The two NFL Conference titles will be won on Sunday with the reward for the winners of the two matches being a place at Super Bowl LII in two weeks. The stakes are massive for all four teams involved now and that often leads to some amazing drama and I’m sure we will get a lot more here.
We kick things off with the battle for the AFC and that is followed by the clash for the NFC title on what has all the makings of an amazing night of NFL action Stateside.
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Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
The opening match of the two sees the seasoned campaigners New England Patriots hosting the new boys to the play-offs in the Jacksonville Jaguars for the right to be declared champions of the AFC.
There has been an inevitability about the Patriots being in this match from the time they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers towards the end of the regular season. They are well versed in winning the big match and you get the feeling that will be a big advantage. Jacksonville are new to this as a franchise and while they have play-off experience in their ranks they are distinctly second best in the experience department.
One thing which could keep the Jaguars in the mix is this reported injury to Tom Brady. I’m not sure how much I buy into it but you never know. This is an interesting mix here as it is New England’s powerful offense against this high class Jacksonville pass rush.
To keep that pass rush at bay I expect New England to put the ball in the hands of Dion Lewis as much as possible and if Brady really is hampered then he is likely to get even more carries than normal. Jacksonville aren’t great against the run so I like Lewis to cover 67.5 rushing yards here.
Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles
Two sides who are relatively new to this stage of the season in recent times so battle in Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Eagles host the Minnesota Vikings. Were the Vikings to win it would be them who are the home team in two weeks as their stadium is the venue for the Super Bowl.
That will no doubt act as a very good incentive for the Vikings in this match and we saw last week that they are going to play until the bitter end. The amazing play that got them here had a fairytale ring to it and you could be forgiven for thinking their name is on the trophy already.
Philadelphia Eagles dealt with a decent Atlanta Falcons side last week and their balanced offense and solid defence is a perfect combination for making the Super Bowl so we are set up for a cracking encounter going into the early hours of Monday morning.
Given what is at stake and the inexperience of the two teams at this level, especially the quarterbacks, I’m expecting a tight and nervy game. We’ve seen Minnesota take risks in their passing game this season but I would not be surprised to see both teams tighten up here and this turn into a real defensive battle. With that in mind under 39pts looks the way forward to me in this one.
Tips
Back D.Lewis – Over 67.5 rushing yards for a 4/10 stake at 1.87 with BetVictor
Back him here:
Back Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles – Under 39pts for a 4/10 stake at 1.95 with Paddy Power
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