Conference championship weekend for the NFL arrives with a pair of action-packed bouts on the horizon. Sunday’s games feature the New England Patriots at the Denver Broncos (3:00 p.m. on CBS) and the Los Angeles Rams at the Seattle Seahawks (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
In the AFC Championship Game, it’s a battle of the top two seeds in the conference with a trip to Super Bowl LX at stake. On the other side of the bracket, two NFC West rivals go head-to-head for serious bragging rights and supremacy.
Below, we’ll dive into NFL picks against the spread for both the AFC Championship Game and NFC Championship Game. With PrizePicks Team Picks, you can make predictions on game winners, spreads, totals, and futures and turn your NFL picks into real money if you’re right.
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#2 New England Patriots vs. #1 Denver Broncos
When: Sunday, Jan. 25 at 3:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: CBS, Paramount+
Patriots vs. Broncos Spread, Over/Under, Game Winner Payout
Patriots vs. Broncos over/under, spread, and game winner payouts are via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Game Winner Payout: Patriots 1.4x | Broncos 2.77x
- Spread: New England Patriots -3.5
- Over/Under: 43.5
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Patriots vs. Broncos Prediction on Spread for AFC Championship Game
- The Patriots are a sparkling 13-5-1 against the spread this year, including 3-1 as road favorites.
- New England’s offense is a top-three group in both scoring (second) and gaining yards (third).
- MVP candidate QB Drake Maye has amassed more total EPA (169.96) than any other signal-caller. His 0.26 EPA per play also leads any QB with 100+ plays logged.
- Defensively, the Pats are no slouches, sitting fourth in total points and eighth in yards.
- Via Jefe’s Handiwork, New England’s defense cedes the third-lowest late down success rate in the sport.
- During the regular season, the Broncos’ offense ranked 17th in success rate at 43.41%, according to SumerSports.
- Down starting QB Bo Nix (ankle), Denver faces an uphill battle to match the output of an attack that was already somewhat middling.
- Perhaps the Broncos’ saving grace can be their elite defense. With that said, per RBSDM, it allowed the second-highest success clip (50%) of eight Divisional Round clubs.
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#5 Los Angeles Rams vs. #1 Seattle Seahawks
When: Sunday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: FOX
Rams vs. Seahawks Spread, Over/Under, Game Winner Payout
Rams vs. Seahawks over/under, spread, and game winner payouts are via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Game Winner Payout: Rams 2.12x | Seahawks 1.66x
- Spread: Seattle Seahawks -2.5
- Over/Under: 47.5
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Rams vs. Seahawks Prediction on Spread for NFC Championship Game
- Two prior clashes between these bitter rivals in Weeks 11 and 16 were decided by a combined three points. The latter bout went into overtime.
- No offense produces a higher success rate than Los Angeles at 50.46%.
- Across nine playoff starts as a member of the Rams, QB Matthew Stafford owns a 7-2 record with 18 TDs, 4 INTs, and a tidy 101.9 passer rating.
- To be fair to the Seahawks’ defense, it’s the best in the business against the run and allows the fewest explosive plays overall.
- In two regular-season games vs. the Rams, Seahawks QB Sam Darnold tossed just 2 TDs and paired it with 4 sacks and 6 INTs.
- Per Sharp Football Analysis, since his first 11 games in Seattle, Darnold ranks 29th with an average of 6.2 air yards per pass attempt.
- Los Angeles’ defense, while unspectacular, ranked 10th in EPA per pass (-0.08) and 13th in EPA per rush (-0.04) yielded in the regular season.
- Injuries could play a role in Sunday’s game. Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet (ACL) is out, and Rams WR Davante Adams (hamstring) didn’t play in Week 16’s narrow loss.
Make Conference Championship Game Picks on PrizePicks
For Patriots vs. Broncos to begin Sunday and Rams vs. Seahawks to close it out, there are ample avenues available to help turn your NFL playoff predictions into real-money rewards if you’re right.
Make your AFC and NFC Championship Game picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct.
With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders — now available in 30 states!
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