NFL playoff games schedule: TV, channel, live stream and betting info for divisional playoffs
The divisional round of the NFL playoffs are upon us with some intriguing matchups on the board. Can Drew Brees and the Saints top Tom Brady and the Bucs for a third time this season? Can the Browns pull off another road victory over the top-seeded Chiefs?
Here's a quick look at each game, with more detailed breakdowns below:
Saturday
Rams at Packers: 4:35 p.m. ET at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis; Fox or live stream on FuboTV; Line: Packers -6.5; O/U 45.5 (BetMGM)
Ravens at Bills: 8:15 p.m. ET at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.; CBS or live stream on FuboTV; Line: Bills -3; O/U 49.5 (BetMGM)
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Sunday
Browns at Chiefs: 3:05 p.m. ET at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.; CBS or live stream on FuboTV; Line: Chiefs -10; O/U 57.5 (BetMGM)
Buccaneers at Saints: 6:40 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans; Fox or live stream on FuboTV; Line: Saints -3; O/U 51.5 (BetMGM)
Rams at Packers
BetMGM.com line: Packers -6.5; O/U 45.5
Ramsâ keys: Avoid big mistakes on offense, create scoring opportunities with explosive plays and control the game on defense. The Rams have an uncertain quarterback situation, but Sean McVayâs offense scored 23 points in Seattle by avoiding turnovers and getting gains over 20 yards by RB Cam Akers and WRs Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Getting Akers (176 total yards against the Seahawks) going early will be especially important. The Ramsâ defense, No. 1 in scoring, must keep pressure on QB Aaron Rodgers while playing effective coverage and mixing in well-timed blitzes. The Rams have DL Aaron Donaldâs pocket-collapsing ability and depth and talent in the secondary.
Packersâ keys: Follow the regular-season plan, which includes creating efficient passing offense, staying opportunistic on defense and winning the turnover battle. Rodgers led the NFL in completion percentage and passer rating for the leagueâs top-scoring offense. On defense, the Packers will like the matchup against the LA quarterbacks, especially in the cold. CB Jaire Alexander or S Adrian Amos could get takeovers but only if the Packers stop the run on early downs.
Matchup to watch: Rams CB Jalen Ramsey vs. Packers WR Davante Adams. Ramsey might be the gameâs best cover corner, while Adams set team records for catches (115) and TD receptions (18) this season.
â Zach Kruse, Packers Wire
Ravens at Bills
BetMGM.com line: Bills -3 ; O/U is 49.5
Ravensâ keys: Defensively, slowing down QB Josh Allen is the clear task to avoid keeping this game from becoming a shootout. The best remedy will be to pressure Allen but using as few pass rushers as possible. OLB Matthew Judon led the Ravens with six sacks on the edge, while DT Calais Camp followed with four.
Billsâ keys: While the Bills rolled offensively late in the season and put up 27 points on a strong Colts defense in the wild-card win, Buffalo should not bank on being able to deal with a slow start. Baltimoreâs Lamar Jackson is one quarterback who, like Allen, can put up points out of nowhere and in a hurry. The Bills should draw up plenty of plays to WR Stefon Diggs early. Diggs led Buffalo with six catches and 128 yards versus the Colts; however, he had only one first-half catch. Defensively, the Bills should dust off the tape of the 2019 win against Baltimore; the front seven in that one kept Jackson in the pocket and made life difficult for him.
Matchup to watch: Ravens QB Jackson vs. Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds. Itâs the quarterback vs. the quarterback of the defense. Edmunds wonât be tasked with shutting down Jackson by himself, but heâll play a big part by helping get the defense in the right spots to stop him.
â Nick Wojton, Bills Wire
Browns at Chiefs
BetMGM.com line: Chiefs -10; O/U 57.5
Brownsâ keys: They need to find an equal amount of success on offense as they did in the wild-card win against the Steelers. Scoring 28 in the first quarter would help when youâre facing the leagueâs most explosive offense. But Cleveland need not get in a shootout. The Browns need to stick to a heavy dose of RB Nick Chubb and force Kansas City to stop the run. Thatâll set up opportunities over the top with the play-action passing game.Clevelandâs best bet on defense is to not allow any receivers a free release off the line of scrimmage and to leave two safeties over the top.
Chiefsâ keys: They need to execute better on offense than they did in Week 17 if they want to avoid an early exit. They also need better blocking up front from guys like LT Eric Fisher, especially in pass protection. On defense, they need to sell out to stop the run and force QB Baker Mayfield to beat them through the air. The defense is going to need to win the line of scrimmage, especially after how dominant the Brownsâ O-line looked against the Steelers.
Matchup to watch: Browns RB Kareem Hunt vs. Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens. Hunt will likely have something to prove against his former team. The K.C. linebacker group hasnât been great, but Hitchens has put together his best season.
â Charles Goldman, Chiefs Wire
Buccaneers at Saints
BetMGM.com line: Saints -3; O/U 51.5
Buccaneersâ keys: Tampa Bay must clean up its mistakes on defense after allowing Washington to stick around in the wild-card round. The Saints can take advantage of their coverage busts even if CB Carlton Davis had a strong Week 1 matchup with Saints WR Michael Thomas. Up front, itâs critical for DT Ndamukong Suh and his teammates inside to win their battles with a vulnerable New Orleans interior offensive line. On offense, WR Mike Evans has to create chunk plays through the air by defeating his opponents in one-on-one coverage. But that will be tough if the Bucsâ offensive line, whittled down by injuries, folds against a strong Saints pass rush.
Saintsâ keys: Dominate the trenches. On defense, that means putting QB Tom Brady under pressure throughout, which gets much easier if DE Trey Hendrickson can return from his neck injury.
On the other side of the ball, the Saints have to lean on Tampa Bayâs defensive line and let RB Alvin Kamara run free against a linebacker corps heâs embarrassed before. The Saintsâ passing game has outmatched the Buccaneersâ secondary at times, but QB Drew Breesâ inconsistent game in the wild-card round might suggest thereâs some rust left for them to knock off.
Matchup to watch: Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis vs. Saints WR Michael Thomas. Thomas had a solid first game back from injury against the Bears but he may need to turn it up to a higher gear. Thatâs a tough sell against Davis, who held him to three catches for 17 yards in the season opener.
â John Sigler, Saints Wire
