NFL Divisional Playoffs- Top Pointspread Plays
With only four NFL games on the schedule for the Divisional Round of the playoffs, it is time to sharpen your pencils to uncover the best bets against the current pointspead for each game. The odds makers know these teams like the back of their hands by now, so there is little margin for error when trying to uncover the winners.
Here is a look at my top two plays against the spread for this weekend’s NFL Divisional Round. All lines quoted are courtesy of BetUs.com.
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Baltimore Ravens@ Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
The Ravens will try and make it two-in-row at Pittsburgh after beating the Steelers 17-14 in Week 4 as a two-point road underdog. The primary game plan to accomplish this will be a heavy dose of RB Ray Rice on offense and a ball-hawking defense led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.
Last week against Kansas City, Rice only ran for 57 yards but played a crucial role in Baltimore’s ability to control the clock by extending several time consuming drives. The defense lived up to its reputation by forcing five turnovers that directly led to 13 points.
The Steelers come into this game well-rested after a first round bye. They finished the regular season with romps over Cleveland and Carolina, but lost to the Jets 22-17 at home in Week 15 as a 3 ½-point favorite.
Pittsburgh will follow the exact same recipe as the Ravens for this game; playing shutdown defense and running the ball with Rashard Mendenhall. It finished the season with the No. 2 ranked defense in the league and a rushing offense that was ranked 11th.
The Ravens are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games against the AFC North and just 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games against Pittsburgh. The Steelers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against the AFC North and 7-1 ATS in their last eight playoff games. The Pick: Pittsburgh -3
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Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons (-2 ½)
The Packers are coming off a 21-16 road win over Philadelphia as a one-point underdog in the Wildcard Round, but they now face a stiffer road challenge against a team that only lost once at home in the regular season.
Green Bay is hoping it found a running game in rookie RB James Starks, who ran for 123 yards against the Eagles. QB Aaron Rodgers only threw for 180 yards last week, but could be due for a big game against Atlanta’s 22nd-ranked passing defense.
The Falcons have one of the best balanced offenses in the league. They finished the regular season ranked 16th in the league overall; 15th in passing and 12th in rushing. They also knew how to put points on the board; averaging 25.9 points per game which was fifth best in the NFL.
Defensively, Atlanta was ranked 16th overall but remained very difficult to score on. It was ranked fifth in points allowed; giving up an average of just 18 per game. It also finished the season with a turnover ratio of +14.
The Packers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall but just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against Atlanta. The Falcons are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against the NFC and 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall. The Pick: Atlanta – 2 ½
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
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