Ramblin’ Fan’s NFL Picks and Predictions: Conference Championships

With the Conference Championships upon us, we are merely two games away from the biggest spectacle in North American sports. It’s obvious that these teams are incredibly well-rounded, but they may also be helmed by the four top quarterbacks in the NFL.

What is the spread? In the gambling world, a “spread’ is a term used to handicap games by allowing a team to lose or win by a certain number of points while still winning for a bettor. If the Rams are +3 against the Seahawks, that means that the Rams could win outright or they could lose by two points and still be a victory for a bettor. In the same situation as above, the spread could also read as the Seahawks -3 which again would mean they have to win by three or more points to cover the spread.

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks (-7.5)

The Packers can thank the amazing Aaron Rodgers for their trip to the NFC Championship game. Rodgers completed 68 percent of his passes and threw three touchdowns in last week’s divisional victory over the Cowboys. Here is the huge concern for Green Bay; at Lambeau the Packers have scored 318 points compared to 168 on the road. That’s a difference of 18.8 points between home and away. The game was tighter than Seattle Seahawks fans wanted, but their team ran away from the Panthers in the fourth quarter last week. Richard Sherman has been limiting opponents all season long, but he effectively shut down the Packers in Week 1. Sherman only allowed one deep pass, six short completions and no touchdowns in his half of the field. With Sherman able to shut down on side, the Seahawks defense has the safeties capable to limit big plays against the talented Packers offense. Though both these teams are different compared to their Week one matchup, the Seahawks are too good at home and the Packers are not the same team on the road. Seahawks win 28-20 (Seahawks cover)

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (-6.5)

Andrew Luck is still looking for his signature playoff win after looking okay against the Broncos last week. The Colts managed to keep Luck upright and prevented Denver from sacking the young quarterback, but Luck still managed to throw two interceptions. The coaching staff for Indy was dedicated to the run, but only averaged a mere 3.5 yards per carry. Some form of consistent ball and possession control is critical for the Colts this week. To say we know that the Patriots are going to do in this postseason may be an understatement. Tom Brady threw the ball 50 times against the Ravens and the team combined for 13 rushing attempts. The Patriots will look to use the unmatchable Rob Gronkowski to continue his domination, especially against a Colts linebacking unit that has had problems covering tight ends this year. Though the Colts and Pats offense may be close, the Indy defense will not be able to stop Gronkowski and that will be Indy’s downfall. Patriots wins 35-24 (Patriots cover)

REGULAR SEASON: 152-99 STRAIGHT-UP, 131-119-3 AGAINST THE SPREAD

PLAYOFFS: 5-3 STRAIGHT-UP, 4-4 AGAINST THE SPREAD