This Saturday, it begins. The best 4 weeks of the NFL season, culminated at the end by the Super Bowl on February 7th from San Francisco. Usually heading into the playoffs there are 2-3 teams that have elevated themselves over the rest of the competition, but this year doesn't have that feel. This is one of the most wide-open playoffs we've ever seen, and there are compelling arguments for about 11 of the 12 teams that are in the tournament. The only team I think doesn't have a shot out of the 12 remaining teams are the Houston Texans, but even they have a game changer on defence in JJ Watt and an All-World wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.
Usually the #6 seed in each conference is a pretty easy team to eliminate. They're forced to play every game on the road, and that usually results in their early dismissal from the playoffs. Not this year. This year the #6 seed from the AFC are the Pittsburgh Steelers and from the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks. Both these teams have quarterbacks and head coaches with Super Bowl rings, and both are a very unpopular matchup for every playoff team. In fact, Seattle might be the hottest team coming into the playoffs (aside from the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs), and with the play of their quarterback Russell Wilson, Seattle could be destined for a third straight Super Bowl appearance. They're also getting Marshawn Lynch back for their first playoff game against Minnesota, and that will be a massive addition to an already potent offence. As for Pittsburgh, they have the most talented offensive lineup in the league, and could very well put up 35-40 points a game in the playoffs, which will win you a lot of games.
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| Marshawn Lynch |
As for favourites to make the Super Bowl, the consensus right now seems to be either Arizona or Carolina from the NFC, and New England or Denver from the AFC. All 4 of these teams could very well make the Super Bowl, but this has the feel to me of a strange playoff year. Teams like the Chiefs and the Redskins could surprise a lot of people, especially with their play as of late. Coming into the playoffs playing well is extremely important, and teams like Kansas City, Seattle and Washington are doing just that.
To sum up, I'm damn excited for the playoffs to start. However, from a betting perspective, I'm taking the playoffs off. Things are just too crazy in the playoffs to risk my hard earned cash on these games, especially since it's single elimination. In the NBA, NHL and MLB with their seven game series', the better team almost always wins, especially in basketball. But in the NFL, all it takes is one really good or really bad game from one player, and that could alter the outcome of a teams entire season. One play could be the difference between hoisting a Lombardi Trophy, or feeling the despair of losing. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the playoffs.
Wild Card Predictions:
Kansas City 24 - Houston 13
Pittsburgh 27 - Cincinnati 18
Seattle 28 - Minnesota 17
Washington 24 - Green Bay 21
Divisional Round Predictions:
New England 28 - Kansas City 21
Arizona 31 - Washington 23
Seattle 24 - Carolina 21
Pittsburgh 31 - Denver 27
Conference Championship Predictions:
Seattle 24 - Arizona 23
New England 31 - Pittsburgh 27
Super Bowl 50 Prediction:
Seattle 27 - New England 24
- Cameron
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