With the NFL playoff field down to eight teams, the Divisional Round gets the top-seeded clubs from each conference back on the field on Saturday. All six games on Wild Card Weekend were a rematch from the regular season with half of them being between division rivals. We get more of the same on Saturday with NFC’s No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles hosting the New York Giants in a battle of NFC East foes. The early game has the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC. The teams have combined to win their last 11 games with the Jags posting a stunning upset of the Chargers last week coming back from a 27-0 deficit to win as a 2-point dog.
The Eagles swept the season series from New York winning the finale 22-16 in the return of Jalen Hurts. The MVP candidate looked rusty after missing the previous two games with an injury and Philly struggled to put away the Giants, who sat Daniel Jones, Saqoun Barkley and a few other regulars. That move paid off with Jones throwing for 301 yards and two scores with an additional 78 yards on the ground. And Barkley scored twice, including the go-ahead touchdown in a 31-24 wild card win over Minnesota. The Giants were one of two road teams to win last week getting the outright as a 2.5-point dog. The G-Men are back on the road this time as a 7.5-point dog in a game that airs on FOX at 8:15 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field.
The Jags overcame a rough first half staging the third largest comeback in playoff history beat the Chargers last week. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they took care of the football. Trevor Lawrence threw four interceptions and a muffed punt led to field goal and a 27-0 deficit. Not turning the ball over allowed Lawrence to respond with four touchdown passes and Riley Patterson’s field goal at the gun gave the Jags their sixth straight win going 5-1 ATS. The Chiefs are an 8.5-point favorite to reach their fifth straight AFC Championship. The first playoff meeting between the clubs will air on NBC at 4:30 p.m. ET from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
Giants ( +7.5 ) at Eagles ( -7.5 ) O/U 48
The Eagles were the last team to lose a regular season game waiting until Week 10 to do that. And winning 13 of their first 14 games gave them enough of a cushion to survive a late season slump. The funk started when Jalen Hurts went down with an injury and the team lost back to back games with Gardner Minshew behind center. Hurts returned for the regular season finale with the Eagles securing the NFC East and No. 1 seed with a 22-16 win over the Giants. Hurts had a wonderful season throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions while adding 760 yards and 13 scores on the ground. Philly’s balanced attack was on display in a Week 14 win over the Giants totaling 437 yards. And the defense will be something different for Daniel Jones.
Big games against the Vikings and Colts at the end of the regular season and another strong performance last week in Minnesota have given Jones confidence. He threw for 301 yards and two TDs last week with Barkley adding two scores on the ground. The pair sat out the season finale and will need huge efforts in order to advance. The Eagles led the NFL by a lot with 70 sacks finishing second in total defense and eighth in points allowed. The Giants need a strong game from their defense to pull off the upset, but with Hurts round into form that doesn’t appear possible.
Our Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles -7.5 and UNDER 48
Jacksonville Jaguars ( +8.5 ) at Chiefs ( -8.5 ) O/U 52
Coming back from being down 27-0 shows you what the Jags are capable of. And they’ve been in a playoff atmosphere for the last two months. A division title and playoff berth looked out of the question when the club won just two of its first eight games going 2-6 ATS. But they closed winning their last five games going 4-1 ATS with a loss in any of those games wrecking postseason hopes. The pressure-cooker environment is unlikely to faze them now. Lawrence tossed four picks and the Jags turned the ball over five times against the Chargers yet they still won. Lawrence was outstanding in the second half, Travis Etienne made some big plays, and the defense did its part.
The Jags must slay the beast to continue their magical ride. Kansas City was dominant again offensively with Patrick Mahomes throwing for 5,250 yards and 41 TDs to lead the highest scoring unit in football. The teams met in Week 10 with Mahomes throwing for four touchdowns and 331 yards as the Chiefs cruised to a 27-17 victory. Like they’ve done all season the Jags made a move after being down 20-0. Lawrence threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns in that game that pushed the closing line. The Jags are better and more confident than they were earlier in the season, but that won’t be good enough to beat Mahomes. However, this game should be closer allowing me to back the visitors with confidence.
Our Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars +8.5 and UNDER 52
