The 2025 NFL playoff picture was trimmed down from 14 teams to eight throughout Wild Card Weekend, and now we have our eyes set on the divisional round, which means the No.
Offensively, Los Angeles poses a lot of problems for what is admittedly a stout Eagles defense.
Most importantly, however, the Rams defense is white hot.
Projected scores: Rams 27, Eagles 24 The pick: Rams +6 Baltimore Ravens (3) at Buffalo Bills (2) Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
1 scoring defense, total defense and third-down defense has been in the NFL since Week 11?
Then there were eight. During Wild Card Weekend, the number of teams in the 2025 NFL playoff picture was reduced from 14 to eight, and we are now focused on the divisional round, which means the No. Once again, the top seeds will start their run for a Super Bowl victory.
Wild Card Weekend was, as you might have guessed, wild. When everyone, including myself, thought the Chargers would win on the road in Houston, the Texans came out on top with a home victory. In the meantime, Jayden Daniels’ incredible rookie season continued as the Commanders defeated the Buccaneers in the playoffs. It was a good showing overall, going 3-3 ATS and 4-2 SU for the weekend, but those were two of my straight up and ATS losses on the playoff slate.
As we proceed through the postseason, we’ll try to get even more precise.
NFL season standings.
postseason in 2025.
ATS: 3–3. .
ML: 4-2.
2024 regular season.
ATS Locks of the Week: 38-44-2.
131-135-6 is the ATS.
ML 178-94.
SportsLine Consensus provides all NFL odds.
The Chiefs (1) vs. Houston Texans (4).
at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. A. ET (stream on Fubo, ESPN/ABC).
This season, the Kansas City Chiefs have left us perplexed. Even though they have only suffered one defeat, many have questioned whether this team actually has what it takes to go far in the playoffs. I do, in fact. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, the team’s leaders, have been there and won that. In the divisional round, Mahomes has dominated throughout his career. He has a 6-0 record, 302 points per game, 16 touchdowns, and zero turnovers. This is when he formally flips the switch, and after this long break of more than 20 days, I expect the Chiefs to look like a powerhouse. Although Houston bounced back from a slow start against the Chargers, I continue to doubt their ability to defeat a real Super Bowl contender like the Chiefs.
Texans 20, Chiefs 30 are the predicted scores.
Chiefs (8) is the selection.
Commanders (6) of Washington at the Detroit Lions (1).
Sunday, 8 p.m. M. ET (Fox, stream on Fubo).
The Commanders are a dangerous team to play against and have been one of the NFL’s more entertaining stories this season. Jayden Daniels is able to lead his team to victory even when it looks like they are going to drown. Although I believe Detroit marks the end of Washington’s story, they should continue to be a postseason threat for years to come. The ability of the Lions to hammer the football into the ground is crucial in this situation, particularly since David Montgomery is expected to return. This season, the Commanders have had one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL, which gives Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery an advantage. In addition to assisting the offense in pushing down the field, their success on the ground would keep Daniels off the field.
During offensive plays, the Lions have the means to slow down the Commanders. No, according to Aaron Glenn’s defense. One in the league on third down, as Amik Robertson just demonstrated against Minnesota in Week 18. Terry McLaurin, a top receiving option, can be shut down by Justin Jefferson.
Lions score 33, Commanders score 21.
-9.5 Lions is the pick.
Rams of Los Angeles (4) at Eagles of Philadelphia (2).
3 p.m. on Sunday. M. ET (NBC, available via Fubo).
Everyone left in the postseason, especially the Eagles, who will host the Rams in Philadelphia this weekend, should be a little uneasy about this football team. Although the Eagles defense is undoubtedly strong, Los Angeles presents a lot of offensive challenges. Kyren Williams has a knack for finding the end zone on the ground when they are within range, and Matthew Stafford has been playing incredibly effective football lately. He has access to one of the NFL’s top receiving tandems in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, which doesn’t hurt.
But more significantly, the Rams defense is excellent. With the exception of Week 18, the team has prevented opponents from scoring double digits in points in each of their last four games, and they are coming off a nine-sack performance in the wild-card round. Both sides of the ball present equal challenges for Philadelphia, but I believe Sean McVay will devise a strategy that puts the Eagles in a difficult situation and at the very least covers them. The Rams are 5-3 ATS away from home this season, so we love the points here and will also bet on them to pull off an upset victory.
Scores predicted: Eagles 24, Rams 27.
The Rams +6 pick.
Buffalo Bills (2) vs. Baltimore Ravens (3).
At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. m. ET (Paramount+, CBS).
It should be exciting to watch this heavyweight fight play out. Surprisingly, the Bills are the home underdog at Highmark Stadium according to the oddsmakers. Even though it seems startling at first, I believe it’s justified because the Ravens are a formidable team right now. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry’s backfield rushing tandem was designed for postseason encounters such as this one. The Bills are in the bottom half of the league in terms of yards per rush this season, which makes it a favorable matchup. Do you know who the No. is, even though Jackson and Henry rightfully receive the lot of attention? Week 11 in Baltimore marked the introduction of the NFL’s first scoring defense, total defense, and third-down defense. They are a legitimate Super Bowl contender thanks to their defensive comeback, and they will emerge from Buffalo with their ticket to the AFC Championship stamped.
