Eight teams remain alive for the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, as that will be dwindled down to four after the conclusion of the NFL Divisional playoff round. Let’s get right into the matchups and our picks for the week.
The Game
Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos – Saturday, 4:30pm ET, CBS
The Pick
Denver 27 Baltimore 20
The Reason
The Broncos come into this game riding an 11-game win streak to close out the season. Denver had a bye week through the wildcard round, and have had a chance to heal up a bit. That will play an important role. The home atmosphere for the Broncos should be rocking as well. Expect Manning to come in and pick apart the Ravens secondary to open up the run game for Knowshon Moreno. Denver wins this one, but it will be a close one. Baltimore is experienced and will be able to make plays.
The Game
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers – Saturday 8pm ET, FOX
The Pick
Green Bay 24 San Francisco 21
The Reason
The Packers are coming into this week with something to prove. After a season that looked like it could get away from them, Green Bay collected themselves and went on a nice run to win the NFC North. Expect Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay to move the ball on the 49ers defense. At the same time, Colin Kaepernick is starting his first-ever playoff game. Sure, it’s at home, but Green Bay will score more than San Francisco will be able to muster, and pull off the mild upset on the road to reach the NFC Championship.
The Game
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons – Sunday 1pm ET, FOX
The Pick
Atlanta 27 Seattle 17
The Reason
The Falcons have the most to prove of any team in these playoffs it seems like. As the No.1 seed in the NFC, it sure doesn’t feel like Atlanta is getting any respect. Matt Ryan has a huge chip on his shoulder, and we think that will correlate into a very nice performance against a good Seattle defense. The Falcons are great at home, and will win this one for Ryan’s first-ever playoff victory.
The Game
Houston Texans at New England Patriots – Sunday, 4:30pm ET, CBS
The Pick
New England 31 Houston 17
The Reason
The Patriots dominated the Texans in the game back in December. There was a reason for that. The Patriots simply match up well on both sides of the ball with the Texans. Don’t expect Houston to go in and win this game, but it will certainly be closer than the four-touchdown difference from the first go around. We have cut that loss in half.