NFL Playoff First Thought Predictions, Lines, Bracket, Super Bowl Pick

2022 NFL Playoff first predictions, early lines, and picks for every game through the bracket

The first predictions, early lines, and quick analysis on all of the 2022 NFL playoff games from the Wild Card through the Super Bowl. 


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We’re here after a wild and fun regular season – and an all-timer of a finish – with the most wide open NFL playoffs in a long, long time.

Who’s going to win, how will the bracket go, and who’ll win the Super Bowl?

As we do for the college side, we go with the first-guess picks and then work from there. The idea is to go with the first answer, and then adjust from there once we do the game previews and predictions.

2022 NFL Draft First 16 Picks Mock Draft

2022 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Round: Saturday

AFC: 5 Las Vegas Raiders at 4 Cincinnati Bengals

Saturday, January 15
NBC/Peacock, 4:30 pm
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Really? You’re going to go against this Las Vegas team that keeps on fighting through the adversity to play with the ultimate Raider swagger?

Yeah, and not just because Cincinnati rolled 32-13 when the two played in Week 11.

The Bengal star power got a week off to get everyone as right as can be, and Las Vegas had the emotional Sunday night game – that extra time will matter just enough. It won’t be the wipeout of earlier in the season, and the Bengals will press way too much, but Joe Burrow will get his first NFL playoff win.

Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: Cincinnati 30, Las Vegas 23
Early Line No-Look Guess: Cincinnati -7.5
Actual Line: COMING, o/u: COMING


AFC: 6 New England Patriots at 3 Buffalo Bills

Saturday, January 15
CBS/Paramount+, 8:15 pm
Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: It stinks that these two are playing in the Wild Card round. Either one could go on a run and either one would do some damage if they didn’t have to play each other.

Can New England get everything back up to speed? They’ve now lost three of their last four game after the problems against Miami, and before that was the crazy weather game against Buffalo.

You never want to go against Bill Belichick – especially since this is the third time they’ve played in seven weeks – but at home, in front of that crowd, the Buffalo team that’s past the midseason doldrums will rise up against the run. The Patriot defense, placekicking, and coaching will be better.

Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: New England 19, Buffalo 17
Early Line No-Look Guess: Buffalo -3.5
Actual Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

NFL Playoff First Thought Predictions
Wild Card: Saturday | Wild Card: Sunday
Divisional Round: NFC | AFC
Conference Championships
Super Bowl Prediction

NEXT: 2022 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Round: Sunday, Monday

Tampa Bay vs Kansas City Super Bowl Prediction, Game Preview

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl prediction, game preview.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl prediction, game preview.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers Broadcast

Date: Sunday, February 7
Game Time: 6:30 ET
Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Network: CBS

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All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Super Bowl: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14-5) vs Kansas City Chiefs (16-2) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM


Why Tampa Bay Will Win The Super Bowl

The defense has taken things to another level at just the right time.

It was terrific throughout the season and outstanding against the run throughout, but with the pressure on down the stretch, the D has improved, it continues to be a takeaway machine, and it was able to stuff New Orleans and Green Bay on the road to get the first ever home Super Bowl.

Don’t blow off how important it is that this is in Tampa Bay. Not only is this Super Bowl without all meaningless overblown hoo-ha of normal, but the teams are taking very different paths.

Kansas City is preparing at home – almost like it’s a regular road game – while the Buccaneers are practicing in their normal surroundings, they’re staying in their own beds, and in a year when the home field advantage crowd-wise doesn’t really matter, they’re able to truly make this like it’s a pumped up Sunday night Week 11 game.

On the field, Kansas City isn’t going to run much against the No. 1 run defense in the NFL, it’s not going to get its normal passing game going against one of the best teams in the league at preventing the big play, and then there’s that guy on the other side.

Don’t just assume the Tampa Bay offense is going to move because Tom Brady is in a Super Bowl, but it’s not a bad thing. He threw two picks in the first meeting against the two, but he also threw three interceptions in the NFC Championship win over Green Bay. The team was able to overcome the mistakes because of, again …

The defense.

This is where having two weeks off should help. In the first game – a 27-24 KC win, by the way – it was the end of a 12-game run before the Bucs got their bye week. The team was leaking oil with two losses in a row before getting the time off, and it hasn’t lost since.

Kansas City was a week removed from its bye.

But about that Tampa Bay defense …

Why Kansas City Will Win
What’s Going To Happen, Who’ll Win

NEXT: Why Kansas City Will Win The Super Bowl

Super Bowl First Thought Prediction, Line: Kansas City vs Tampa Bay

The first prediction, early lines, and quick analysis of all the 2021 NFL playoff games – Super Bowl version.

The first prediction, early lines, and quick analysis of all the 2021 NFL playoff games – Super Bowl version.


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Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

We did this already.

Kansas City beat Tampa Bay 27-24 in Week 12 when Tyreek Hill went wacky with 13 catches for 269 yards and three scores. The Chiefs held a 27-10 lead before Tom Brady hit Mike Evans for two scores in the fourth quarter to make it interesting, but it was too little too late.

It was wild, both star quarterbacks threw for a bazillion yards, and …

Can we have that again?

Without doing any research or giving it any real thought, here’s the knee-jerk thoughts and prediction for your Super Bowl LV. The actual line is added after the thing is written and predicted.

As always, this can and will change over the next two weeks when our game preview comes out, but until then …

Always go with your first answer.

2021 NFL Playoffs: Super Bowl LV

5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs 1 Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday, February 7th
CBS 6:30
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Maybe you watched the fabulous HBO documentary on Tiger Woods, and you surely saw the phenomenal series ‘The Last Dance’ on Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

As amazing as they were, they were so, so bittersweet – who didn’t want to go back in time and relive the greatness at an all-time level?

Here you go. You’re getting Tom Brady in his tenth Super Bowl.

Best of all, this isn’t like Peyton Manning taking home Super Bowl 50 in a last gasp, along for the ride sort of way. This is Brady still playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL, even if he’s off just a wee bit.

Here you go. You’re getting Patrick Mahomes in his second Super Bowl, and almost certainly not his last.

There obviously weren’t any issues against Buffalo after the concussion suffered against Cleveland, and the toe problem didn’t slow him down a bit, but getting two weeks off to rest up isn’t going to hurt.

Getting two weeks off to rest up isn’t going to be a bad thing for the 43-year-old guy, either.

The home field side of this for Tampa Bay doesn’t make a difference. It’s the Super Bowl – it’s not going to feel like anything like normal for the Buccaneers.

What will make a difference, though, is the Tampa Bay pass rush that managed to harass Aaron Rodgers for a full 60 minutes, and a run defense that’s the best in the NFL.

Watch out for a reverse of the first meeting in styles.

Kansas City wasn’t able to run all that well, and Mahomes was protected, but the offense still held on to the ball for almost 37 minutes to go along with the tremendous day from Hill and the passing game.

Brady threw a few picks, and the offense couldn’t move the chains, but this time around, it’s going to be pound, pound, pound as the Bucs go against type and try controlling the clock and the tempo.

Of course it’s all going to be about Brady vs. Mahomes, but Leonard Fournette will be every bit as important. Tampa Bay was able to get away with Green Bay having the ball for almost ten minutes longer in the NFC Championship, but in this, expect the Bucs to try doing everything possible to grind this down to a stop early – that’s where Fournette comes in.

And then the Kansas City defense will step up.

2021 Mock Draft from the college perspective: January Version

The two weeks off will allow the two coaching staffs time to figure out how to take out the opposing main men. That will last for a while for the Bucs, but eventually the dam will break, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill will start to get going in the third quarter, and Mahomes will find his groove.

Brady will be fantastic right up until a key interception early in the fourth quarter turns the game completely around. Boom, boom, boom – three plays later, Kansas City gets into the end zone and takes control of the game.

It’ll be fascinating. It’ll be history. It’ll be the greats going at it before the documentaries come out.

Enjoy this.

Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: Kansas City 33, Tampa Bay 27
Early Line No-Look Guess: Kansas City -4
Actual BetMGM Line: Kansas City -3.5 o/u: 57.5

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NFL Playoff First Thought Predictions, Lines, Bracket, Super Bowl Pick

The first predictions, early lines, and quick analysis on all of the 2021 NFL playoff games. 

The first predictions, early lines, and quick analysis on all of the 2021 NFL playoff games. 


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Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

The NFL has made its way through, it expanded to include everyone who can throw a football and chew gum at the same time, and now comes the payoff with one-and-done games that ramp the intensity up a few levels.

Who’s going to win, how will the bracket go, and who’ll win the Super Bowl?

As we do this for the college side, we go with the first-guess picks and then work from there. Like they tell you in third grade, always go with your first answer. I don’t look at the lines, guess at what they are, and then add them at the end.

2021 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Round: Saturday

7 Indianapolis Colts at 2 Buffalo Bills

Saturday, January 9
CBS, 1:05 pm
Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: The Colt lines are just good enough be a bother throughout. The great offensive front should be able to pound through the Bill defensive front, and on the other side, now the pressure is on. Josh Allen and the Bills are supposed to win. They’re supposed to keep this fun going. And they will, but it’ll be a bit of a grind until the Colt offense stalls in the fourth quarter and Buffalo finally pulls away.

Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: Buffalo 30, Indianapolis 20
Early Line No-Look Guess: Buffalo -6.5
Actual BetMGM Line: Buffalo -6.5, o/u: 52.5


6 Los Angeles Rams at 3 Seattle Seahawks

Saturday, January 9
FOX, 4:40 pm
Lumen Field, Seattle, WA

Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Is Jared Goff able to go? How healthy is the rest of the Ram offense? It won’t matter – the defense will pick up the slack. This is a flaky LA team that could just as easily get blown out from jump as it could roll through with a stunning run. Seattle’s defense that’s had so many issues this year will get exposed further.

Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: Los Angeles Rams 26, Seattle 23
Early Line No Look Guess: Seattle -4.5
Actual BetMGM Line: Seattle -4.5, o/u: 42


5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 4 Washington Football Team

Saturday, January 9
NBC, 8:15 pm
FedEx Field, Landover, MD

Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: BE … CAREFUL. Everyone will mock, ridicule, and laugh at a 7-9 team being in the playoffs, but this defense is the real deal. Weather will matter a bit for the guys from Tampa, but the bigger problem will be Chase Young and a pass rush that will disrupt Tom Brady – the first time in weeks anyone will do that – and make this a fight. However, the Football Team offense will stall and make just enough mistakes to not pull this off, but the Buccaneers will get pushed.

Knee-Jerk No Research Prediction: Tampa Bay 23, Washington 16
Early Line No Look Guess: Tampa Bay -6.5
Actual BetMGM Line: Tampa Bay -7.5, o/u: 46.5

NFL Playoff First Thought Predictions
Wild Card: Sunday
Divisional Round: NFC
Divisional Round: AFC
Conference Championships, Super Bowl

NEXT: 2021 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Round: Sunday