NFL Divisional Round Sunday Predictions, Previews & Betting Odds
Check out our NFL Divisional round Sunday predictions, previews and betting odds for you as four of the NFL’s best teams go head-to-head.
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NFL Divisional Round Sunday Schedule
Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills | 8.00 pm, Sky Sports Main Event
Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers | 11.30 pm, Sky Sports Main Event
Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills
Game Info
Venue: Highmark Stadium, Buffalo
Kick-Off Time: 8 pm, Sunday
What Channel? Sky Sports Main Event
Handicap: Bills -5.5
Bengals Form
The Bengals started the season 4-4 and it looked like this was going to be a tough season for last year’s Super Bowl runner up. Since then they have not lost a game and are currently on a 9 game winning streak which makes them undefeated since October.
In the first round of these playoffs Cincinnati struggled against their division rivals the Ravens but eventually fought their way to a 24-17 win thanks to a 99-yard fumble recovery touchdown.
Bills Form
The Bills finished the season with a 13-3 record which makes them the #2 seed in the AFC. They had a slump in November when they lost two games and struggled in a couple more.
Buffalo are on an 8 game winning streak right now and while they aren’t as dominant as they were earlier in the season they are still finding ways to win all these games.
Bills vs Bengals Head-to-Head Results
The Bills and Bengals were playing a game against each other only a couple weeks ago but it was cut short because a Bills player, Damar Hamlin, suffered a cardiac arrest during the first quarter. Hamlin is thankfully out of hospital and continuing his recovery.
The Bengals were ahead 7-3 and looked to be getting the better of early exchanges when the game was stopped. However, only nine minutes had been played at that stage so it is hard to draw many conclusions about how these teams match up.
Bills vs Bengals Matchups
Bills Offence vs Bengals Defence
Buffalo have one of the best offences in the league led by superstar QB Josh Allen. They are 2nd in the league in points per game and also 2nd in yards per game.
Allen has developed into one of the better passers in the NFL but when his receivers are covered he is able to run with the ball for massive gains. We see evidence of this with the Bills being the best team in the league at converting on 3rd down at a rate of 50.72%.
Luckily for the Bengals, they have one of the only defences that can match up well with this Buffalo offence. Cincinnati are 6th in points per game conceded and 17th in opponent yards per game. This shows that they might concede yards they defend very well near their own goal line which is proved by the 5th best redzone scoring defence in the league.
Bengals Offence vs Bills Defence
Cincinnati has one of the best young QBs in the league in Joe Burrow conducting their offence. Burrow is absolute box office and he proved last postseason that he has what it takes to bring this team to a Super Bowl.
The Bengals are 7th in points scored per game at 26.0 and 11th in the NFL in yards per game. If the offensive line can give Burrow time in the pocket then the Bills defence will be in a lot of trouble in this game.
The Bills should be able to have some success on defence as they are one of the better defensive units in the game. They rank near the very top in key defensive metrics such as opponent points per game (3rd) and opponent yards per game (5th).
They were dealt a devastating blow in December when hall-of-fame bound pass rusher Von Miller suffered a season ending ACL injury. Had that injury not happened then this team would be the runaway favourites for the Super Bowl.
Bills vs Bengals Divisional Round – Betting Trends
The Bengals are 7-1 against the handicap in their last 8 away games
The OVER is 6-3 in the Bills last 9 home games
Prediction: Bengals +5.5 | Over 48.5
Bills v Bengals NFL Divisional Round Betting Odds
Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers
Game Info
Venue: Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco
Kick-Off Time: 11.30 pm
What Channel? Sky Sports Main Event
Handicap: 49ers -3.5
Cowboys Form
The Cowboys were dominant the last time we saw them in their wildcard game against the Buccaneers on Monday when they won 31-14 to knock Tom Brady out of the playoffs.
This team finished the regular season at 12-5 but they really should have had a better record after losing some games that they really should have won.
49ers Form
The 49ers have been unstoppable in the second half of the NFL season. The last time they lost a game was against the Chiefs back in October.
Since then they have won 11 straight including their first round playoff game against the Seahawks where they destroyed Seattle in the 2nd half to turn a one point halftime deficit into a 41-23 win.
Head-to-Head Results
These teams played each other in last year’s wildcard round when it was the 49ers who came out on top in Dallas on a scoreline of 23-17. That was a classic playoff game which really could have gone either way on the day.
These teams also played during the 2020 season when Dallas won 41-33 but these teams are very different now to what they were then.
49ers vs Cowboys Matchups
49ers Offence vs Cowboys Defence
The 49ers have been one of the most dominant offences in the league over the last couple months. There is so much talent on the offensive side of the ball at running back, wide receiver and tight end that it makes this team almost impossible to defend.
In terms of stats, this San Francisco offence ranks #5 in points per game and also #5 in yards per game.
The one potential weakness is their 7th round rookie QB Brock Purdy. The rookie has played well so far but if the Cowboys can put pressure on him like they did on Brady last week then things could start to get bad fast. This Dallas defence matches up well against the 49ers with one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.
Cowboys Offence vs 49ers Defence
The Cowboys have what it takes on offence to be able to keep pace with the 49ers in this game. Dallas ranks #4 in points per game and #8 in yards per game.
The success of this Cowboys offence comes in large part from their offensive line. When QB Dak Prescott has time in the pocket he can play like one of the better quarterbacks in the league. In the running game RB Tony Pollard offers an explosive element with his ability to take the ball to the endzone every time he gets the ball in his hands.
This 49ers defence is the best in the league. They have so much talent along their defensive line which causes nightmares for opposing offences.
San Francisco’s defensive unit concedes the least amount of point per game at an average of only 16.7 while being #2 in yards allowed at only 302.3 per game.
49ers v Cowboys Divisional Round – Betting Trends
The 49ers are 5-0 against the handicap in their last 5 home games
The UNDER is 4-1 in the Cowboys last 5 away games
The Cowboys are 2-9 against the handicap in their last 11 games in January
Prediction: 49ers -3.5 | Under 46.5
49ers v Cowboys NFL Divisional Round Betting Odds
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*Prices subject to fluctuation
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