NFC COWBOYS (11-6, NO. 4 SEED) AT RAMS (13-3, NO. 2 SEED)
Line: LAR by 7 Cote’s pick: LAR 28-24 TV: 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Fox How good are the Rams, really? Are we sure? They were 5-3 in the season’s second half. Their defense gave up 30-plus points six times. Dallas will have a legitimate upset shot here if its run defense can do to Todd Gurley what it did to the Seahawks’ mighty ground game last week. That’s a sizable however. And Dallas was home last week, a different team at Jerry World’s. As a road show this season, “America’s Team” was a mere 3-5, and now they visit a Rams squad that was 7-1 at home. I’d not write-off the ‘Boys’ chances to advance, though. Ezekiel Elliott will be at work vs. the NFL’s 23rd-ranked run defense, one that gave up a league-high 5.1
still if,
yards per carry. Dallas having a turnover edge also is in play if Jared Goff continues as sloppy with the ball as he is prone lately to be. I cannot pull the trigger on an outright upset — Dallas has just been too unreliable away from Arlington — but I’ll hedge with the ‘Boys to cover the point spread. The TD-plus bet-line seems to take rather lightly Goff’s propensity for goof-ups and also a nobetter-than-mid-pack Rams D that may struggle to keep Elliott from out-yarding Gurley.
EAGLES (10-7, NO. 6 SEED) AT SAINTS (13-3, NO. 1 SEED)
Line: NOby8 Cote’s pick: NO 30-20 TV: 4:40 p.m. Sunday, Fox It’s the defending Super Bowl champion vs. the team with the best betting odds to be the one. Your final-eight playoff grid is pretty strong, NFL, when Cinderella is being played by the reigning champs. Few give the Eagles a real chance here, me included. N’Awlins crushed Philly 48-7 in November, after which Birds went on a 5-1 run to sneak into postseason. Phils started playing better defense, and there’s the Nick Foles magic thing. Still, And this: Eagles lost four games on road this year, and it shoulda been a fifth last week if Bears’ Cody Parkey hadn’t choked on the winning field goal. And Saints-on-theBayou bring a home-field advantage
next 48-7.
nearly on the Pats-atGillete level. Saints are on a 14-2 run in the Big Easy, are 5-0 alltime at home in playoffs under Sean Payton, and also have won four of past five vs. Philly. Saints rode their home-field magic to their only previous Super Bowl title, in the 2009 season, the only other time they were No. 1 seeds, and it feels palpably like a repeat could be in store. So, hey, it’s been a nice run, Eagles. Been a nice reign. Drew Brees will be taking over now.
HOW THE DARTS LANDED
Went 2-2 straight-up on WildCard Weekend. Called Chargers’ outright upset in Baltimore and had Dallas winning. Got unlucky on Chicago when Cody Parkey’s shoulda-been winning field goal went Also went 2-2 against the spread last week, with hits on Chargers and Eagles-with-points. Unlucky to miss ‘Boys covering thanks to a late Seattle score and 2-point conversion. Not a terrible start to our playoffs, with Colts dominating in Houston last week our only real miscalculation. Now let’s kick it up and ride the same mojo that produced our recordsetting regular season! Round two!
Last week: 2-2, .500 (overall); 2-2, 500 (vs. the spread)
Season: 179-75-2, .705 (overall); 145-104-7, .582 (vs. the spread)
boink. Ding.