NFL Picks: Handicapping the Divisional Round

NFL Picks: Handicapping the Divisional Round

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

All three of us went 1-3 last week, and we lost our only unanimous best bet in Staff Picks history (Redskins.)

This week, three writers (DDD, Pianowski and Stopa) have the exact same picks, and DDD and Pianowski have the same best bet (Cardinals.) My picks are identical to theirs except for the Broncos, and I also picked the Cardinals as my best. But we have no unanimous bets because Erickson went diametrically opposite of all my picks, and opposite Stopa on his best bet (Patriots.)

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Chiefs +5 at PatriotsPatriotsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefs
Packers +7 at CardinalsPackersCardinalsCardinalsCardinalsCardinals
Seahawks +2.5 at PanthersPanthersSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawks
Steelers +6.5 at BroncosSteelersSteelersBroncosSteelersSteelers
Best BetPatriotsCardinalsCardinalsChiefsCardinals
Last Week's Record1-31-31-31-31-3
Best Bet Record9-8-18-107-9-27-10-18-10
Unanimous Pick Record21-28-1
Majority Pick Record123-129-8
2014 Playoff Record10-15-69-24-79-2
2013 Playoff Record5-4-23-6-24-5-24-5-24-5-2
2012 Playoff Record4-6-15-5-16-4-14-6-18-2-1
2011 Playoff Record8-35-69-26-57-4
2010 Playoff Record6-55-65-67-48-3
2009 Playoff Record5-64-71-106-55-6
2008 Playoff Record6-55-65-68-34-7
2007 Playoff Record8-33-86-5N/A2-9
2006 Playoff Record7-4N/A4-7N/AN/A
2005 Playoff Record5-6N/A3-8N/AN/A
2004 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2003 Playoff Record
All three of us went 1-3 last week, and we lost our only unanimous best bet in Staff Picks history (Redskins.)

This week, three writers (DDD, Pianowski and Stopa) have the exact same picks, and DDD and Pianowski have the same best bet (Cardinals.) My picks are identical to theirs except for the Broncos, and I also picked the Cardinals as my best. But we have no unanimous bets because Erickson went diametrically opposite of all my picks, and opposite Stopa on his best bet (Patriots.)

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Chiefs +5 at PatriotsPatriotsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefs
Packers +7 at CardinalsPackersCardinalsCardinalsCardinalsCardinals
Seahawks +2.5 at PanthersPanthersSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawks
Steelers +6.5 at BroncosSteelersSteelersBroncosSteelersSteelers
Best BetPatriotsCardinalsCardinalsChiefsCardinals
Last Week's Record1-31-31-31-31-3
Best Bet Record9-8-18-107-9-27-10-18-10
Unanimous Pick Record21-28-1
Majority Pick Record123-129-8
2014 Playoff Record10-15-69-24-79-2
2013 Playoff Record5-4-23-6-24-5-24-5-24-5-2
2012 Playoff Record4-6-15-5-16-4-14-6-18-2-1
2011 Playoff Record8-35-69-26-57-4
2010 Playoff Record6-55-65-67-48-3
2009 Playoff Record5-64-71-106-55-6
2008 Playoff Record6-55-65-68-34-7
2007 Playoff Record8-33-86-5N/A2-9
2006 Playoff Record7-4N/A4-7N/AN/A
2005 Playoff Record5-6N/A3-8N/AN/A
2004 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2003 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2002 Playoff Record6-57-45-6N/AN/A
2001 Playoff Record6-4-17-3-14-6-1N/AN/A
2000 Playoff Record6-57-46-5N/AN/A
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8114-134-8127-121-8121-127-8
2014 Record123-128-5140-111-5135-116-5124-127-5128-123-5
2013 Record132-114-10118-128-10123-123-10111-135-10128-118-10
2012 Record110-140-6125-125-6121-129-6143-107-6123-127-6
2011 Record121-128-7134-115-7124-125-7123-126-7127-122-7
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5126-125-5136-115-5134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3131-122-3130-123-3126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10124-122-10125-121-10130-116-10
2007 Record127-120118-129127-120N/A130-117
2006 Record118-129N/A139-108N/AN/A
2005 Record121-126N/A127-120N/AN/A
2004 Record124-124N/A130-118N/AN/A
2003 Record121-126118-129124-123N/AN/A
2002 Record113-136123-126141-108N/AN/A
2001 Record124-113117-120118-119N/AN/A
2000 Record123-117134-106141-99N/AN/A

Unanimous/Majority Picks

This week we have no unanimous picks. We went 0-1 on unanimous picks last week to bring our season record to 21-28-1. We went 0-4 on majority picks (three or more writers) to bring our season record to 123-129-8.

Comments:

WriterComment
EricksonI think that DEN-PIT will be a low-scoring tight game, decided by a turnover late... Julian Edelman should do well in this matchup, and this is where the Chiefs finally face a competent offense and get stopped in their tracks... I went back-and-forth with with GB-AZ and SEA-CAR.
PianowskiSpare me any "Pack is back" talk. Green Bay managed 5.8 YPA in the win at Washington, a game that told us more about what the Redskins are not. Arizona rolls.
LissI'm back to the well fading the Packers. The Cardinals are a terrible matchup for them. I also think the Broncos win in a walk if Ben Roethlisberger's less than 100 percent, and there's a good chance that's the case. I have no idea which version of the Patriots will show up.
StopaNew England was a disaster on offense down the stretch, and Bill Belichick knew it, not even trying to score at the end of the half in Week 16, choosing to kick in OT, then playing Wishbone offense in Week 17, scoring just 10 points against a bad Miami D. Will two weeks off bring the Pats back to normal? Maybe Nate SolderSebastian Vollmer comes back healthy, but Julian Edelman has been out for so long that I want, as Pianow would say, a "show me" game before I presume anything. Plus, KC's pass rush poses the worst possible matchup. I think NE goes into a shell on offense, that this game has a ton of punts and goes well under 42.5 and that the five points may well matter. I like the KC money line, too. Chiefs 17-13... I'm also doubling down in fading Green Bay. That offense was too bad for too long for me to think anything truly changed after whooping a mediocre Redskins D. Cardinals 34-14.
Del Don The Chiefs have a legit shot of winning outright, but of course, going against New England in the playoffs at home coming off a bye is probably crazy (especially with a banged up Jeremy Maclin)... I don't love betting against Aaron Rodgers for the second straight week, and the fact Arizona killed Green Bay during their first matchup this year actually makes me more reluctant here, but I'm backing the Cardinals to win comfortably regardless... The Seahawks are extremely lucky to still be alive. Then again, the Panthers are extremely unlucky as a No. 1 seed that went 15-1 to have to face Seattle this week... The Steelers/Broncos game all comes down to health.

The players:

• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008, 2013 Staff Picks Champ. Writes the Weekly Rankings. Covers and roots for the Bengals.

• Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to Rotowire.com. 2009, 2011 and 2014 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the Patriots.

• Chris Liss: RotoWire Managing Editor, 2000, 2002, 2006 Staff Picks Champ, 2003, 2004 co-champ. Writes East Coast Offense, Beating the Book and the Survivor column in addition to Staff Picks. Covers and roots for the Giants.

• Mark Stopa: Staff Writer, 2010, 2012 Staff Picks Champ, Writes Run 'N' Shoot. Roots for the Bills.

• Dalton Del Don: Fantasy Expert for Yahoo! Sports, 2007 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the 49ers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Liss
Chris Liss was RotoWire's Managing Editor and Host of RotoWire Fantasy Sports Today on Sirius XM radio from 2001-2022.
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