X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Conference Championship Game Picks - NFL Playoff Predictions

After a perfect 4-0 week against the spread, football expert Seth I. Finkelstein looks to continue his hot streak with his picks for Championship Sunday.

Championship Sunday has arrived and boy did it take some dumb stupid coaching decisions to get here. I've been saying all year the Falcons inability to score in the red zone will cost them eventually. Last week I said, "if the Falcons don't begin scoring touchdowns [in the red zone], it will come back to haunt them." I even wrote about this issue in Week 9. They started off the game with settling for a field goal in the red zone and ended the game failing to score a touchdown. The play calling was absolutely horrific and as soon as Matt Ryan rolled out and cut off half the field, you knew it was over.

The Steelers should be ashamed of their play calling, to pitch the ball out wide on 4th-and-1 in the first quarter and then throw the ball on 4th-and-1 later in the game. But they should NOT fire Mike Tomlin. 

Last week I went 4-0 against the spread elevating my record to 5-3 this postseason.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

PATRIOTS -7.5 vs. Jaguars

Sunday 3:05 on CBS

Whoa, money is coming in on the Jaguars. On Tuesday, the Pats were nine-point favorites and on Wednesday it was eight. This is going down because of Tom Brady's nonsense injury. The Patriots are being hush-hush as usual, but don't worry. He'll be fine and shred the Jaguars defense just like Big Ben did last week. I have said the Jaguars are one of the best defenses in football, but this is Tom Brady. And for all you rooting for the Jags, you shouldn't. I'm a Jets fan and want the Pats to make it to the Super Bowl. You must be screaming 'WHYYYY?' That's because the Pats have been in seven Super Bowls since 2001. And. Every. Singe. One has been better than the one before. In 2001, the Pats were 14-point underdogs to the Greatest Show on Turf and upset them. Two years later they defeated the Panthers on a last-second field goal. The one a year later against the Eagles was solid. But the two losses against the Giants, Seattle, and Atlanta one last year were among the greatest football games ever. If they get in the game will be an instant classic. They're not rolling over the Vikings defense in their home building or the Eagles defense. I'm a huge football fan and want the best product possible in the championship.

This will be an NFL record seventh consecutive AFC Championship for the Pats and 12th in Tom Brady's career. In those games, they are 7-4 straight up, and 5-6 against the spread. The point spread is the second-highest the Pats have been favorite by (the highest was in 2007, 14 over the Chargers. They did not cover).  The Jaguars were established in 1995 and made two AFC Championships, 1996 and 1999. They lost both.

The Jaguars had their best offensive day of the season last week matching their highest scoring output, 45 points. However, their defense gave up its second-most points this season, 42, and most pass yards to the Steelers, 462. The second most this season was 301, also to the Steelers, and third most to Seattle, 260. Tom Brady will slice them up down the middle. As Matthew Freedman of the Action Network notes, "While the Jags defense is strong outside the numbers thanks to Pro-Bowl cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, they are more vulnerable in the middle of the field, ranking 11th, 15th, and 20th in pass DVOA against supplementary (slot) receivers, running backs, and tight ends." Hello, Danny Amendola, Dion Lewis, and Rob Gronkowski. I heard a wild stat the other day, and of course I can't remember where it was from, when Brady and Gronk take the field together, they win at an 80% clip. This may be the healthiest Gronk has been in a while.

I'm not going to look at any more stats because this is a common sense game. The Jaguars peaked last week. Remember, this is still Blake Bortles playing in Foxborough in the AFC Championship. This is a whole another animal than Pittsburgh. I understand the most hottest take this week on all sports talk is Tom Coughlin is the only one to have beaten the Patriots in the Super Bowl since 2001. Firstly, he's not the head coach, and secondly, he'd doesn't have Eli Manning to make the huge throw when must needed. This feels like a vintage Bortles game, and revert to his old name Blake "Pick-six Bortles." The Jags were a feel good story, but it has to come to an end.

Prediction: Patriots 31 - Jaguars 14

 

EAGLES +3 vs. Vikings

Sunday 6:40 p.m.on FOX

The battle of two tortured fanbases. Both teams have never won a Super Bowl, and are historic dating back pre-merger in 1970. The Vikings won the NFL championship in 1969, the Eagles three, 1948, 1949, and 1960. The last of which was against Vince Lombardi, "the only postseason loss on the great coach."

The Vikings are 0-4 in Super Bowls, their last appearance in 1976. The Vikings have had three chances since then, but lost in 1998 after Gary Anderson missed a kick to ice the game, shut out to the Giants as one-point favorites in the Meadowlands, and Brett Favre's heartbreaking interception in 2009. This is also the team that lost on a Roger Staubach Hail Mary in the 1975 Divisional Round.

The Eagles are 0-2 in Super Bowls, their last appearance in 2004. They did not make an NFC Championship game appearance from 1980 to 2001, under Andy Reid. Him and Donovan McNabb led them to five NFC Championship games, four of which were consecutive, the last of which in 2009.

This is the game I'm most excited for. This has all the makings of a vintage NFC Championship game from the 1980's. A cold weather, hard-hitting, defensive battle. I  don't think these quarterbacks will make many plays. Expect to see a lot of running and play-action.

These teams have very similar defensive numbers. The Vikings were first in points allowed, the Eagles fourth. Minnesota was 5th in takeaways, the Eagles, fourth. The Vikings had a significant better pass defense, second while the Eagles were 17th. Both rush defenses are the best two, the Eagles were first and Vikings second.

The Vikings and Eagles both are stacked with weapons from Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Jerrick McKinnon, Latavius Murray, and Kyle Rudolph for Minnesota. Philly has Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agoholor, Zach Ertz, Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, and Corey Clement. The stat that will decide this game is the pass defense. The rush defenses won't budge, but the Vikings have the advantage at quarterback. I've been a fan of Nick Foles and have stood by him since he came in and he looked good last week. But this isn't the Falcons defense, the Vikings defense is loaded and mean. Case Keenum has looked great all year and will make several more clutch plays than Foles to lead them back to Minneapolis to host the Super Bowl.

Prediction: Vikings 20 - Eagles 16

 

This will not be my last football article of the year. The week leading up to the Super Bowl I will be posting a Super Bowl prop extravaganza article with my pick. Stay tuned for that.

Best of luck RotoBallers!

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP