Getty Gallery: 3/5
Colts Cover +1.5 Point Spread Over Texans
With a betting line this narrow, you should go with the team you think will win to cover the spread. With the way Indianapolis is playing, it is hard not to like the Colts in this matchup. The Colts also looked strong against the Texans less than a month ago. Andrew Luck is starting to look like the quarterback we saw when he first entered the league.
Luck noted he is enjoying the ride this season after being sidelined for so long with a shoulder injury.
"I'm having fun and that's the most important thing," Luck told the Associated Press. "The fact that we get to play another game in the playoffs, that's stinking awesome and I think a small part of us understands how special it's been so far. I've said this before, it's been fulfilling. But satisfied? No, not at all."
After starting the season 1-5, the Colts have won nine of their last 10 games including four straight matchups heading into the postseason. Houston started the season on a massive hot streak, but the Texans have looked mortal over the last month.
Luck's experience combined with the Colts top 10 defense gives Indianapolis the edge in this one as the Colts pull off the upset.
Ravens Cover -3 Point Spread Over Chargers
The Chargers are a tasty underdog given they have the better overall record than the Ravens, but have the higher seed thanks to the NFL rules placing division winners in the top four. While the Chargers have the better record, the Ravens have played better to close the season. Baltimore is simply a different team with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, winning six of their last seven games.
Jackson has been a big part of the Ravens' resurgence, but the rookie quarterback does not have to do it all on his own. Baltimore has the No. 2 ranked defense in the NFL allowing just 17.9 points per game. The Chargers offense can be explosive but have a much more difficult task heading into a cold weather environment.
We just saw this game a couple weeks ago, and the Ravens won handily despite being on the road. This time around the Ravens will host the matchup. The Ravens have essentially been in playoff-type games for weeks since they needed a win against the Browns in Week 17 to make it to the postseason.
Look for the Ravens to cover the three-point spread and head to either Kansas City or Foxborough next week for the Divisional Round. Jackson is about to make history as the youngest quarterback to start a playoff game, but Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is not worried about trusting him with the offense.
"Lamar's maturity has impressed me greatly. He's very mature," Harbaugh said per NFL.com. "I think you guys see it -- you see it when you interview him, players see it when he walks around. Like I said before, he's very comfortable with who he is. That's a sign of maturity for sure."