Key Points
- Seahawks & Broncos enter the play-offs
- Can Maye bring the glory days back for the Pats
- Is Williams the real deal?
NFL Divisional Play-Offs Betting Preview
We enter the second week of the NFL play-offs with just eight teams remaining in the race to the Super Bowl.
With the Kansas City Chiefs failing to reach the play-offs and the Philadelphia Eagles already knocked out, this means there will be a different name on the Vince Lombardi Trophy since 2022.
The Eagles won the Super Bowl last season with the Chiefs winning it the previous two years. The last team to win the Super Bowl other than the Eagles and Chiefs was the Los Angeles Rams when they beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
There are two games on Saturday evening going into Sunday morning UK time. The Denver Broncos - who are the number one seed in the AFC - play host to the Buffalo Bills, while number one NFC seed Seattle Seahawks entertain the San Francisco 49ers.
Sunday sees the New England Patriots play host to the Houston Texans, while the Chicago Bears welcome the Rams to Soldier Field.
Our NFL tipster
Dave Kuzio
was out ill last week and did not get his predictions down on the site, but he says he missed out on one result on his acca as he backed the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Texans. Let's see if he can get a full house before the play-offs start.
Buffalo Bills @ Denver Broncos - Saturday 21:30 GMT
Josh Allen was in the wars last weekend for the Bills, but he showed his grit and determination to guide his team to a narrow 27-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen was taken to the medical tent for a suspected concussion, he then injured his throwing hand on another players helmet before landing awkwardly in a tackle. Despite all this, he remained on the field and managed to score two touchdowns and threw for 273 yards without being picked off. It is that kind of heart that Buffalo will need if they are to make AFC Championship Game. The Denver Broncos are the number one seed in the AFC and enter the play-offs with a record of 14-3. They had the weekend off last weekend and they will be fresh to reach the AFC Championship game and move a step closer to winning the Super Bowl for the first time since 2016. The battle between Allen and Bo Nix will be an interesting one. The one who holds his nerve will be the one advancing. If Allen is 100% fit - which is very doubtful - then the Bills will have more than a fighting chance. Unfortunately for Buffalo fans, I think it's a game too far for the Bills. Nix will be looking to prove his worth and with JK Dobbins - if he proves his fitness - and Courtland Sutton by his side, they will be too strong for the Bills. I am backing the Broncos to continue their amazing season.
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks - Sunday 01:00 GMT
Brock Purdy might always be known as being Mr Irrelevant, but he is doing his best to make sure he is now being known as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Purdy threw two TD passes and 262 yards as he helped his Niners knock out the defending Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles. The Niners have a number of injury problems. George Kittle is out for the season with a torn Achilles, while Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Ji'Ayir Brown are all out. They take on a Seahawks side who have surpassed all expectations this season. They ended the regular campaign with a record of 14-3 and ended up as the number one seed in the NFC. Sam Darnold is not regarded as one of the best QBs in the NFL yet, but he has had a good season with 25 TD passes under his belt. I am backing Darnold to be the one QB to keep his cool and guide the Seahawks to a narrow victory.
Houston Texans @ New England Patriots - Sunday 20:00 GMT
It was 2019 the last time New England Patriots won the Super Bowl, and this is the first year they have looked even likely to getting to the big dance. It took the Pats a long time to replace Tom Brady, but Drake Maye has found his feet and he looks like a quarterback capable of getting a Super Bowl ring on his finger. Another QB who has settled down and looks more composed is C.J Stroud. His composure with the ball in his hand has led the Texans to a 12-5 season, but I am not sure he has the weapons at his disposal to get past the Pats. I am backing the Pats and Maye in particular to be too strong for the Texans.
Los Angeles Rams @ Chicago Bears - Sunday 23:30 GMT
I have been very critical of Bears QB Caleb Williams this season. I genuinely did not think he had the heart or talent to be a top quarterback in the NFL. I am happy to be proved wrong, because I now do think he has the right temperament to be a major leader and player in this league. He is finding his receivers with ease now, plus he knows when to run and when to pass. It could be the former number one draft picks year after all. The Rams left it late to beat the Carolina Panthers with a 34-31 last weekend with Matthew Stafford showing why he is the favourite to be named MVP. As good as Stafford is, I think the Bears and Williams have better weapons at their disposal. I am backing the Bears to keep their amazing run going and see off the Rams.
NFL Welcome Betting Offers
Despite being a very popular sport among sports bettors, you will not find many NFL welcome offers, but that does not mean you cannot take advantage of any bonuses when placing bets at
NFL betting sites.
BetMGM – Bet £10 & Get £40
BetMGM UK: Pros & Cons
- Wide range of casino games
- Great collection of live casino games
- Great selection of sporting events
- Comprehensive sports betting markets
- Mobile app available
- Small selection of payment methods
BetMGM UK
has a “bet £10 and get £40 in free bets” welcome bonus offer for its sportsbook new customers in the UK.
All you have to do is sign up for an account on the BetMGM platform and deposit at least £10. Then, within seven days, place a qualifying sports bet at the required minimum odds to receive £40 in Free Bets, paid as four £10 Free Bets that include two Bet Builder Free Bets and two Sports Free Bets.
All Free Bets must be used within seven days and cannot be used on esports or on horse racing outside the United Kingdom and Ireland. This promotion is only available to customers who are at least 18 years old.
QuickBet - Bet £10, Get £10 Free Bet
Betway - Bet £10, Get £40 In Free Bets
Betway: Pros and Cons
- Wide variety of sports markets available.
- Consistently strong pre‑match odds offered.
- Responsive 24/7 live chat support.
- In‑play odds weaker than pre‑match.
This welcome offer at
Betway
is similar to the one at BetMGM. New customers have to register, deposit and wager £10 in order to activate the Betway welcome offer. No bonus code is needed, but there are certain stages to claiming the offer. You will receive four bet tokens and they are as follows:
- Token 1 - £10 bet on any sport
- Token 2 - £10 football bet builder
- Token 3 - £10 horse racing acca
- Token 4 - £10 football acca
Only one of the free bets is available to be used on the NFL. It is still a decent offer, you can use the £10 bet on an NFL acca or a bet builder on a certain game.
NFL Divisional Play-Offs Betting Accumulator
You can take a look at my NFL acca below and place one big bet if that is what you like betting on.
- Broncos to win @ 23/25
- Seahawks to win @ 27/100
- Patriots to win @ 11/20
- Bears to win @ 8/5
Acca Odds - 17/2 @
BetMGM
Another acca I have placed this weekend features all eight quarterbacks and how many passing attempts they make. This is a great bet to follow because you are not relying on the passes to be completed, just the number they throw.
NFL Over/Under Passing Attempts
Bo Nix Over 32.5 - 22/25
Josh Allen Over 29.5 - 49/50
Brock Purdy Over 32.5 - 10/13
Sam Darnold Over 29.5 - 19/20
C.J Stroud Over 32.5 - 10/13
Drake Maye Over 28.5 - 10/13
Caleb Williams Over 32.5 - 4/5
Matthew Stafford Over 34.5 - 4/5
Acca Odds - 160/1 @
BetMGM
