NFL Betting Preview: Divisional Round

The NFL season is coming down to the wire, as we are almost three weeks away from the Super Bowl. There are eight teams left who have a chance at winning it all and you can make an argument for any of them to make a run at this point.

The biggest spread this week is six points, with all of these games expected to be close one-score contests. Four outstanding matchups have us set for a great weekend of football, but what are the best bets if you want to lay action on these games?

Here is your betting preview for the NFL’s Divisional Round of the playoffs.

*All odds and betting lines provided by WynnBet

Cincinnati Bengals (11-7) vs. Tennessee Titans (12-5)

Spread: TEN (-3.5)

Money Line: CIN (+152) TEN (-185)

Over/Under: 47 Points

Last week, the Cincinnati Bengals handled business at home against the Las Vegas Raiders, winning and covering the spread. This week, they hit the road to take on the Tennessee Titans, who enjoyed a bye last week.

This will be the first time these two teams have squared off this season, so it will be very interesting to see how they match up. The Titans are getting healthy at the right time, as Julio Jones, A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry will all be on the field, giving Tennessee their most potent offensive attack in some time. They are going to need it too, as the Bengals have been known to put a fair share of points on the board.

The Bengals have been the better team when it comes to point differential as they have a +84 mark compared to the Titans at +65. The Titans are 7-2 when playing at home this year, while the Bengals are a good road team with a 5-3 record away from Cincinnati.

Tennessee is getting 3.5 points because they are the home team and had an extra week to prepare, but it is hard to count out Joe Burrow with the confidence he is playing with right now.

Best Bet:

Even if the Titans get out to an early lead, the Bengals have the passing attack to put points on the board in a hurry. This is one of those games where I can see it coming down to a field goal, so best to have the team that is getting 3.5 points in that scenario.

Take the Bengals with the points.

San Francisco 49ers (11-7) vs. Green Bay Packers (13-4)

Spread: GB (-6)

Money Line: SF (+210) GB (-260)

Over/Under: 47.5 Points

After they beat the Dallas Cowboys last week, everyone is tabbing the San Francisco 49ers as this year’s dark horse team that can shock the world during the playoff. That is of course until they face a rested Aaron Rodgers who is coming off a bye.

Back in Week 3, the Packers narrowly pulled out a victory against the Niners, winning 30-28 on the road. These teams have gone through a lot since then, so it is hard to take too much from that one head-to-head meeting. One thing to watch for going into this matchup though is the health of Jimmy Garropolo.

Jimmy G is not only dealing with an injured shoulder, but he also has an injured thumb on his throwing hand. Playing with injuries in sub-freezing temperatures is never fun, especially for the quarterback. This gives the Packers a pretty big advantage, as Rodgers already would have the edge on Jimmy G even if both were completely healthy.

Best Bet:

I would be pretty shocked if the Packers get upset in this game. Covering the six points is something I’m less confident in, but you still have to go with Rodgers in a home playoff game. Take the Packers to cover.

Los Angeles Rams (13-5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14-4)

Spread: TB (-2.5)

Money Line: LAR (+125) TB (-150)

Over/Under: 47.5 Points

Both of these teams made a mockery out of the first round of the playoffs, beating their opponents by multiple scores. Now they will go head-to-head in a matchup of two teams that clearly went into this season expecting to win the Super Bowl.

The Rams are star-studded, with some of their in-season acquisitions proving to be huge in last week’s win as Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. played crucial roles. Meanwhile the Buccaneers are the reigning champs for a reason. You can never count out No. 12, as Tom Brady continues to find ways to win football games.

Tampa was particularly dominant at home this year, going 7-1, while the Rams have been great on the road going 7-2. Playing in the warm South Florida weather with two potent offenses, expect a lot of points to be scored in this one.

Best Bet:

With the over/under set at 47.5 points, this is the game to be rooting for points, as these teams could trade touchdowns all day. Take the over.

Buffalo Bills (12-6) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (13-5)

Spread: KC (-1.5)

Money Line: BUF (+105) KC (-125)

Over/Under: 54 Points

On October 10th, the Buffalo Bills traveled to Kanas City with a 3-1 record, looking to make a statement to a Chiefs team that had been struggling up to that point in the season. Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another, while playing turnover-free football, while Patrick Mahomes threw two picks.

The Bills won 38-20, announcing themselves as Super Bowl favorites at the time. Now since then, the Bills finished out their season going 6-5, while the Chiefs closed out their season 10-2. The Chiefs dominated the Steelers at home last week, but the Bills were just as impressive, if not more so, against a better team when they beat the Patriots.

The Bills point differential for the season is +194, compared to the Chiefs who are +116. Buffalo has been the more dominant team at times this year, even though they have lost one more game. Still, it is hard to count out Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Best Bet:

This is an awesome game to close out the week, as you really can make an argument for either team. But when we look at the head-to-head matchup from earlier in the year, as well as the point differentials, the Bills might just have an edge in this one.

Take the Bills to win this one straight-up on the Money Line.