The Silcoff Selections: NFL Divisional Round Predictions – Straight Up & Against the Spread Picks

The Silcoff Selections are here for Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Season! Below are my records for my straight up and against the spread picks for the season thus far.

Records Last Week:

Straight Up: 3-3

Against The Spread: 2-4

Playoff Records:

Straight Up: 3-3

Against The Spread: 2-4

Regular Season Records:

Straight Up: 167-104-1

Against The Spread: 132-134-6

Saturday Games:

AFC: (6) Buffalo Bills @ (1) Denver Broncos I Line: Broncos -1.5

Just a couple of weeks ago, if you have been reading my posts and saw my full playoff predictions, you know I had Denver going all the way to the Super Bowl. That outlook has changed, and it has changed for one simple reason. I did not anticipate them having to face the Buffalo Bills.

In my original bracket, I had Jacksonville beating Buffalo in the previous round, which would have kept Denver from having to deal with Josh Allen. But plans change. Buffalo moved on, and now this matchup feels completely different. I think the Bills go into Denver and win this game.

There is a stat that really stood out to me. Bo Nix is 1-8 against winning teams when they score more than 17 points. And while I fully respect how good Denver’s defense is, Josh Allen is scoring more than 17 points in this playoff game. This postseason field, as we have said all year, has never been more wide open, and Josh Allen knows it. He knows this might be his best chance yet to finally get to the Super Bowl.

Buffalo beat Denver 31-7 in the playoffs last year, and while I do not think it will be quite that lopsided again, I do think the result is the same. The Bills go into Denver, take care of business, and advance to the AFC Championship Game for the second year in a row.

Score Prediction: Bills 24, Broncos 17

ATS Pick: Bills +1.5

NFC: (6) San Francisco 49ers @ (1) Seattle Seahawks I Line: Seahawks -7

As a Seahawks fan, I have not been this excited, nervous, anxious, and flat-out scared for a game maybe ever. It is truly every emotion at once. This is the best Seahawks team I have seen during my life actually watching football on a consistent basis. I will admit, I was not a huge football fan during the Legion of Boom era, but those teams are what got me into the sport. This current group, though, is the best Seahawks team I have followed from start to finish over a full season.

And honestly, the Seahawks should win this game. They are coming off 13 days of rest, and their last game was against these same 49ers in Week 18 with the number one seed on the line. Seattle went into San Francisco and completely out-physicaled them, winning 13-3 on the road. That defensive performance was electric. The Seahawks are also getting healthier along the offensive line, with Charles Cross back in the lineup.

On the other side, the 49ers are dealing with some major injuries. George Kittle, the heart and soul of that team, tore his Achilles last week against the Eagles in the Wild Card round and will not play. Fred Warner, despite practicing this week, is also not coming back for this game. Trent Williams will return to the lineup, and Ricky Pearsall will be back as well after missing Week 18.

Seattle is clearly the healthier team, but there is one late concern that cannot be ignored. Sam Darnold unexpectedly showed up on the injury report with an oblique issue. It does not sound like he will miss the game, and it is all but certain he will play, but it is still concerning. Darnold was already a question mark based on what we saw from him in the playoffs last season, and any injury only adds to that uncertainty.

San Francisco is playing with house money. This game is going to be close because the 49ers have nothing to lose, and they have been a magical story all year with how they have battled through injuries. But at the end of the day, the reason I think Seattle wins is not about the players on the field. It is about the crowd.

That crowd has not been in this building for a playoff game since 2017. This has a real chance to be the loudest stadium in the NFL over the past decade. That is how confident I am in the atmosphere. I do not think the Seahawks win this game because of talent alone. I think the fans win this game for them. Seattle squeaks by the 49ers, with all the respect in the world to Kyle Shanahan, and punches their ticket to the NFC Championship Game.

Score Prediction: Seahawks 20, 49ers 17

ATS Pick: 49ers +7

Sunday Games

AFC: (5) Houston Texans @ (2) New England Patriots I Line: Patriots -3

When I was watching that Monday Night Football game where Houston dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers, I thought I had this one locked in. I fully believed the Texans were going to go into New England and win this game. But after thinking it through more over the course of the week, I have changed my mind and I am going with the New England Patriots.

I understand just how good this Houston defense is, especially their pass rush. They are going to be all over Drake Maye, and the Patriots’ offensive line did not look great on Sunday against the Chargers. That said, I think Maye got his playoff jitters out of the way in that game. I also think he will be able to neutralize some of that pressure with his legs. He is much more mobile than he gets credit for.

Defensively, this matchup also looks better for New England than I initially thought. At first, it seemed like the Patriots would be without Christian Gonzalez, but he has cleared concussion protocol and will be in the lineup. On top of that, the Patriots’ defense is getting healthier, with players like Milton Williams coming back, which makes them a much stronger unit overall.

On the Houston side, I just do not trust C.J. Stroud. He was awful on Monday night despite the win, and he has not been good for a majority of the last two years. Houston’s offensive line is on the same level, if not worse, than New England’s, and that is a problem against a Patriots defense that can create pressure. Without Nico Collins, one of the best receivers in the NFL, who is out with a concussion, I think Stroud is forced into a couple of turnovers.

At the end of the day, I think New England has the better offense, a similar offensive line, and the better quarterback. I am taking the Patriots to win this game and advance to the AFC Championship. In my scenario, that sets up an AFC East battle on Championship Sunday, with the Buffalo Bills traveling to Foxborough to face New England for a trip to Super Bowl 60.

Score Prediction: Patriots 19, Texans 13

ATS Pick: Patriots -3.5

NFC: (5) Los Angeles Rams @ (2) Chicago Bears I Line: Rams -4

Both teams are coming off impressive and, honestly, pretty magical wins last weekend. The Rams were in a real dogfight with the fourth-seeded Carolina Panthers. As 10.5-point favorites, they were somehow trailing with just two minutes left before Matthew Stafford led a game-winning drive to pull it out. On the other side, Caleb Williams and the Bears have been doing this all year. They erased a massive late deficit against their arch-rival Green Bay Packers, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter alone to steal that game.

I think this matchup has the potential to be the most exciting game of the entire weekend. There will be explosive plays on both sides, and it should be back-and-forth throughout. But at the end of the day, I am siding with the team that I believe has the best player on the field in Puka Nacua, the better quarterback in Matthew Stafford, the stronger pass rush, and the better head coach. Ben Johnson has done a good job in Chicago, but Sean McVay is a proven commodity. He is a Super Bowl champion, and that matters in games like this.

I think the Rams’ offense is going to be able to pick apart the Bears’ defense. The cold weather in Chicago on Sunday night is worth mentioning, but the Rams have plenty of players who have experience playing in those conditions, either from their college days or earlier in their NFL careers. Matthew Stafford, in particular, spent years in the NFC North in Detroit. Even though the Lions played indoors, he has played plenty of winter games in places like Soldier Field and Lambeau Field.

This Bears season has already been a massive success. Last weekend almost felt like their Super Bowl, marking the start of a new era of Bears football, which is clearly heading in the right direction. Chicago has a bright future ahead. But I do not think the Rams are ready to hand the torch over just yet. Unless special teams completely swing this game or the Bears have another miracle comeback in them, I think the Rams take care of business and win this one.

Score Prediction: Rams 31, Bears 26

ATS Pick: Rams -3.5

Straight Up/Moneyline Picks:

• Bills

• Seahawks

• Patriots

• Rams

Picks ATS:

• Bills +1.5

• 49ers +7

• Patriots -3

• Rams -4