The NFL Playoffs are heating up, and one of the eight teams remaining will be crowned Super Bowl champs! All four home teams in the Divisional Round are favored, and three are healthy favorites. The 49ers (-7) kick things off against the Vikings on Saturday. That game will be followed by the Ravens (-9) vs. Titans matchup. The Chiefs (-9.5) host the Texans in the first game on Sunday, which will be followed by the Packers (-4) vs. Seahawks contest. The point totals range from a low of 45 (49ers-Vikings) to a high of 51 (Chiefs-Texans), so no low-scoring affairs or shootouts are expected. Let’s get into the top spread, moneyline and over/under picks of the second round!
BetQL can help you identify edges on every slate! Our subscribers can view BetQL’s NFL best bets and make the most informed, data-driven wagers possible. All data presented is as of Tuesday morning. You can track all NFL line movement on BetQL’s Line Movement Dashboard. Figures below are calculated by wagering one unit on each touted bet with -110 spread odds.
DIVISIONAL ROUND NFL DFS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
NFL Playoffs Betting Picks: Divisional Round spread pick of the week
Vikings (+7) at 49ers
After watching the Vikings go into New Orleans and pull off a major upset over the Saints, it’s hard not to envision them carrying that momentum into this matchup. Since Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen seem to be closer to 100 percent health-wise, Minnesota’s offense will boast a full stable of weapons, including Stefon Diggs, Kyle Rudolph, and Kirk Cousins, who finally got over the hump and won a close playoff game. Although it took an overtime drive to get the job done, you can make a clear argument that Minnesota’s offense core is superior to San Francisco’s. It’s also worth mentioning that the Vikings defense did the unthinkable: Held the NFL’s leading wideout Michael Thomas to seven catches for 70 yards while holding Alvin Kamara to 21 yards rushing on seven carries and 34 yards receiving on eight catches. Bettors shouldn’t gloss over that.
The Niners’ run-heavy offense features brilliant play designs built by the brain of Kyle Shanahan. That’s something to take note of. However, San Francisco’s defense faded as the regular season progressed. That occurred, in part, due to a few injuries, but it’s worth noting that they allowed 46 points to the Saints, 29 to the Falcons, 31 to the Rams and 21 to the Seahawks, respectively, in the final four games of the regular season. Therefore, it’s easy to envision that this Vikings offense will be able to move the ball against them and keep this game tight, making Minnesota a stellar option at plus-7. Our model is showing a valuable bet against the spread in this matchup. Does it agree with me? Find out instantly on our Best Bets Dashboard!
SATURDAY NFL DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
NFL Playoffs Betting Picks: Divisional Round moneyline pick of the week
Seahawks (+170) at Packers
Yes, the Packers are 7-1 straight-up at home this season. However, five of those victories finished as one-possession games. The Seahawks are 8-1 on the road coming into this contest and are coming off of a wild card win over the Eagles last week. It’s important to note that neither team faced a particularly difficult schedule in the aforementioned home/road situations, but I’m leaning on the team with a season-long sample size of strong visiting performances in this contest, particularly due to the current questionable state of Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay’s passing game, which has struggled all season. There’s value in Seattle’s plus-170 moneyline, and, based on the four-point spread, the Seahawks have the highest odds of keeping this game close and pulling off the upset.
Via BetQL’s NFL Public Betting Dashboard, 62 percent of the total tickets wagered so far have backed Seattle. Further, per our Sharp Picks Dashboard, pro bettors are also leaning toward the Seahawks. Find out the percentage of total money that’s been wagered on the visiting team!
SUNDAY NFL DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
NFL Playoffs Betting Picks: Divisional Round over/under pick of the week
Ravens vs. Titans (UNDER 47)
It’s never easy to accurately predict an NFL game script. But if this game stays within striking distance, it’s clear what we should expect. The Titans would lean heavily on Derrick Henry, who rushed the ball 34 times for 182 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee’s 20-13 wild card win over the Patriots. In that contest, the Titans rushed the ball 40 times for 201 yards and threw it 16 times for 76 yards. That’s their bread and butter, and while the rainy weather conditions somewhat affected their game plan, they will most likely utilize Henry and their running game as much as possible. Meanwhile, the Ravens led the NFL with a 56-percent rushing percentage this season and were the NFL’s most effective rushing team (by a wide margin). For context, no other team ran the ball more than half the time, and Lamar Jackson’s superhuman abilities played an obvious role.
The Ravens ranked third in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 17.6 points per contest in the regular season. The Titans came in 12th, allowing 20.2. But, as shown last week, Tennessee’s defense is a major threat and didn’t seem fazed on the road. Due to the run-first nature of both teams (which will keep the clock running) and the strength of both defenses, the under seems like a logical bet. Bet BetQL’s expert picks, 59 percent of public bettors have bet the UNDER, and while sharps aren’t as overweight, they’re also leaning toward the UNDER in this matchup.