NFL Picks Against the Spread (ATS) for the Divisional Round
The first weekend of the NFL playoffs didn't disappoint, especially when it came to picking against the spread. Even though all three of the heaviest favorites during "Super Wild Card Weekend" won their home games, only one covered the large spread (San Francisco over Seattle). There also was a victorious road underdog with the New York Giants taking down the Minnesota Vikings. So with that as the backdrop, what does it mean for the Divisional Round?
Related: Expert Picks for Every NFL Divisional Playoff Game
For starters, the top seeds in each conference join the party and not surprisingly, Kansas City and Philadelphia will likely go off as the biggest favorites of the four-game slate. Also, all home teams will be favored so does that mean we're in for a chalky weekend? Just remember, in the playoffs anything can happen, especially when you get to the Divisional Round.
Here's how Athlon's own Steven Lassan (@AthlonSteven), Mark Ross (@AthlonMarkR), and Ben Weinrib (@benweinrib), along with AthlonSports.com contributor Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) see the Divisional Round playing out when it comes to picking against the spread.
NFL Divisional Round Picks Against the Spread
| Spread | Bryan Fischer | Steven Lassan | Mark Ross | Ben Weinrib | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFC: Jacksonville at Kansas City (Sat.) | KC -8.5 | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs |
NFC: New York Giants at Philadelphia (Sat.) | PHI -7.5 | Eagles | Eagles | Giants | Giants |
AFC: Cincinnati at Buffalo (Sun.) | BUF -5 | Bills | Bengals | Bills | Bills |
NFC: Dallas at San Francisco (Sun.) | SF -3.5 | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys |
Super Wild Card Weekend* | 2-3 | 2-3 | 1-4 | 1-4 | |
Season Total* | 123-147 | 130-140 | 132-138 | 127-143 |
*Spreads subject to change. Week 4's Bills-Ravens (Bills -3, 23-20), Week 5's Bears-Vikings (Vikings -7, 29-22), Week 9's Chargers-Falcons (Chargers -3, 20-17) and Rams-Buccaneers (Bucs -3, 16-13), Week 11's Bears-Falcons (Falcons -3, 27-24), and Week 15's Titans-Chargers (Chargers -3, 17-14) are not counted in the season total because they were all pushes based on spreads. That's also the case for last weekend's AFC Wild Card matchup between the Ravens and Bengals (Bengals -7, 24-17). The Week 17 Bills-Bengals game that was initially postponed before being ruled no-contest by the NFL also isn't included.
