- During the regular season, our NFL picks went an impressive 135-117-4 against the spread, leaving us with a sizable profit to play with heading into the postseason.
- Take a look below at our best bets of the divisional round.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
The NFL playoffs continue this weekend with four games of divisional-round action.
Patrick Mahomes
ADVERTISEMENT
After a truly chaotic wild card weekend, just eight teams remain in contention to win Super Bowl LIV. The weekend, the action continues, kicking off with four games that will further winnow the field.
Through the regular season, we picked all 256 games, going an impressive 135-117-4 against the spread, putting us at +6.3 units on the season.
Take a look below at our best bets for wild card weekend (* indicates home team).
ADVERTISEMENT
LAST WEEK: 2-2 2019 NFL SEASON: 137-119-4
Minnesota Vikings (+7) over San Francisco 49ers*
BusinessInsider USA Images
Chuck Cook -USA TODAY Sports
Last week, I bet against the Vikings, citing Kirk Cousins' apparent inability to win in big spots. He proved me wrong, making a few brilliant throws to help Minnesota seal an impressive road victory over the Saints in New Orleans.
ADVERTISEMENT
This week, it'll be another tough battle for the Vikings the 49ers defense is tough as nails, and Minnesota wide receiver Adam Theilen is listed as questionable to play after suffering an ankle injury in practice this week.
Still, while the 49ers started the season strong, they have looked less dominant of late San Francisco hasn't won a game by more than a touchdown since Week 12, and lost two of their final five games heading into the postseason.
I'll be keeping an eye on Theilen's injury progress as the game approaches kickoff, but as long as he's able to go, I like the Vikings to keep things close, and possibly even keep their playoff hopes alive with an upset win.
Baltimore Ravens* (-9.5) over Tennessee Titans
BusinessInsider USA Images
ADVERTISEMENT
Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
This is an absolutely brutal line to pick this game on.
The Tennessee Titans are arguably the hottest team in the NFL right now, fresh off a victory over the Patriots in New England. Derrick Henry is the most dominant player in the league, having just shred the much-ballyhooed Patriots defense for 204 total yards.
Still, it's tough for me to imagine Lamar Jackson doesn't dominate in this spot. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel joked ahead of the game that his best plan for stopping the Ravens quarterback came down to "tying his shoes together," and honestly, it's better than what many opposing coaches have come up with this year.
After Jackson was somewhat exposed in his postseason debut against the Chargers last year, I think he's going to want to come out with a bang on Saturday, leaving the Titans on the losing end of a tough matchup.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kansas City Chiefs* (-9.5) over Houston Texans
BusinessInsider USA Images
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
I think this might be the Chiefs' year.
The Kansas City defense is coming along at the right time, and while he's not the habitual game-breaker he was last season, Patrick Mahomes is still one of the best quick-strike quarterbacks in the NFL.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Texans did a fine job erasing a 16-0 deficit to the Buffalo Bills last weekend, but that still means they were down 16 points to the Bills. I don't think they have the goods to make it two big comebacks in a row, and as impressive as Deshaun Watson is as a one-man playmaking machine, he needs some help.
The return of wide receiver Will Fuller could provide a jump-start to the Texans offense, but I still don't think it will be enough to keep pace with the Chiefs on Sunday.
Green Bay Packers* (-4.5) over Seattle Seahawks
BusinessInsider USA Images
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
ADVERTISEMENT
The Green Bay Packers might have had the quietest 13-3 season in NFL history. While they lacked a marquee win or especially dominant performance, Green Bay was consistent all season, including an impressive 7-1 record at home.
Seattle has been solid on the road, but they've had to pull off a fair number of wild escapes to reach the postseason, going 10-2 in one-score games this year. That said, the Packers have had similar one-score success, going 8-1 in such games this season, making that stat difficult to get a read on.
Ultimately, I trust Aarons Rodgers and Jones to be the two best players on the field on Sunday. Russell Wilson has shown time and time again that he can make magic happen, but I'm going to hope it runs out this week and take my chances.
The last time these two teams met in the postseason, the Seahawks took the NFC title game in overtime. In front of their home crowd at Lambeau Field, I think the Packers get their revenge.
Now check out our picks for the best sports moments of the decade...
ADVERTISEMENT
BusinessInsider USA Images
Jeff Roberson/AP
The 50 greatest sports moments of the decade, ranked
See Also: