The lines are from covers.com and the home teams are in CAPs.
TENNESSEE -3.5 over Cincinnati
Much will be made over Derrick Henry’s return to the field, but even if he doesn’t suit up, the Titans are the smarter pick here. While everyone is enamoured with the coolness of Joe Burrow, the Bengals have their fair share of flaws that the Titans are well-built to exploit. Tennessee can create pressure without sending extra defenders and their power run game will cause Cincy’s defence headaches. A.J. Brown should also be in for a good game with the visitors lacking the physicality to truly trouble him.
GREEN BAY -5.5 over San Francisco
The Niners are the hot sleeper team in the playoffs and it’s easy to see why. They were the only underdog to advance from wild-card weekend and have the right style of offence to give the top-ranked Packers a lot of trouble. But San Francisco is dealing with some key injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and key defenders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. With the Packers getting some important players back from injury thanks to their bye and with Aaron Rodgers playing at MVP level, we just can’t see the upset here. Let’s also not forget that the 49ers almost did blow that game last week against the Cowboys, who did everything they could to hand it over to Kyle Shanahan’s crew.
L.A. Rams +3 over TAMPA BAY
This one is more about health to us and the Rams get the edge here. The Bucs are likely without starting LT Tristan Wirfs – even if he plays, it won’t be at anywhere close to 100% – and are still lacking that scary firepower on offence from earlier this season. Don’t forget that Jalen Ramsey has the potential to erase Mike Evans from the game. The Bucs defence also has its holes, so as long as Matt Stafford can keep the turnovers in check, we’re keen to take the points.
Buffalo +1.5 over KANSAS CITY
Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen is the absolute marquee matchup of this current generation of QBs. While both teams are worthy Super Bowl contenders and are coming off big wins, we’re giving the Bills a slight edge. What Buffalo has done to unlock Allen in the running game, allowing the big QB to be more like prime Cam Newton, is incredibly tough to stop. The problem is that the Bills defence hasn’t been truly tested this season, mostly feasting on offences from the lower-third of the league. It’s hard to argue either side losing this one, it’ll be a great watch.
Last week: 4-2
This season: 132-139-1