NFL playoff football picks and guides: Chiefs vs. Ravens and Lions vs. 49ers

NFL playoff football picks and guides: Chiefs vs. Ravens and Lions vs. 49ers

Two great games are on the schedule for the 2024 NFL playoffs’ conference championship round.

We have all the information you need for the weekend. Our NFL Nation correspondents give us the most important information and bold predictions for every game.

Also, ESPN Stats & Information gives you a big number to know and a betting tip for every game. Our Football Force Index (FPI) goes deeper into the numbers and predicts the outcome of each game.

The biggest X factor in each game is picked out by analytics writer Seth Walder. Matt Bowen picks out a key strategy-planning matchup to keep an eye on in both games, as well as Kevin Seifert tells us what we need to know about the officials.

Finally, Walder or Eric Moody tell us what they think the final scores will be for both games. This page has everything you need to know to get ready for this weekend’s exciting NFL playoff football.

Jackson has scored at least two touchdowns in a total of three straight starts as well as four of the last five. It’s good to see Mark Andrews back at tight end for Baltimore.

She and Isaiah Crowell will likely play a lot of two-tight-end sets. likely to help the Ravens’ offense do well both passing and running the ball.

Jackson has thrown at least a pair of touchdowns in four of the ten games his team has played this season (40%) as well as at least a single score in seven of the ten (70%).

Jackson is ranked second in the country this year for money throws (30), fourth for red zone completion rate (66.2%), and ninth for red zone accuracy (6.8).

When you face Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs, you have to keep your foot on the gas along go for touchdowns instead of field goals. Jackson is having his best season as a quarterback.

With 13 of those games being played at home, Patrick Mahomes has played in 14 playoff games across the Wild Card, Divisional, or Conference Championship rounds.

Before this game, Mahomes had never played an AFC Championship game on the road. This will be his first consecutively road playoff game as well.

Sadly for Mahomes as well as Kansas City, this is not a good spot for them. I do expect Baltimore to take an early lead, as they often do.

This season, Baltimore is 14-4 ATS in the first half. However, they lost to Houston last week and failed to go over the first-half spread.

There was a bye week after that, though, and some players had two weeks off. I like this position for the Ravens.

On FanDuel, I bet on the Ravens with a -2.5-point spread and odds of -130. When you look at the other 1H spreads, you can find the -2.5 odds for -134, but DraftKings has this at -3.5. The odds at BetMGM are -3 to -110.

The action on Sunday will start in Baltimore, where the Ravens are going to host their first AFC championship game. The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will come to Charm City.

One team, led by Lamar Jackson, wants to win a third Lombardi Trophy. The other team, led by Patrick Mahomes, is trying to win its third Vince Trophy in five years. We wish you luck picking here.

The San Francisco 49ers will play in the NFC capital game for their fourth appearance in the last five years. The Niners have won five Super Bowls in the first 29 years of the game and are now trying to win their first one.

But they will have to beat the happy Detroit Lions. With one win, they will be playing in Super Sunday for the first time after making it to their second NFC title game.