And then there were eight. The Wild Card Round has whittled the playing field down to the remaining eight teams with the Lombardi Trophy as the ultimate prize. The weekend concluded with the Dallas Cowboys knocking off Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs on Monday Night.
The final eight that make up the Divisional Round has some familiar names, including a couple of preseason favorites in the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers. Of course, in a league that thrives on parity, there are surprise teams too, as few expected the Jacksonville Jaguars or New York Giants to play this late into January.
With two games apiece on Saturday and Sunday, we have NFL Divisional Round predictions and take a look at the best playoff bets to make.
Jaguars at Chiefs: Point Spread, Total, Moneyline
The divisional round kicks off on Saturday with the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s David vs. Goliath in Missouri, with the Jags — in the midst of a surprise playoff run — facing off against one of the league’s perennial contenders in the Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City opened up as more than a touchdown favorite over Jacksonville. These are the current Jags vs. Chiefs odds offered by the top sportsbooks.
Jags vs. Chiefs Divisional Playoff Prediction
After starting the season 2-6, the playoffs seemed like a pipe dream for the Jaguars. They turned their season around and not only won the AFC South but knocked out the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. The first half was anything but pretty, trailing the Chargers 27-7 at the break and quarterback Trevor Lawrence throwing four picks.
Determined not to be relegated back to the AFC basement, the Jags turned it around — a common theme for this team — and advanced with a 31-30 win. They now draw the No. 1-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. The 14-3 Chiefs beat the Jaguars 27-17 in their regular season matchup.
The Jaguars enter as one of the hottest teams in the league whereas the Chiefs are well-rested and experienced. Kansas City has struggled to cover at home, going just 2-5-1 at Arrowhead. There are too many points on the table for this Jags team and they should keep it close.
Jaguars vs. Chiefs Prediction: Jaguars +8.5
Read: Chiefs the favorites to win Super Bowl 57 heading into the divisional round
Giants at Eagles Betting Lines
Three teams from the NFC East not only qualified for the postseason but are all playing in the second round. The Giants and Eagles meet for the third time this season in the Divisional Round.
Philadelphia is favored and these are the live lines offered by sportsbooks for Giants vs. Eagles.
NFL · Sat (1/21) @ 8:15pm ET
| NY Giants | at | PHI Eagles |
| Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||
$1,250 First Bet + 1000 Tier Credits + 1000 Reward Credits® at Caesars
Giants vs. Eagles Divisional Playoff Prediction
New York lost both their regular season games to the Eagles, losing 48-22 in early December and again to close out the regular season, 22-16 (although the game had no bearing on the Giants’ seeding). The Eagles will look to make it a complete sweep of their rivals on Saturday night.
Quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offense will face a defense considerably tougher than the Vikings squad played in the first round. The Eagles’ 70 sacks lead the league and were 15 more than second-place Kansas City. The Giants, meanwhile, have been sacked the fifth-most of any team this year.
There are concerns about the health of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, but the MVP candidate should be good to go. The Eagles are the more talented team and should emerge victorious and end the Giants’ otherwise solid season.
Giants vs. Eagles Prediction: Eagles -7.5
Bengals at Bills Spread, Over/Under, and Moneyline
Perhaps the most exciting game of the Divisional Round, two of the AFC’s top teams square off in Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. Allen has yet to lose a home playoff game and the Bengals have yet to lose a road playoff match, so something has to give.
These are the current Bengals vs. Bills odds being offered by the top national sportsbooks.
NFL · Sun (1/22) @ 3:01pm ET
| CIN Bengals | at | BUF Bills |
| Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York | ||
Bengals vs. Bills Divisional Playoff Prediction
Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, two of the league’s top gunslingers, square off. Both teams have been Super Bowl hopefuls since the summer. The Bills are favorites to win at home with a total set in the high 40s.
The Bengals and Bills played a few weeks ago but the game was declared a non-contest after the Bills’ Damar Hamlin faced a life-threatening injury. He’ll certainly be on the mind of both teams ahead of this “rematch.”
Buffalo failed to cover as a double-digit favorite over the Dolphins to start their postseason campaign. They managed to win, 34-31, but the expectation was that the Bills would run over third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson and the hapless Fins. Instead, the game was much closer — due in part to Josh Allen’s three turnovers.
The Wild Card Round wasn’t pretty for the Bengals, either. Also playing a divisional rival, they defeated the Ravens, 24-17. A 98-yard fumble return touchdown by the Bengals’ defense broke the stalemate early in the fourth. The Bengals held on to beat the Lamar-less Ravens, but the team certainly knows they left some on the table.
Both the Bengals and the Bills are among the sport’s best teams coming off substandard games. They have been popular picks to play in February for good reason. The Bengals have gone 12-5 against the spread (ATS) this season and in a close game like this, it’s better to be on the dog getting this much.
Bengals vs. Bills Prediction: Bengals +5
Read more: Giants, Bills take early divisional round money
Cowboys at 49ers Betting Lines
The Divisional Round of the playoffs concludes Sunday afternoon with the Cowboys heading to the bay to take on the 49ers. These are the live spreads, moneylines, and totals being offered by sportsbooks for the Cowboys vs. 49ers playoff game.
NFL · Sun (1/22) @ 6:40pm ET
| DAL Cowboys | at | SF 49ers |
| Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California | ||
Cowboys vs. 49ers Divisional Playoff Prediction
Three quarterbacks have suited up for San Francisco this year but the NFC West winners haven’t missed a beat. Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, commands the offense for the NFC’s second seed.
San Francisco is riding an 11-game winning streak heading into the Divisional Round. The 49ers pulled away from the Seahawks in the second half of their Wild Card game, winning 41-23. The rookie signal-caller looked anything but a 7th-rounder as Purdy finished 18-for-30 with 332 yards and four scores.
Dallas took care of business in their Wild Card matchup. As a short favorite, they blew off the wheels of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win 31-14. Four missed extra points by kicker Brett Maher were the biggest blemish on their victory.
The 49ers are slight favorites and should continue their winning streak this week. Their defense, among the top units in the league, should make life difficult for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Playing in front of their home crowd, we like the 49ers to win and cover.
Cowboys vs. 49ers Prediction: 49ers -3.5
NFL playoffs: Betting lines for all four divisional round games | Super Bowl 57 odds
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