Vikings at 49ers

The Vikings narrowly beat the Saints, but the 49ers are going to be an even bigger challenge. The Vikings will have a very hard time passing the ball against the 49ers' top ranked pass defense. Richard Sherman will be on either Diggs or Thielen depending on where they line up and the other will be the primary focus of the rest of the secondary. The 49ers don't have a great run defense, however, coming in at 17th, so the Vikings should be able to move the ball with Dalvin Cook, and that will give them a chance. Kirk Cousins will need to avoid making big mistakes, however, or this game will get out of hand very quickly. On the other side of the ball, the 49ers should be able to run the ball very effectively against the Vikings' 13th ranked run defense thanks to their stable of running backs. The Vikings will try to take George Kittle out of the game by either putting Harrison Smith on him or double teaming him, but he will surely make some big plays that will influence the outcome of this game. At the end of the day, both teams should be successful on the ground but the 49ers should do better in both the run and passing game, plus they are at home, so they should be able to win this game.

Expert Prediction: 49ers 28, Vikings 17

Analytics-Based Prediction: Vikings 20, 49ers 13

Titans at Ravens

The Ravens have been the best team in the NFL so far this year, but they could struggle in this game. First of all, they have now had three weeks off after deciding to rest their starters in the last week of the season and getting a bye, so they will be rusty at the start of this game while the Titans will be red hot after their win against the Patriots. Also, the Ravens haven't shown that they are good in the playoffs, as last year they ended the regular season on a hot streak before putting up a dud in their first playoff game. Who's to say the same thing couldn't happen again? Finally, the Ravens have won 12 games in a row. Mathematically speaking they need to lose one eventually, as it simply isn't sustainable to win that many games in a row. When looking at the match ups, the Ravens should be able to run the ball well as usual, but with Mark Ingram banged up they won't be nearly as dominant. Still, Lamar Jackson can carry the team on the ground if necessary and the Titans' run defense is far from spectacular. Baltimore should be able to throw the ball at the same rate as it typically does as well, so they will be able to put up a good amount of points if they aren't too rusty and don't choke. On the other side of the ball, the Titans will be able to run the ball effectively with Derrick Henry carrying the load, and the Ravens' run defense doesn't seem equipped to stop it, and though they are ranked 5th they have allowed an average of 4.4 YPC, which is worse that the Patriots who got thrashed by Henry on the ground last week. The Ravens' secondary is good enough to prevent the play action from getting a ton of yards, but a few big plays will probably be made. Ultimately, both teams should be able to run the ball incredibly well in this game, and there is a great chance that the Ravens lose because of rust, an unsustainable win streak, the fact that they might not be very good in the playoffs, and the fact that Mark Ingram is banged up. Despite this, the Ravens have been the best team in the NFL this year and are playing at home, so even though they could end up losing they should still be expected to win this game.

Expert Prediction: Ravens 27, Titans 21

Analytics-Based Prediction: Ravens 44, Titans 21

Texans at Chiefs

The Chiefs have been on a hot streak recently and are on a high after miraculously getting a bye. The Texans are coming off of a hard fought win against the Bills and now need to play in one of the hardest places to play in the NFL. The Chiefs will likely be a little rusty to start off the game, as all teams who get a bye typically are, but they should have it together by the end of the first quarter at the latest. When looking at the match ups, the Texans' best chance to beat the Chiefs' offense might be to do what the Patriots did last year, however, by getting very physical with Kelce right off the line of scrimmage because he always seems to do much worse after that, especially when a lineman chips him, they might be able to cover him one-on-one. Then, the Texans could double-team Tyreek Hill and stop the run at the same time, and they could even potentially blitz Mahomes a ton to throw him off because that worked very well. That won't be sustainable, however, the Texans don't have anybody in the secondary capable of covering Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce one-on-one, and the Chiefs will eventually adjust to get Kelce more open by possibly moving him out wide. The Texans will then need to consider double-teaming both, but that would open up massive holes in the run game. Either Texans will need to choose the lesser of two poisons, so either way the Chiefs will be able to move the ball with ease on offense after their initial adjustments. On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs' defense has been great lately but they haven't played any great offenses thus far. The Chiefs will need to double-team DeAndre Hopkins, but he can still beat that and potentially take the game over. Deshaun Watson can also do a lot on the ground, so even if the Chiefs do a great job in coverage they could give up yards. The key for the Chiefs' defense is to get pressure on Deshaun Watson, and that will prevent him from extending plays. If they can do that, which is certainly possible because the Texans don't have a great offensive line, they will be able to dominate on defense. Overall this seems like the type of game where the Texans might start off strong because the Chiefs will be rusty and the Texans could have a great gameplan, but when the Chiefs get less rusty and make adjustments, they will take this game over.

Expert Prediction: Chiefs 31, Texans 17

Analytics-Based Prediction: Texans 24, Chiefs 21

Seahawks at Packers

The Seahawks have always done well against the Packers, but this year they are two completely different teams. The Seahawks will not be able to move the ball very well against the Packers, as Green Bay will put Jaire Alexander on Tyler Lockett, and though D.K. could have another big game, he is very inconsistent and could very easily put up a dud. If he plays like he did last week, however, the Packers can just double team him and the Sehawks won't have anywhere to go since they have no run game. Russell Wilson can make some magic happen, but it will be a struggle for Seattle to put up points. On the other side of the ball, the Packers should be able to run the ball with ease against the Seahawks' 22nd ranked run defense. Aaron Jones has shown that he is capable of carrying the Packers if necessary. Also, Davante Adams should be able to have a solid game, as there is nobody on the Seahawks capable of covering him one-on-one, meaning the Seahawks will try to double-team him at first. Once Aaron Jones gets going, however, the Seahawks will start to focus more on the run, leaving Adams one-on-one for certain plays, and he will be able to make some splashes that heavily influence the outcome of the game when that happens. Overall, everything seems to be pointing in the Packers' direction for this game, and though the Seahawks may have a chance especially considering the fact that they have the Packers' number, Green Bay should win.

Expert Prediction: Packers 27, Seahawks 17

Analytics-Based Prediction: Packers 30, Seahawks 24