Las Vegas Raiders (+4-1/2) at Cincinnati Bengals: The Raiders have done a nice job navigating a chaotic season caused by the upheaval surrounding former head coach (and raving bigot) Jon Gruden. They amassed a winning season for only the second time since the franchise's Super Bowl XXXVII appearance 19 years ago. They've also managed to get into the postseason without a lot of star power in that they don't have a 1,000 yard rusher and the only pass catcher to surpass 1,000 yards was Hunter Renfrow (1,038). They also had a minus-65 point differential for the season, the worst of the 14 postseason teams. Yet here they are.
The Bengals franchise is currently on an 8-game postseason losing streak, having not won a playoff game since one week prior to ending Bo Jackson's career ---- 31 YEARS AGO! The good news for Cincy is second year QB Joe Burrow looks like the real deal. In 2021, Burrow set the Bengals' all-time record for passing yards and TD passes in a season. He also became the fifth QB in NFL history to throw for 400+ yards and 4+ touchdowns in consecutive games (weeks 16 and 17).
I believe the Bengals finally get a playoff win for the first time since the George H.W. Bush administration.
Cincinnati 34 Las Vegas 24
New England Patriots (+4-1/2) at Buffalo Bills: For the first time since 1998, the Patriots are heading to the postseason with a quarterback not named Tom Brady. Yes, back then the coach-QB duo was Pete Carroll and Scott Zolak. This season, the Pats turned to rookie Mac Jones to lead the club in the post-Brady era. Jones was solid if not spectacular, which I believe will suit coach Bill Belichick just fine.
Just a year after reaching the AFC title game, the Bills feel a sense of urgency to make another run. While putting forth lackluster offensive performances in the middle of the season, the Bills averaged 30 points and 378 yards in their final four regular season games (all wins) to snatch the AFC East division championship from the grasp of the Pats. The Bills are also rocking the top ranked defense in the NFL, so this doesn't bode well for the rookie Jones.
These division rivals split their two 2021 matchups, with the road team prevailing in each. The only spot where Buffalo is somewhat vulnerable defensively is against the run. The Pats exploited that on a Monday night in December, running it 46 times for 222 yards in their 14-10 win. Given the temperature will be in the single digits Saturday evening, that might not be a bad strategy for New England to employ. However, I just think the Bills are one level above the Patriots at this point.
Buffalo 24 New England 10
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