The final NFL Divisional Round playoff game could be the closest of the weekend. The Baltimore Ravens (13-5) head north to face the Buffalo Bills (14-4) during what could perhaps be the coldest game of the postseason.
Baltimore reached this round by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second time this season. The Ravens have won five straight games for the second time this season despite having played 10 games against teams that reached the postseason this year.
Buffalo had an easier path to navigate during the regular season, playing only five games against teams that reached the postseason. The Bills punished Denver last week, winning their game against the Broncos 31-7 en route to hosting a second straight playoff contest.
Will the Bills earn their first berth in the AFC Championship game since 2019, or can the Ravens punch their second trip in three seasons to the conference’s pinnacle event? We’ll cover that and our three best player prop bets for Sunday’s contest.
Baltimore brought in running back Derrick Henry to form a strong one-two punch with quarterback Lamar Jackson. Henry thrived in his new environment this season, finishing with 1,921 rushing yards and an NFL-best 16 rushing touchdowns.
In their first matchup, Henry finished with 199 yards on 24 carries, averaging more than eight yards per rush. Expect Buffalo to stack the box against the NFL’s best rushing team, keeping him from hitting this player prop bet on Sunday.
Buffalo has been a perennial postseason team since quarterback Josh Allen joined the franchise. During the regular season, the Bills passer finished with 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only six interceptions to lead his team to a 13-4 record and the second seed in the AFC.
In these teams’ first matchup, Allen finished with 180 passing yards as the Ravens had an answer for the Bills’ passing attack. Buffalo added former star receiver Amari Cooper to help bolster their aerial game, and Allen has had success anytime he’s been called on to carry the team. Expect him to do that on Sunday, finishing over 236 yards to cover this prop bet.
Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews has shared the wealth this season with Isaiah Likely. Combined, these two receivers have 97 catches for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns during the 2024 regular season.
For two straight weeks, no tight end has had more than 27 receiving yards against the Bills. Andrews will change that stat after not having any receptions in his team’s first matchup against Buffalo. Expect the veteran receiver to finish with at least 45 yards against the Bills on Sunday.
Really, this game should be the best NFL playoff contest of the weekend. The Bills and Ravens both have something to prove as neither organization has advanced beyond the AFC Championship game in more than a decade.
With the game being too close to call, we’ll focus on the points instead. During their regular season meeting, these two teams combined for 45 points in a Ravens’ blowout win. This weekend, a final score of 26-23 would be a high-scoring affair between these two squads. Bettors should expect a combined score below 40 points in this rematch on Sunday.
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Earnest is a 25-year veteran of the newspaper industry. He's spent the majority of his early years working as a sports reporter and editor. He made the move back to the digital world in 2022, joining EatWatchBet as a senior writer. Ernie covers college football betting, fantasy football, and NFL betting for EatWatchBet.