NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Picks, Point Spreads, TV Schedule, and Announcers

I don’t know about you, but I was absolutely shocked by what I saw in New England this weekend. I really expected the Patriots, even without Wes Welker, to come out and play well at home. However, they barely even showed up.

I was also very surprised that Mark Sanchez and the Jets went into Cincinnati and essentially owned the Bengals. No one has been impressed with Cincy’s offense lately, and the Jets have obviously been terrific against the pass, but Carson Palmer appeared like the rookie as opposed to Mark Sanchez.

These two games illustrate one of the lessons that we learned during the wild card round of this year’s NFL playoffs: the conventional wisdom (don’t pick rookie QBs on the road, don’t pick against Tom Brady at home, etc.) isn’t always the correct wisdom. (And for more wisdom, check out Bill Simmons’ NFL playoffs betting column from last week.)

What’s in store for the second round of the NFL Playoffs? I don’t know, and neither does anyone else. That’s what makes the NFL so great.

The Cowboys-Vikings matchup is fascinating, and there is reason for hope (based on the stats) if you’re a Jets fan, but the game I am most interested in is the Ravens and the Colts. Indy hasn’t played a real game in almost a month, and the Ravens will be riding into town with all kinds of momentum and Ed Reed back.

If I were Colts fan, I’d be very, very worried. Something tells me that most of them are.

A couple of quick things to keep in mind before we get to the TV schedule and picks for round two of the NFL Playoffs:

• All times are ET.
• Some games do not have all of the information filled in as of this post being published (i.e. a few games don’t have spreads yet and the announcer assignments have not yet been announced). I’ll up date this post as soon as the information is available at the506.com.
• Point spread and over-under listings are as of Monday night, and obviously subject to change throughout the week. If you want update point spread info, or some expert advice as you make your weekly picks, below are a few helpful links.
• DocSports: NFL Odds | NFL Picks
• DocSports: NFL Playoff Tree | NFL Playoff Brackets | NFL Playoff Schedule | NFL Playoff Predictions

And with all that said, here is the TV schedule, the point spreads, the announcers, and Jerod’s free picks, for the second round of the NFL Playoffs.

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Viewer’s Guide

TV Schedule – Announcers – Kickoff Times – Matchups

Point Spreads – Free Picks – Odds – Over-Unders

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Matchup: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans

• Cardinals-Saints Date: Saturday, January 16th
• Cardinals-Saints Kickoff Time: 4:30 ET
• Cardinals-Saints TV Network: FOX
• Cardinals-Saints Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa
• Cardinals-Saints Point Spread: Saints -7
• Cardinals-Saints Over-Under Odds: 57
• Cardinals-Saints Spread Pick: How fun is this game going to be? Two of the most prolific offenses in the NFL, maybe ever, will duke it out for a chance to go to the NFC Championship game. While a lot of times we see NFL playoff games turn out to be the opposite of what we expect, I think everyone would be absolutely shocked to see this game not at least get to 50 combined points. And for the record, I’d be taking the over. As for who will win, that’s a bit trickier. The Saints have lost three straight games and simply have not looked good. The Cardinals are still the NFC’s defending champs and have proven that they have no qualms going on the road. I’d pick the Saints to win if we were going straight up, but I’d rather take the Cardinals and a touchdown. This should be a fun one. Cardinals-Saints free pick: Cardinals +7

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Matchup: Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts

• Ravens-Colts Date: Saturday, January 16th
• Ravens-Colts Kickoff Time: 8:15 ET
• Ravens-Colts TV Network: CBS
• Ravens-Colts Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Ravens-Colts Point Spread: Colts -6.5
• Ravens-Colts Over-Under Odds: 44.5
• Ravens-Colts Spread Pick: I would not bet $.05 on this game. The Colts have not played a real game in about a month. The Ravens, on the other hand, have basically been playing do-or-die games for that exact same time period. And while you can say that the Colts have a great advantage by being at home, we all thought that last weekend when the Ravens went into Foxboro as an underdog…and we know how that turned out. Ed Reed is back for Baltimore, which is a huge addition. The Ravens should be able to get some pressure on Peyton Manning, and we know that the Reed-Ray Lewis combo is not going to be surprised by anything. Can the Colts’ offense regain its majestic rhythm after such a long layoff between true NFL game atmospheres? I think they can do enough to win, but I think the Ravens are going to make Colts fans nibble on their nails until the end. That’s when the NFL’s MVP will take over and finish the job…as he’s done so many times this year. Ravens-Colts free pick: Ravens +6.5
• MSF: Great deals on Indianapolis Colts-Baltimore Ravens Playoff Tickets

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Matchup: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings

• Cowboys-Vikings Date: Sunday, January 17th
• Cowboys-Vikings Kickoff Time: 1:00 ET
• Cowboys-Vikings TV Network: FOX
• Cowboys-Vikings Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
• Cowboys-Vikings Point Spread: Vikings -2.5
• Cowboys-Vikings Over-Under Odds: 46.5
• Cowboys-Vikings Spread Pick: I absolutely cannot wait for this game. It is a terrific matchup pitting Dallas’ suddenly sterling run D against Adrian Peterson; Tony Romo will have to evade the edge pressure sure to be delivered by Jared Allen; the Cowboys’ solid secondary will have to contain Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian; and, of course, Brett Favre will try to avoid DeMarcus Ware enough to be able to find his receivers downfield. And I could go on and on. The Cowboys are red hot right now, but the Vikings were the more consistent team throughout the season. Still, this Cowboys team just has a Giants-in-2007 feel to me. They were essentially left for dead when they were 8-5, but then knocked off New Orleans and they haven’t looked back since. I think the magical ride continues and Tony Romo outplays Brett Favre. I know it’s a flimsy limb to go out on, but my gut is telling me that I should have more confidence in the Cowboys right now. So I do, and I’m taking them with the points. Cowboys-Vikings free pick: Cowboys +2.5
• MSF: Great Deals on Vikings-Cowboys Playoff Tickets

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Matchup: New York Jets at San Diego Chargers

• Jets-Chargers Date: Sunday, January 17th
• Jets-Chargers Kickoff Time: 4:40 ET
• Jets-Chargers TV Network: CBS
• Jets-Chargers Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Jets-Chargers Point Spread: Chargers -7.5
• Jets-Chargers Over-Under Odds: 42.5
• Jets-Chargers Spread Pick: Congratulations to Mark Sanchez for leading his team to a road victory in his first playoff start. Most impressively, Sanchez was not just an innocent bystander; he played very, very well. However, he beat a QB in Carson Palmer who can no longer be considered elite. Across the field from him this week will be Philip Rivers, who most certainly is elite. Sanchez and the Jets are not going to go into San Diego and beat the experienced, red hot Rivers. They will, however, make it a close game and give San Diego a run for its money. The Chargers were only 20th in the league against the run, in large part because of Jamal Williams’ injury, which means that Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene should be able to help Sanchez keep the chains moving on offensive. Defensively, Darrelle Revis is good enough to lock up Vincent Jackson and at least slow the high octane Chargers down. With LT not an effective every down back anymore, Rivers will have to beat the Jets through the air. He’ll do it, it just won’t be easy. Take the under in this one and expect the Jets to “ugly it up” enough to stay within a TD but still fall short. Jets-Chargers free pick: Jets +7.5

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