The NFL divisional round starts this Saturday. Eight teams are looking to punch their ticket to the conference championship.
Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans
The first game of the weekend starts at 4:30 on Saturday. The Houston Texans, fresh off a wild-card win over Cleveland, will visit the Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens will be rested and ready to go since the starters have not played in 3 weeks. The Texans looked great last week, and it seems like CJ Stroud gets better and better each game. This will be a close, competitive game, but the Ravens have the home-field advantage. I think the Ravens’ rest might come back to bite them. The Texans take this game in a close one, 27-24.
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers
The night game on Saturday will be between the 49ers and Packers. The Packers are fresh off a dominant win over the Cowboys, and the Niners are again coming off two weeks of rest. Jordan Love has been on fire lately and has the Packers’ offense buzzing. Brock Purdy has struggled in the past weeks, but Kyle Shannan will surely have a good game plan for this one. The Niners will have the home-field advantage and will cool off the red-hot Packers with a 27-13 victory.
Detroit Lions vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday begins with Buccaneers vs Lions. Both teams come in off wins. The Bucs dominated the Eagles, and the Lions scraped by the Rams. The Bucs have one of the best resurgence stories in QB Baker Mayfield, who played great in their wild-card matchup. After winning their first playoff game since 1992, the Lions are a great story. Dan Campbell has been prepping his team for this moment since he arrived in Detroit. While this definitely will not be an easy game for the Lions, I think they’ll come away victorious at home 27-21.
Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs
The finale of the divisional round weekend will be another chapter in a great playoff rivalry. The Chiefs vs the Bills matchup has given us some instant classics in years past. The circumstances are a bit different this time. The Chiefs will have to play in Buffalo in the frozen tundra. This will be Patrick Mahome’s first playoff game on the road since he became the full-time starter in 2018. Josh Allen will look to get his team a win in this historic clash. While this will be a close, hard-fought game, I think the Buffalo Bills will come on top 33-30 in another classic matchup.
Who will rise to the top of the NFL divisional round?
Who will come out on top and move on to conference championship weekend? This is a great weekend to be a football fan. Will we see some new teams rise to the top? Or will there be familiar faces in the next round?