Our Picks for NFL Divisional Weekend

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We made it through Wild Card Weekend and came out defeated, going 1-3 in our picks for the weekend’s winners. In our defense, a few of those games came down to the wire and could have gone the other way with a few lucky plays, but that’s football for you. We’re dusting ourselves off and getting ready for an even bigger weekend of divisional football, and we’ve got more predictions for you.

Colts vs. Chiefs
This one is probably even harder to pick than last week. The Colts are undoubtedly the hottest team in the playoffs, having won 10 of their past 11 games to qualify for - and advance to - the divisional round. How will that success and their talented, young offensive line pair up against a punishing 3-4 Kansas City defense that can keep Andrew Luck guessing with its coverage packages? Let’s not forget their gunslinging offense and Patrick Mahomes lighting up the scoreboard. It will be a close game for a few quarters, but the Chiefs will pull away late and win comfortably.

Cowboys vs. Rams
The Cowboys have followed a similar path to the Colts with eight wins in their last nine games to reach the divisional round. They eked out a tough victory against a Seattle team whose defense isn’t as lights out as it once was, but how will Dallas fare against a balanced Rams team that features Aaron Donald up front and a talented secondary? How this game turns out likely falls to sudden wunderkind Jared Goff, but we think the Rams will handle the Cowboys by a touchdown and some change.

Chargers vs. Patriots

Photo credit: bettingsports.com

Is this finally the year that Philip Rivers and the Chargers put it all together? A couple late drives by the Ravens made last week’s game look much closer than it was, as a suffocating defense kept Lamar Jackson in check. The Chargers won’t be able to settle for field goals against the Patriots, but they know that already. New England is only in the divisional round because of late-season falters by the Texans, so their first-round bye is a bit misleading. This could be the biggest toss-up of the weekend, as Tom Brady will be going against a capable quarterback with a capable offense. In a close one, we see the Chargers getting past the Patriots in the fourth quarter.

Eagles vs. Saints
We should’ve known better than to bet against the Eagles and Nick Foles. With some very, very late-game magic and a bit of luck from a goalpost, Philadelphia beat Chicago to make it to this matchup with New Orleans. The Saints, and Drew Brees in particular, look like a rejuvenated squad. They dominated through most of the season, and “just enough” from the Eagles won’t be enough to beat an offense with proven veterans. New Orleans will make it back to the NFC title game after last year’s last-second blunder against the Vikings.

We felt confident with our picks last week, but this time we really mean it. There’s no way these picks could come back to bite us, right? Who do you think will win the divisional round and move on to the conference championship weekend? Let us know in the comments below, and enjoy the game!