The divisional round of the NFL playoffs — arguably the league’s best weekend of football — is upon us. And with the top seeds back in action following their wild-card byes, all four matchups Saturday and Sunday offer intriguing matchups.
And while this is going to be a tough week for gamblers as three of the four spreads are 7 or more points, that doesn’t mean value can’t be found in the way of a three-team parlay. So without further ado, here is the parlay bet you have to make this week.
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 1:05 p.m. ET.
49ers (-7; -110)
Ravens (-6.5 on alternate line; -182)
Seahawks moneyline (+165)
Parlay odds: +685
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1. San Francisco 49ers (-7) over Minnesota Vikings
The first game of the weekend will be the Vikings traveling to San Francisco to take on the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers. While the Vikings certainly are one of the most balanced teams in the NFL, they can be exposed some in the secondary.
San Francisco is one of the most explosive teams in the NFL, as they had the fourth-most completions of at least 20-yards this season. Minnesota’s cornerback position has been a problem over the last few weeks and expect Kyle Shanahan to test them early and often down the field.
On the other side of the ball, look for the 49ers’ pass-rush to rattle Kirk Cousins as this game could get out of hand quickly. The talent differential in the trenches is massive, and that could result in some sloppy football for the Vikings. The 49ers to cover the touchdown spread feels like a pretty safe wager as they are just the far more talented team.
2. Baltimore Ravens (-6.5 on alternate line) over Tennessee Titans
The No. 1 seeded Ravens are 9.5-point favorites over the Titans on Saturday night, but that line feels just a tad bit too high. While I like the Ravens to win this game, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Titans kept this game close. That’s why I’ve chosen an alternative line at BETMGM, which puts the Ravens as 6.5 point favorites at the price of -182.
While the value isn’t great, it’s just hard to see a way that the Titans keep this within a touchdown. Considering that you are parlaying this game with two other contests, don’t stress too much about the lack of value.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Ravens to win by 7 or more points would profit $5.49.
3. Seattle Seahawks moneyline (+165) over Green Bay Packers
Now, the bet that will really help boost your payout is the Seahawks’ moneyline over the Packers on Sunday afternoon. While Green Bay has been fantastic at home, Seattle has been the league’s best road team, winning eight of their nine road contests including last weekend’s win at Philadelphia. Russell Wilson has been playing out of his mind of late and the 1-2 wide receiver punch of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf could prove to be a difficult matchup for the Packers.
Given just how close these teams are and the fact the Seahawks are 11-2 straight up in one-score games this season, I like the value of taking Seattle this week. If the moneyline is a little too risky for you, consider taking the Seahawks +4.5, which would bring the overall parlay odds down to +465.
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