All point spreads provided below were listed on BETUS.com as of Wednesday afternoon.
Saturday 4:35 PM ET – Kansas City at Indianapolis
Line: Indianapolis -2.5
Analysis: I’m going with a three-pronged approach to this.
- Andy Reid is always a little dicey when it comes to the postseason. All of a sudden how he controls the game/manages the clock becomes far more important and Reid is notoriously terrible at both of those things.
- Since losing 42-28 on the road to the Bengal the Colts have thrashed the Texans, Chiefs and Jaguars. Yes I know two of those three are not the most impressive opponents and KC had nothing to play for in December but I like seeing teams dominate teams they should dominate.
- Aren’t we due for an Andrew Luck, national spotlight, coming out party? While all the talk has been about Bob Griffin drama and Kaepernick struggling for ten weeks, Luck has quietly just gone about winning games. I think he’s going to have a big afternoon.
Final Score: Indianapolis 30, Kansas City 23
Saturday 8:10 PM ET – New Orleans at Philadelphia
Line: Philadelphia -2.5
Analysis: When the entire world tells you one team can’t play on the road I get nervous. Upset. (And I am keeping the score low because it’s going to be cold as shit in the northeast this weekend. Especially at 8 PM.)
Final Score: New Orleans 24, Philadelphia 21
Sunday 1:05 PM ET – San Diego at Cincinnati
Line: Cincinnati -7
Analysis: Here’s my problem with this game: I hate both teams.
Cincinnati seems to recover from four Andy Dalton interceptions every week. If he’s not throwing the ball to a wide open A.J. Green ten yards beyond the safety he is more than likely throwing the ball to a defender. Do you trust him to start winning postseason games? I don’t.
San Diego had a win-and-in game against the Kansas City backups a week ago and needed overtime/luck to get through it. It was one of the worst efforts of this NFL season and if they’d lost (as they should) Mike McCoy would have been crucified in the media this week as Pittsburgh got ready to go and win this game.
Mike Zimmer and the Bengals defense are the only thing I like this in this game. Since it’s in Cincy, I’ll take them.
Final Score: Cincinnati 24, San Diego 21
Sunday 4:40 PM ET – San Francisco at Green Bay
Line: San Francisco -3
Analysis: Having watched Matt Forte thrash the Packers run defense at Soldier Field Sunday I can’t imagine a scenario wherein the Pack suddenly find themselves against the league’s third best rush attack and a quarterback who gashed them for six zillion yards in the 2012 postseason. Couple this with Aaron Rodgers looking shaky at times and Eddie Lacy facing the toughest front he’s seen in months and I’m just not sure the Packers will have the ball long enough to do much with it.
The Niners were going to be a match-up nightmare for either the Bears or the Packers. Green Bay winning would be the only true genuine shock to me on the weekend.
Final Score: San Francisco 30, Green Bay 16
