The playoff picture is now entirely in focus. With the seeds and Wildcard matchups set, our resident dart thrower hopes to at least hit the board with his postseason predictions. As CEO of #TeamHuevos, fearless forecasts are part of the gig. Fade or Follow? That’s up to YOU!
AFC winner: New England (+400, BetMGM). Due to Stefon Diggs’ alleged transgressions off the field, a dark cloud hangs over Foxboro. Still, given the typical duration of due process any punishment wouldn’t come until well after the season.
Despite the distraction, the Patriots are the team to beat in a WIDE OPEN AFC race. Due to the brilliant play of MVP frontrunner Drake Maye, they’re No. 1 in EPA per play offense since Week 10. No slouches plugging gaps, they’re also No. 11 in EPA per play defense during the span.
Assuming they survive a home tilt against the Chargers, a potential Divisional Round matchup against Jacksonville or Buffalo would be no easy contest. Still, Maye’s efficiency combined with the 1-2 ground punch of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson suggest this is a team constructed to win in the January cold.
Backed by this inaccurate bettor to reach Santa Clara on BetMGM Tonight weeks ago, there’s no reason to budge now.
NFC and Super Bowl winner: Seattle (+185 NFC, BetMGM and +400 Super Bowl, BetMGM). On the bandwagon with both cheeks firmly planted since midseason, this doofus is soaking in the Starbucks.
Seattle's defense is undoubtedly elite -- arguably the best unit pound-for-pound in the league. Since Week 10, they’re No. 1 in EPA per play D for a reason. Unrelenting on the back end, the ‘Hawks have allowed only 77.9 passer rating, the fifth-lowest mark in the league. Equally stubborn up front, they’ve conceded only 3.7 yards per carry and the third-fewest rush yards per game in the league (91.9). They may not quite be on the Legion of Boom level, but they’re good, damn good.
Yes, questions about Sam Darnold are warranted. However, with arguably the best wide receiver in the known universe (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) and an outstanding running-the-rock tandem (Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet), he simply needs to efficiently game-manage and play mistake-free football. Do that and the modern day Trent Dilfer could guide his club to an appearance -- and title game win -- down the Left Coast.
Super Bowl MVP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (+2000, BetMGM).
An across-the-board route technician, JSN broke out in a massive way in 2025.
Developing into an indispensable fantasy crutch on championship rosters, he excelled in every facet while sitting on a throne of reliability. In the regular season, the consistency king finished with an absurd 119-1793-10 line in 17 games. Under the hood, the Wide Receiver U (Ohio State) product amassed a 36.2% target share, ranking top-10 among NFL wideouts in air yards (1731), yards per route (3.76), yards after catch (505), contested catch rate (70.0%) and QB passer rating when targeted (116.8). Simply extraordinary.
This selection obviously correlates with the other prognostications made above. Seattle has to at least get to Santa Clara for this to have a chance. However, if they do and the Seahawks win their second Super Bowl in franchise history, that accomplishment will almost surely be because of JSN’s statistical contributions.
Longer shot Super Bowl exact outcome: Seattle over Jacksonville (+1600, DraftKings). It’s possible a 20 MG THC seltzer influenced this prediction, but if there’s a team that could defy the perceived seeding strengths, it’s Jacksonville.
Trevor Lawrence and his long-flowing Pert Plus cleansed locks have leveled up. He’s increased his accuracy, become a red-zone force with his legs and is generally playing peak football. His efforts combined with a suitable ground attack spearheaded by Travis Etienne has the Jags inside the EPA per play offense top-10 over their last seven games.
Most impressively, the Jags are a fortified castle defensively. Dousing opponents in Greek fire, they’re No. 3 in EPA per play defense since Week 10. This season, no defense has surrendered fewer rush yards per game (86.5) than Anthony Campanile’s unit. Also top-10 in pass completion percentage allowed (62.4%), they crank the old school Corey Hart.
It may sound cliche, but defense wins championships. Unquestionably, Seattle and Jacksonville subscribe to suffocating the competition. It's why the +1600 price is awfully enticing.
Hail Mary Super Bowl matchup heave: LA Rams vs. Houston Texans (+2000, BetMGM)
Slicking back this scribe’s non-existent hair Joe Burrow-style and pondering, this isn’t an outlandish possibility. The Rams enter the postseason with the NFC’s best offense per EPA data. Meanwhile, Houston has steadily ranked at or near the top among AFC reps in EPA per play D the entire year.
Crazy crap often happens in the playoffs. In a season with no truly dominant team, it’s buyable two lower seeded squads meet in Santa Clara.
Give me the 40-TD tosser Matthew Stafford against DeMeco Ryan’s tackle-racking Texans in the deep-shot market.