The underdogs kept cashing in the NFL playoffs, with at least a 3-0-1 ATS mark, depending on when you locked in the Seattle game.
Underdogs have been a solid pick in the NFL season, and in recent playoff games. This weekend offers more opportunities at betting nice numbers with underdogs. But be careful. Just because a team looked good in the Wild Card round doesn’t mean that will translate to the divisional round.
Here’s the NFC Divisional Round playoffs best bets for the weekend.
Overall: 50-49-1 ATS
Playoffs: 2-1-1 ATS
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (-7)
There’s a clear difference between the top two teams and everyone else in the NFC. So while I love underdogs, I’m backing away from those picks in the NFC.
Los Angeles owns the better team. They’ve been better this entire season and it will show in this game. The Rams have enough pieces on the defensive side of the ball to stymie a Cowboys offense that hasn’t exactly been the measure of consistency this season.
The Rams should have a distinct advantage at home, especially with Todd Gurley returning to health. I’m still a a bit reserved on Los Angeles’ passing attack without Cooper Kupp, but I still believe in that offense owning the Cowboys.
Don’t be fooled by the Wild Card performance by Dallas. The Cowboys defense has allowed 5.8 yards per play in the last three games, a bottom-10 number in the NFL. The Rams should have their way with this defense and there’s enough talent on the other side of the ball to stop the Cowboys. — Go Chalk with Los Angeles
Philadelphia Eagles (+8) at New Orleans Saints
I kept picking against Philadelphia last year until the Super Bowl, and we all know how that turned out.
So I’m not going to fall into that trap again. Am I confident in this pick? No, not as much as the Rams, especially after the drubbing the Eagles took earlier this season to New Orleans.
However, the Eagles have improved, and the offense and defense, have been better units than New Orleans in recent weeks. The defense appears to have stabilized after some struggles earlier this season and the offense has been one of the better units in the NFL during the last month of the season.
This will be a tall order for the Eagles to win the game outright, but Philadelphia has been playing well enough toward the end of the season to garner more respect from oddsmakers. The Saints should win, but it will be by less than a touchdowns. — Go Against The Chalk with Philadelphia
