The lines are from covers.com and the home teams are in CAPs.
CHIEFS -7 over Bengals
After then Chiefs’ incredible win over the Bills last weekend, it’s tough not to see them dialling it up again and making their third-straight Super Bowl.
The Bengals haven’t exactly been playing at the highest level over their current run. Almost every team they’ve played down the stretch has shot themselves in the foot somehow or been at a disadvantage – including the Chiefs in Week 17. Expect plenty of adaptation, especially in how K.C. covers Ja’Marr Chase, who absolutely lit them up in that game. This isn’t a team that fails to learn from their mistakes.
The Chiefs should be able to apply pressure on Joe Burrow, too, with big Chris Jones leading the way on the line. After allowing nine sacks last week, it’s hard to have faith in the Bengals keeping Joe Burrow clean.
On the other side of the ball, we’ve seen what Patrick Mahomes and Co. can do, especially with their backs up against the wall. There are just too many weapons for a mediocre defence like Cincy’s to compete with. While we’d love to see another high-flying shootout that comes down to the end, there’s just too much to like about the Chiefs in this one.
49ers +3.5 over RAMS
You probably haven’t heard this yet, but Kyle Shanahan owns Sean McVay, winning all six meetings between the two coaches. It’s fairly obvious that Shanahan has something over his old friend, especially with his team’s ability to adapt both as the season moves along and in-game as well.
San Francisco has a few injury worries, but should have all hands on deck for this one. Most importantly, Jimmy Garoppolo is seemingly over the thumb and shoulder injuries that have ailed him in recent weeks.
The Rams certainly have their star players, but overall make just a few too many mistakes. Just look at Cam Akers’ fumbles last week or Matthew Stafford’s propensity for ill-timed interceptions.
There’s no real home-field advantage for the Rams, either, with Niners fans buying up tickets at a pace that should be worrying for the hosts.
In the end, getting more than a field goal seems more than fair in this three-match between two rivals.
Last week: 1-3
This playoffs: 5-5