5 props to bet for the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs

San Francisco 49ers Defensive End Nick Bosa. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire)

Ashley Anderson
Ashley Anderson

January 9th, 2020

Wild Card weekend produced an unforgettable start to the 2019 playoffs, as the defending champion New England Patriots fell to the Tennessee Titans and the sixth-seeded Minnesota Vikings sent the New Orleans Saints packing.

If you followed along last week, TwinSpires hit on four of five prop bets on the first round of the playoffs. To get you in gear for Saturday and Sunday’s Divisional Round, here are five more props to consider.

Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET (NBC)

TeamSpreadMoneylineTotal
Minnesota Vikings
+7
+250
Over 44
San Francisco 49ers
-7
-315
Under 44

Vikings +3.5, first half (-105)

Last week we predicted Minnesota would cover the 4.5-point spread at halftime, and the Vikings did just that. During the regular season Minnesota trailed only four times at the end of the second quarter, and on Sunday the sixth-seeded Vikes carried a 13-10 lead into the break in New Orleans.
San Francisco has been down at the half just four times, too, and only once at home. Both the Niners and Vikings feature run-focused offenses, and you can expect a low-scoring start and a narrow margin heading into halftime.

Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS)

TeamSpreadMoneylineTotal
Minnesota Vikings
+7
+250
Over 44
San Francisco 49ers
-7
-315
Under 44

Ravens -3.5, first quarter (+100)

The Baltimore Ravens owned the No. 1 scoring offense during the regular season for a reason. This team generates points quickly and often. The Ravens led the league in first-quarter points per game (eight) and trailed just once in the first period all season—in a Week 4 loss to AFC North rival Cleveland.
The Titans average 4.5 points in the first quarter, though they have put up an average of 9.3 in their last three games. Tennessee will face the No. 4 defense in the league and No. 5 run-stopping unit, so it should take some time to adjust to its opponent.

The Titans defense, on the other hand, ranked 21st in the regular season in yards allowed, and Baltimore will expose its competition coming out of the gate.  

Total touchdowns, Over 5.5 (+100)

Baltimore also topped the league in another statistic—touchdowns per contest (four). In games Lamar Jackson has started since the Ravens’ Week 8 bye (the QB rested in Week 17), Baltimore has put up an average of 4.75 touchdowns in each outing.

Tennessee has also seen an uptick in scoring with Ryan Tannehill under center. Since the Titans’ Week 11 bye, the team has averaged 4.4 TDs per game and scored at least three in each matchup.

The Over is 9-2 in the Titans’ last 11 games and 4-1 in their last five road games. If that trend continues this playoff clash should see plenty of scoring and a handful of touchdowns on each side.

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs , Sunday, 3:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

TeamSpreadMoneylineTotal
Minnesota Vikings
+7
+250
Over 44
San Francisco 49ers
-7
-315
Under 44

Total, first half: Over 24 (-110)

The Houston Texans ranked 26th in first-half points (9.5) during the regular season and failed to score before halftime in the Wild Card Round against Buffalo. Kansas City averaged 16.7 points at the half (third best in the NFL) and faces the fourth-worst pass defense in the league.

These two already squared off in Week 6, and Houston handed Kansas City a 31-24 loss, as Patrick Mahomes struggled through an ankle injury and Houston gashed the Chiefs' poor run defense. The halftime score from that first meeting landed at 23-17. Expect another shootout in Arrowhead on Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers, Sunday, 6:40 p.m. ET (FOX)

TeamSpreadMoneylineTotal
Minnesota Vikings
+7
+250
Over 44
San Francisco 49ers
-7
-315
Under 44

Packers -3, first half (-105)

With snow in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday, this game could go to the ground, where the Packers hold an advantage. Seattle lost running backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny to injury and signed former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch to prop up the run game. Lynch only mustered seven yards on six carries against Philadelphia, and Travis Homer added 12 yards on 11 attempts.

If that pair is just as ineffective against Green Bay, the Packers and Aaron Jones (4.6 yards per carry) should build a steady lead against Seattle’s 22nd-ranked rushing defense and hold one at the half.