This week will decide who makes up our NFL “Final Four.” The divisional round of the playoffs has the potential to be the most entertaining round of the postseason, as we have a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game and another chance for Aaron Rodgers to get his first playoff win against the San Francisco 49ers. Plus, Derrick Henry is returning for the Tennessee Titans against the Cincinnati Bengals, and Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford face off for the second time this year. If you’re looking for advice on what lines to play this weekend, you’ve come to the right spot.
Every week, we collect all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff and more.
All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
Which picks can you make with confidence in the divisional round? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine, as their incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up over $7,500 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago.
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans
Time: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Titans -3, O/U 47
Current: Titans -3.5, O/U 47.5
“If this game turns into a shootout, you have to like Cincinnati’s chances, especially since they’re going up against a Titans defense that struggles to stop the pass. During the regular season, the Titans were one of just eight teams in the league that surrendered more than 245 pass yards per game. If the Bengals can take advantage of that, it might be tough for Tennessee to keep up in a shootout.
“The Bengals have NEVER won a road playoff game in franchise history (0-7), but after watching them end their 31-year drought without a playoff win, it’s starting to feel like they’re going to be ending a lot droughts this year.” — CBS Sports’ Bengals expert John Breech is on Cincy this weekend to score an upset victory. To read his full explanation and all of his picks for this round of the postseason, click here.
“The Bengals are a much more scary matchup for the Titans than the Las Vegas Raiders would have been. If you had to point out a weakness on the Titans, it has to be the secondary/pass defense. Tennessee finished the regular season with the eighth-worst pass defense in the NFL, and the Bengals have a legitimate “big three” at receiver with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, and a great quarterback in Joe Burrow tossing the rock. The Bengals have what it takes to pull off an upset, but the Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC for a reason.
“Nissan Stadium is going to be rocking on Saturday, and it’s mostly because Derrick Henry is expected to make his return to the field. It’s fair to question if he will look like the same dynamic playmaker after two-and-a-half months off, but Tennessee is going to run the ball no matter who’s taking it from Ryan Tannehill. This Bengals defensive line has some issues worth worrying about. Larry Ogunjobi was placed on injured reserve, Mike Daniels is dealing with a groin injury and Josh Tupou has a knee injury — although he’ll play. I’m taking the Titans. The 3.5-point line is a bit weird, but winning teams are covering in the playoffs.” — CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani is taking the Titans to win and cover Saturday. To read his full column, click here.
Before you make any Titans vs. Bengals picks, you need to see which side SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein is on. A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. This season he has been on fire. Hartstein has gone an astounding 22-11-1 on his last 34 picks involving Tennessee, returning more than $1,000 to $100 bettors. You can see who Larry is taking in the Bengals-Titans matchup over at SportsLine, and you can also get his top player prop pick for the game, along with more picks from SportsLine’s top NFL experts, in this featured article.
Time: Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Fox), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Packers -5, O/U 47.5
Current: Packers -5.5, O/U 47
“I love betting on the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan as underdogs. Since taking over in San Francisco, Shanahan’s 49ers teams have gone 25-17 ATS as underdogs, compared to 16-24-1 as favorites. Taking it a step further, as road dogs, the Niners are 17-10 ATS. As road dogs outside the division, they’re 11-6. Aren’t these wonderful trends?
“Also, while they went 3-0 ATS last week, large favorites don’t tend to do well in the NFL playoffs. Including last week, they’re 11-13 ATS since the 2017 season, and my dumb brain tells me that we’re bound to see some regression this week after those blowouts last week. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but my numbers back it up as well. I have the Packers much closer to being field-goal favorites in this matchup than nearly touchdown favorites.” — CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli is taking San Fran to cover the spread. To read his best bets for this weekend, click here.
“I’m going to give the edge here to Kyle Shanahan over Matt LaFleur, as good as LaFleur has been, where Shanahan has taken care of business against him most of the time with the exception being this regular season. I think the 49ers are live to win the game, and I love them getting six. I don’t think it’s a great matchup for Green Bay, but it’s also a tough spot for San Francisco as well, going in there and having to play in that weather against this talented of a football team in the Packers.”
That’s Will Brinson’s take from the Pick Six Podcast, where he, R.J. White and Pete Prisco broke down all the games from a gambling perspective and gave out best bets. Give it a listen below and subscribe for great NFL content in your feed daily.
CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor R.J. White has been on a tear with his picks involving the Packers. White has gone a remarkable 50-16-1 on his last 67 picks involving Green Bay, returning more than $3,100. In this game against San Francisco, White knows a crucial X-factor that has him backing one side of the spread. We can tell you he’s leaning Under the total, but to see his pick for this game you’ll have to go to SportsLine. You can also get his top player prop pick for the game, along with more picks from SportsLine’s top NFL experts, in this featured article.
Time: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Buccaneers -3, O/U 48.5
Current: Buccaneers -2.5, O/U 48
“Tristan Wirfs being injured and his backup being shaken up really gives me concern. At some point, the injuries are going to catch up to the Buccaneers. Plus I had the Rams in the Super Bowl this year.” — CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones is eyeing an upset in this matchup. To read his insider notebook and the rest of his divisional round picks, click here.
“Both of these teams turned in strong performances in the wild card round, each winning by multiple scores. While the Rams defeated the Bucs in their regular-season matchup, I do think the calculus changes with this game being played at Raymond James Stadium. At home, the Buccaneers averaged an NFL-best 409.8 yards per game and an average margin of victory of 16.1 points, which also topped the league.
“The Rams were also a statistically strong team on the road this year but were under .500 away from SoFi Stadium against the spread. Against teams with a winning record, L.A. was also 2-5 ATS over their last seven games. I see Tom Brady being able to negate the Rams pass rush with quick throws from the pocket and pick his way down the field to build up enough of a winning margin that goes above this field goal spread.” — CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan is taking the Buccaneers to win and cover the spread this week. To read his column, click here.
Before you make any Rams vs. Buccaneers picks or any other NFL predictions, you need to see which side R.J. White is on. A CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, White ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. It’s no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world’s most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest. In addition, White has gone an astounding 33-18-4 on his last 55 picks involving Tampa Bay, returning nearly $1,300. You can see who R.J. is taking in the Rams-Bucs matchup over at SportsLine, and you can also get his top player prop pick for the game, along with more picks from SportsLine’s top NFL experts, in this featured article.
Time: Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Chiefs -2.5, O/U 54.5
Current: Chiefs -2, O/U 54
“This is a rematch from a game earlier this season that the Bills won on the Chiefs’ home field. The Bills and Chiefs are both coming off impressive victories. Both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen lit up their opponents last week, but this is a big step up for both in terms of defenses. The Bills have the top-ranked defense in the league and built their pass rush in the offseason to beat Mahomes. The Chiefs defense isn’t as good, but it played much better over the course of the second half of the season. The Chiefs love to blitz, which will leave Allen free to run and make throws on the run. I think that will be the difference here. The Bills behind Allen will win a fun shootout for the ages.” — CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco has the Bills pulling off the upset! To read his breakdown of every game, click here.
“What an absolute banger of a game. My CBS bosses are running pure right now, catching 49ers/Cowboys and now this Josh Allen/Patrick Mahomes matchup. If you claim to KNOW how this game will go, you’re a liar. Or Biff Tannen. This is a heavyweight title fight on divisional round weekend. Mahomes gets the edge at QB, even if Allen has played better of late. Andy Reid is a fairly big edge over Sean McDermott, but let’s not forget Reid FIRED McD from the Eagles. These teams have met plenty of times previously, but running through Bill Belichick/New England, Reid/K.C./Mahomes and then maybe even Tom Brady is a gauntlet. The Bills could snuff out some curses with a win here. I don’t think anyone can guarantee a winner here, so I’ll take the points and the scrappy underdog with the better roster in a shootout.” — CBS Sports’ Will Brinson likes the Bills to advance to the AFC Championship game. To read his picks column, click here.
Before you make Bills vs. Chiefs picks or any other NFL predictions, you need to see which side SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein is on. This season he has been on fire. Hartstein is 70-46-1 in his last 117 NFL sides, for a profit of more than $1800. In addition, Hartstein has gone an astounding 23-8 in his last 31 picks involving Kansas City, returning $1,400 to $100 bettors! Anyone who has followed him is way up. You can see who Larry is taking in the Bills-Chiefs matchup over at SportsLine, and you can also get his top player prop pick for the game, along with more picks from SportsLine’s top NFL experts, in this featured article.
