2021 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Round: Sunday
5 Baltimore Ravens at 4 Tennessee Titans
Sunday, January 10
1:05, ESPN/ABC
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Always go with your first answer … the Titans are going to get bounced out of this in a hurry. The Ravens are playing well, Lamar Jackson will want redemption for last year’s disappointing playoff, and the running game will roll against a Tennessee defense that will get ripped to shreds. Derrick Henry will get rolling early, but will be held in check late. This will be Lamar’s game.
Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: Baltimore 34, Tennessee 23
Early Line No Look Guess: Tennessee -2
Actual BetMGM Line: Baltimore -3.5, o/u: 54.5
7 Chicago Bears at 2 Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday, January 10
4:40 CBS
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Chicago is going to be the fun and hip pick. Its defense is fine, but how healthy is Roquan Smith? The running game is starting to rock, but do you really trust Mitchell Trubisky in a game like this? A lot will be made out of New Orleans’ health – can Alvin Kamara even go? It won’t matter – the Saint defense will make sure of that. Keep in mind that during this Bear run of success before the Green Bay loss, it all came against bad teams.
Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: New Orleans 34, Chicago 17
Early Line No Look Guess: New Orleans -8.5
Actual BetMGM Line: New Orleans -9.5, o/u: 48
6 Cleveland Browns at 3 Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday, January 10
8:15 NBC
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Very, very nervous that Pittsburgh is one of those teams that just needed to get to this point, and then the machine turns on. The offense will still have issues, but that defense has the ability rise up and take out anyone in the tournament. It’s not happening here.
The Steeler offense will come out blazing with a great first drive, and that will be about it. Cleveland will get a good enough ground game to take the pressure off of Baker Mayfield, and the lack of any Steeler running attack will be the deathblow.
Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: Cleveland 27, Pittsburgh 24
Early Line No Look Guess: Pittsburgh -5
Actual BetMGM Line: Pittsburgh -3.5
Okay, so now for the weirder part – the rest of the 2021 NFL Playoff bracket.
Again, this is a first-thought guess before diving into the hard analysis on each one, but … this is correct. These are the right answers.
NFL Playoff First Thought Predictions
– Wild Card: Saturday
– Divisional Round: NFC
– Divisional Round: AFC
– Conference Championships, Super Bowl