Baltimore at
Denver (-10)
10 points for the
Broncos? Really? The Ravens did lose the first meeting by 17,
granted, but they are built for road success in the playoffs, and
this Broncos team has not truly been battle-tested yet. This game
should be close because of the defenses and run games, though
ultimately Manning has the obvious edge over Joe Flacco at
quarterback and that’s all that seems to matter in this league
anymore. Ravens
Green Bay at San
Francisco (-2.5)
The 49ers were in
this spot last year against a battle-tested Saints team and passed
the test with Alex Smith, but can Colin Kaepernick follow suit? Aaron
Rodgers is a lethal QB in the playoffs, but it’s up to Green Bay’s
defense to get the job done. Though San Francisco won the first
meeting by eight, this one figures to be a nail-biter throughout
because San Francisco doesn’t appear likely to match Green Bay score
for score if this one turns into a shootout. The winner of this game
is your likely NFC Super Bowl representative. Packers
Seattle at Atlanta
(-1)
The Falcons have
so much to prove here. 0-3 in the playoffs with the Mike Smith-Matt
Ryan tandem, they need a win to exorcise those demons, while the
Seahawks come in red-hot. But the Chris Clemons injury really hurts
Seattle’s pass rush, and the Falcons are rested and ready to roll,
not to mention Matt Ryan is 33-6 at home in his career (including one
playoff loss). An intriguing matchup should be Roddy White and Julio
Jones against Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, but it’s the
Falcons defense that needs to step it up. Keeping contained on
Russell Wilson is key, and Marshawn Lynch can’t have a big game. Like
GB-SF, this should be a tight one, but dome-field advantage should
finally benefit Atlanta. Falcons
Houston at New England (-9.5)
No chance for Houston here. New
England steamrolled them, 42-14, in December, and Bill Belichick has
owned Wade Phillips-run defenses in the past. New England is on a
mission after losing last year’s Super Bowl and won’t be denied this
time around. Patriots.
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