Ray Lewis and the Ravens get one more shot at the Patriots in a rematch of last year's AFC title game.
A betting preview (against the spread) in the NFC and AFC Championship Games of the NFL Playoffs.
Lock of the Week
The great Colin Kaepernick takes his one-man band on the road to Atlanta this weekend, after passing for 263 yards, rushing for 181 yards and scoring four total TDs in San Fran during his playoff debut. The 49ers fell just short of a trip to the Super Bowl last season but theyâll be headed to New Orleans after winning this week.
49ers (-5) at Falcons
Matt Ryan is much better at home (34â6 career record, including playoffs) than he is on the road (23â19 record). But this season, he has struggled statistically at home, throwing 13 TDs and 11 INTs at the Georgia Dome compared to 21 TDs and five INTs on the road. The Niners defense will bring too much heat for Matty Ice to handle.
Backdoor Cover
Baltimore was shown no respect last week in Denver, entering the Divisional Round game as a 10-point underdog before pulling off a 38â35 double-overtime victory. Ray Lewisâ retirement tour may not shock the world this week, but it wonât go down without a fight â especially in a rematch of last yearâs painful AFC title game loss.
Ravens (+10) at Patriots
Joe Flacco is 7â4 in the playoffs, with his four losses coming at New England (23â20), at Pittsburgh (31â24), at Indianapolis (20â3) and at Pittsburgh (23â14). In other words, Flacco is 10â1 as a 10-point underdog.
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