2015 NFL Divisional Round Odds and Free Picks: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks Odds and Predictions – Free NFL Playoff Picks 1/10/15: The NFL playoffs resume Saturday with the Divisional Round, and after earning bye weeks through wild-card weekend, the top seeds in both conference will be in action. Not surprisingly, both New England and Seattle are favored in their respective matchups, and here is a closer look at both Saturday games.
AFC Divisional Round Game: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
Two of the NFL’s most consistent franchises will meet in what has become a growing rivalry over the years. The Ravens have made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, and after their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round, they have won at least one playoffs game in all six seasons. Meanwhile, the Patriots have made the postseason in 11 of the last 12 years. The two teams have also met in the playoffs in three of the last five years with the New England winning in 2012 and Baltimore winning in 2010 and 2013.
The quarterbacks should play a key role in deciding the outcome of the game, and while New England’s Tom Brady’s legacy speaks for itself, Baltimore’s Joe Flacco has enjoyed plenty of postseason success in his own right, tossing 13 touchdowns and no interceptions over the last five games. This season, New England’s offense was overall stronger than Baltimore’s offense, especially when TE Rob Gronkowski was fully recovered from knee surgery. The Patriots also destroyed common opponents Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and the Ravens went 0-3 against the same two teams.
While a slight edge on paper goes to New England, the NFL is all about matchups, and the Ravens have a solid formula for controlling the Patriots’ powerful offense. Armed with stout edge rushers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumvervil, Baltimore is able to apply consistent pressure on the pocket. Just ask Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked five times as Baltimore grounded Pittsburgh’s passing attack in the wild-card round. The Ravens might not be able to pull off a win in Foxboro, but I expect another close matchup. I’ll take the points.
Prediction: Baltimore Ravens (+7) Cover the Spread
NFC Divisional Round Game: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks
The defending Super Bowl champion and top-seeded Seattle Seahawks will return to action after a first-round bye to take on the a Carolina Panthers team that took care of a banged up Arizona Cardinals team in the wild-card round. The victory last weekend put Carolina’s record at just 8-8-1 on the season, but the Panthers have played their best down the stretch and bring a five-game winning streak into Saturday’s game. Of course, the Seahawks bring a six-game winning streak of their own into the game.
Saturday’s showdown is actually a rematch of a Week 8 meeting. The Seahawks won that game 13-9 on a last-minute touchdown, and as the score suggests, the game was a hard-hitting defensive battle. On paper, Seattle has a big edge on the defensive side of the ball as Richard Sherman and company rank first against the pass, third against the run and first in points allowed. However, the Panthers have defending Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly, and their defense has held five straight opponents to 17 points or less.
Despite Carolina’s recent resurgence and the nail-baiter these teams played back in October, the rematch probably won’t live up to the hype. For one, the Seahawks are nearly unstoppable at home where they have lost just two games over the past two years, and Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and the offense are particularly stronger. Meanwhile, Carolina QB Cam Newton has been battling through multiple injuries, and with Seattle likely to slow down Jonathan Stewart and the Panthers’ ground game, Newton is facing an impossible task.
Prediction: Seattle Seahawks (-11) Cover the Spread
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