The NFL playoff schedule continues this weekend when the final eight teams will battle it out for a shot to advance to the conference championship games. Which teams will advance? Which teams can pull off the upsets? Can the Falcons and Patriots head back to the conference title game one year later and draw closer to a Super Bowl rematch? Get ready because many of those questions will be answered soon!
Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles -- Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
Vegas line -- Falcons -3, O/U 41
The Philadelphia Eagles were crowned NFC champs five weeks ago by many experts, but boy, have times changed.
The Eagles are a 3-point underdog at home this Saturday when they host the Atlanta Falcons who are favored in this game, which speaks volumes about the perception of Nick Foles vs. injured starter Carson Wentz. This is the first time in a long time that a No. 1 seed is an underdog in its first game of the NFL postseason. It may even be the first time ever in modern-day football.
The Falcons got to this game by beating the LA Rams last week in Los Angeles by the final score of 26-13, and it was the Atlanta defense that carried them. The Falcons' defense gets overlooked a lot for some reason, yet they finished the regular season ninth overall.
The Atlanta offense hasn't been as explosive this season as they were in 2016, but they still have a lot of weapons for Matt Ryan to work with.
It is hard to pick a team on the road against the No. 1 seed, but the Falcons can get it done again.
Pick -- Atlanta -3
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots -- Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS)
Vegas odds -- New England -13, O/U 47
The Tennessee Titans had a great season, but it could come to a crashing end this week in New England.
The Titans' only chance to win this game is if the Patriots don’t show up for the game -- literally!
Okay, Tennessee does have a stud in Derrick Henry, who thrashed the KC defense last week for 156 yards in the upset of the Chiefs on the road. And, if you are looking for another silver lining for the Titans, the Chiefs were 26th against the run in yards per attempt in 2017.
The Patriots are even worse than that as they rank one spot from the bottom at No. 31.
Still, they won’t get the job done against New England Saturday night. The Vegas line on this game is 13, which is a ton in the postseason, however, New England is healthy on offense and in the end, they will be a double-digit winner.
Pick -- Patriots -13
Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers -- Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Revenge is a dish best served up cold, and that is what will happen on Sunday when the Steelers host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars dominated the Steelers back in Week 5, and don’t think Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has forgotten. Jacksonville picked off Ben Roethlisberger an unheard of five times in a rout.
The Steelers will have their hands full with the Jags' defense once again this Sunday. Jacksonville’s defense is good -- as in, really good -- but they will have to be on top of their game if they want to get a road playoff win in the steel city.
The Jags' offense was awful against the Bills and if they can’t find a way to move the ball against the Steelers they could be in for a long afternoon. You know the old saying, “the defense can only do so much” in a game. If Pittsburgh jumps on Jacksonville early, it may get ugly.
Pick -- Pittsburgh -7
New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings -- Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
When the Saints and Vikings met back in Week 1 of the regular season, not many fans thought that these two would be in this position.
The Vikings won that early battle by the final score of 29-19, but both teams look dramatically different now.
After an 0-2 start, New Orleans has been red-hot, winning 12 of their last 15 contests. The Vikings have also been exceptionally great over the course of the regular season. Winners of 11 of their last 12, and boasting a 7-1 record at home, Minnesota is striving to become the first team in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl the same year their home city is playing host to the big game.
This is a tough game to pick because it is not hard to picture either team winning this game. I have to lean towards the Saints only because I love the experience Drew Brees brings into big games. This game could come down to the end, which makes the points look too good to pass up.
Pick -- Saints +4.5
If you happen to be on-the-go this weekend yet don't want to miss any of the action, don't worry. Every game will be available streaming online for free thanks to Yahoo! Sports. All you need to do is download the Yahoo Sports app and you can catch all of the action live on your smartphone, tablet or PC.
