28 teams are gone; 4 remain. Who will win a trip to Tampa, and who will go on the clock for the draft? In what has proven to be a rather entertaining playoffs so far, these two matchups should provide more of the same entertainment.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Green Bay Packers (-3.5)
Sunday January 24, 3:05 PM ET, FOX
Brady vs Rodgers. TB12 vs the Hail Mary Master. Two of the best to ever play the game square off for the first time in the postseason with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake. What more could a football fan ask for? Tampa overcame a slow start last week to outlast the Saints, while the Packers cruised to a win over the Rams. Antonio Brown is out, but as long as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin can pick up the slack, that shouldn't be a problem. The Packers' win game may struggle to find traction against the best rush defense in the league, but Rodgers should be able to take advantage of a relatively weak Bucs secondary. Ultimately, this game should come down to whomever makes the fewest offensive mistakes, and the over should be covered easily. I'm picking the Packers to win and cover here via a late touchdown to Devante Adams, avenging the loss from October and securing a spot in Super Bowl LV.
Prediction: Packers (-3.5)
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Sunday January 24, 6:40 PM ET, CBS
Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs (-3.0)
Two of the hottest young QBs in the league square off in Arrowhead this Sunday, one looking to secure his place among the NFL's elite whole the other looks to secure a repeat Lombardi for the first time since 2004. After a concussion scare last week, Patrick Mahomes is back for a third consecutive AFC Championship game, while the Bills haven't been in this position since their fourth Super Bowl run in 1994. Their best chance for a fifth appearance in the big game will come from a strong performance from Josh Allen, who has consistently proven doubters (myself included) wrong this season. On paper, this looks to be an extremely close match, as both QBs and defenses have remarkably similar statistics, with the Bills scoring more consistently as the Chiefs put up the most yards. While this is not the same dominant Chiefs offense as last year, I expect experience to win out here. The Bills keep it close until late in the fourth, and a late scramble by Mahomes seals the win for Kansas City.
The Pick: Chiefs (-3.0)
Super Bowl Prediction
Sunday February 7, 6:30 PM, CBS
Packers vs Chiefs
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