NFL Playoff Championship Round – 1s vs 2s

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manning brady

We are down to the championship round of the NFL Playoffs featuring the top two seeds in each conference. This is only the seventh time since 1990 that we have the top two seeds facing each other with winners going into the SuperBowl.

In the AFC Championship, you have two wily veteran QBs facing off against each other for the 17th time. In the NFC Championship, you have two young teams from the past few seasons now ready to take over the NFC top position vacated by the Seahawks. This should be a great Championship Sunday.

Last weekend, we went 2-1-1 and our playoff record is 4-3-1.

NFL Playoff Championship Round Predictions

New England Patriots -3 vs Denver Broncos +3 Total 44.5

Line opened at -3.5 for the visitors and sharp money quickly came down for the home team with the best defense in the AFC (based on yards per play) moving the line to -3. The betting public is firmly behind the defending champion New England Patriots with 75% support. With quarterback Peyton Manning in decline, bettors are anticipating that this will not be one of those past Manning vs Brady classics. However, the Broncos are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a home underdog of +3.0 or less. Tom Brady is not a big fan of Mile High stadium. He is 2-6 straight up record as a visitor to Denver.

Pick: New England Patriots, to revenge their loss in the regular season

Arizona Cardinals +3 vs Carolina Panthers -3 Total 47.5

Although all the hype and talk is on the Manning vs Brady, this is the game I’m looking forward to Sunday. Both teams are electrifying on offense and both can play punishing defence. The line opened at -3 Panthers and flirted at -3.5 Thursday before Cardinals backers pushed the market back to -3. Over 72% of the betting public is behind Cam Newton’s Panthers. The Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite of -3.0 or less. In the Cardinals last 10 games as road dog, they are 7-3 ATS.

Pick: Arizona Cardinals, Coach Arians opens up his bag of tricks to fool the Panthers.