the other team’s offense.
Kansas City added a new dimension in the dominating victory over the Steelers. Running back Jerrick McKinnon caught 6 passes, which means, finally, Andy Reid has his pass-catching back. Buffalo will struggle to stop Tyreek Hill, McKinnon, and Travis Kelce.
Kansas City’s defense has no chance of stopping Josh Allen. The Buffalo quarterback is also one of the best running backs in the league. Allen averages 6.3 yards per carry. When he gets a full head of steam, he’s impossible to get to the ground 1-on-1, which means on every offensive play, KC defensive backs must sneak a peek at Allen to see if he’s taken off with his legs.
Because both teams will score and move the football, the Buffalo moneyline is the play. Kansas City doesn’t have much of an advantage over the Bills but the odds imply the Chiefs have a better than even chance.
To be clear, this is a pure odds bet. The reason to back the Bills is because they offer better odds on the moneyline. So if you really like Kansas City, back them to cover.
NFL Divisional Round Pick: Buffalo Bills moneyline