What a wild weekend! The NFL Divisional Round is here and things these teams are already smoking hot. With only 8 teams left fighting for a spot in the conference championships, we’re hoping to see as much betting action as we did in the Wild Card weekend.
After an exciting Wild Card weekend, the stakes are even higher, the matchups much tougher, and the players more determined than ever.
While it’s still a bit early to make predictions, let’s look at some key players, matchups, and storylines we think are worth keeping an eye on.
The Kansas City Chiefs, fresh off a first-round bye, are ready to take on the Houston Texans, who absolutely dismantled the Chargers in the Wild Card round by a score of 32-12.
Sure, C.J. Stroud was nothing less than impressive as he threw for 282 yards, but now he faces his biggest challenge yet — Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes threw for a whopping 3,928 yards and 26 TDs during the regular season. While the Chiefs looked dominant, this was not even Mahomes' best season.
The Texans' defense was stellar against Justin Herbert as they forced 4 interceptions and limited him to just a single touchdown on an 86 yard pass. But containing Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and a potent Chiefs offense will be a much tougher task than that of the Chargers.
The Texans also rely on Joe Mixon’s versatility in the backfield. However, Kansas City's defense, led by Chris Jones, is built to stop the run and they do it well.
With the Chiefs favored by 8 points, Stroud will need another near-flawless performance to keep Houston in the game and their season alive.
The Detroit Lions are having their best season in decades so it’s no wonder they’ve earned the NFC's #1 seed.
After a bye week to rest up, they’ll host the Washington Commanders, who just eked out a 23-20 win over the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.
Jared Goff has been phenomenal for Detroit. He’s thrown for 4,629 yards this season, 37 TDs, and 12 interceptions. His connection with Amon-Ra St. Brown and his 1,263 receiving yards is one of the league's best. The Lions’ offense, despite being loaded with injuries, is balanced by rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs. He has 1,412 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this year. It’s going to take a lot for the Commanders to slow this high-powered offense down.
Washington’s rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels, has shown he’s one of the best rookies this season, but he’ll need to handle the pressure from Detroit’s insanely dominant pass rush — even without their star Aidan Hutchinson. Daniels' ability to stay composed in the pocket and scramble when he needs to could determine how competitive this game becomes.
However, we’re not ruling out the Commanders in this game. They’re pumped and have the momentum heading into this game.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams are going head to head in a game filled with star power.
Jalen Hurts, who led Philly to a Wild Card win over Green Bay, will need to be at his best — and his best is nearly unstoppable. Despite throwing for only 131 yards last week, Hurts' dual-threat ability keeps defenses guessing.
On the other side of the field, Matthew Stafford has carried the Rams' offense with an impressive 3,762 passing yards and 20 touchdowns and this isn’t even his best season. Wide receiver Puka Nacua has become one of his key weapons, with 990 receiving yards this year and he is not looking to slow down. The Rams will need Stafford and Nacua to take full advantage of the Eagles' secondary, which has been vulnerable at times.
The Eagles' ground game, led by Saquon Barkley, gives them an edge heading into this game. Barkley ran for 119 yards in the Wild Card round and looks as explosive as ever. In fact, he leads the NFL with 2,005 yards on the season. The Rams’ defensive front will need to slow him down and force Hurts to beat them through the air because it doesn’t look like anyone can handle him on the ground.
We think the Ravens-Bills matchup might be the most exciting game of the weekend.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens took care of the Steelers last week with a score of 28-14, while Josh Allen and the Bills crushed the Broncos 31-7. Now these 2 potential MVP candidates are going head-to-head.
Jackson, who threw for 4,172 yards during the season, also brings his dynamic running ability to the table. His running game is almost impossible to contain. The Bills' defense will need to contain him while also keeping an eye on Derrick Henry, who ran for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns this year putting him second only behind Saquon Barkley.
On the Bills' side of the football, Josh Allen continues to show why he’s one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. With 3,731 passing yards and 28 touchdowns this season, Allen can absolutely torch defenses in a hurry. His connection with Khalil Shakir wasn’t the connection we thought it’d be this year, but Allen still has plenty of weapons, including James Cook, who ran for 120 yards last week.
The Ravens' defense will have its hands full, especially with key players like Ja’Mion Franklin and Quincy Roche listed as questionable. We’re looking for Baltimore’s pass rush to try to rattle Allen early to give the dominant Ravens offense chances to put points up and hold the lead.
This game could go either way — even the point spread being at 1 point means the bookmakers are tossing this game up.
Beyond the marquee matchups, injuries and coaching strategies will undoubtedly play a huge role in shaping the outcomes of these Divisional Round games.
For the Eagles, having Saquon Barkley healthy is critical, while the Texans are missing several key offensive linemen. On the coaching front, will Dan Campbell keep up his aggressive play-calling for the Lions? We sure think so. And can Andy Reid’s experience give the Chiefs the edge against a Texans team riding high after a big win?
Special teams could also be a factor, especially in some of these close games. Just ask Washington, who relied on a game-winning field goal that doinked off of the post last week to advance.
The Divisional Round is packed with great storylines and talented players. Whether it’s C.J. Stroud facing the challenge of Arrowhead Stadium or Jared Goff leading the Lions’ resurgence, each game has something to offer.