The 2023 NFL playoffs have gone from 14 teams alive for Super Bowl 57 to only eight. The first set of six games during wild-card weekend had predictable results for the biggest favorites, with two having narrow escapes. The trio of tossup games went in a different direction with the underdogs all winning.
That leads into four exciting and tighter matchups for the divisional round. The two bye-week teams at the top, the Chiefs and Eagles will be in action as hosts. The Jaguars, Giants and Buccaneers all will look stay hot, while the Bengals and Bills get the game they didn't in Week 17, only this time in Buffalo.
Here's looking at the latest picks and predictions against the spread:
(betting odds courtesy of Sports Interaction)
NFL POWER RANKINGS: Re-ranking the eight teams left in the playoffs
NFL playoff picks, predictions against the spread
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NFC Game of the Week: No. 5 Cowboys at No. 2 49ers (-4, 46 o/u)
Sunday 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox
The 49ers and Cowboys were the only teams to enjoy blowout victories in the wild-card round, with San Francisco delivering home and Dallas doing it on the road. Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott are the hottest QBs going into the divisional round. Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons also were respective leaders of nasty defensive performances.
The 49ers are riding an 11-game winning streak and have the greater depth and diversity of offensive weapons around Purdy. They also have a key home-field and rest advantage. Christian McCaffrey and the running game give San Francisco the edge, to the point of taking comfortable control in the fourth quarter.
Pick: 49ers win 31-24 and cover the spread.
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AFC Game of the Week: No. 3 Bengals at No. 2 Bills (-5, 50.5 o/u)
Sunday 3 p.m. ET, Fox
The Bengals like to be a passing team, despite having Joe Mixon. The Bills like to be a passing team, despite having a strong traditional rushing attack at times. That means this game comes to down to a classic QB duel between Joe Burrow and Josh Allen.
Burrow has been more on point of late spreading the ball around and not forcing the ball deep when plays aren't there. Allen has been ripping his big arm and also flinging around his big body on scrambles. This game comes down to which QB protects the ball better with two offensive lines that struggle at times.
Burrow will be more effective on short-to-intermediate throws while Allen will hit on a few more home-run balls. Burrow is a little easier to trust with efficiency down to the fourth quarter as he puts his team on the brink of a repeat Super Bowl trip.
Pick: Bengals win 30-27.
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Lock of the Week: No. 1 Chiefs (-8.5, 52 o/u) over No. 4 Jaguars
Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC
The Chiefs get a break by not needing to face the pesky division rival Chargers a third time. Instead, it's a coaching battle between Andy Reid and his former offensive coordinator and fellow recent Super Bowl winer, Doug Pederson.
The Jaguars' defense has been living on big plays vs. consistently slowing down teams vs. run and pass. Reid has gotten a more methodical and versatile offense going around Patrick Mahomes. The Jaguars will have trouble handling diverse targets such as Travis Kelce and Jerick McKinnon.
Trevor Lawrence will keep passing well on an inexperienced secondary and Jacksonville can also stay in the game by getting the ball to running back Travis Etienne Jr. to get him in the open field. They just won't be able to match the firepower and execution of Mahomes in Arrowhead.
Pick: Chiefs win 34-17 and cover the spread.
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No. 6 Giants at No. 1 Eagles (-7.5, 48 o/u)
Saturday 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox
Daniel Jones and Jalen Hurts both have emerge as dynamic dual threat quarterbacks this season. Both are supported well by traditional running games, led by former Penn State stars Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders.
Jones has been on point passing with better protection, despite with limited receivers. But the Eagles' pass defense is tough with their pressure and coverage, while the Giants will need to deal with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.
Jones and Barkley will be game to keep their team in the game, but the Eagles have a strong home-field advantage coming off a bye and will pull away in the second half.
Pick: Eagles win 34-24 and cover the spread.
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Stats of the Week
Wild-card record straight up: 3-2
Wild-card record against the spread: 3-2
Season record straight up: 181-93
Season record against the spread: 137-133
