Picks for 1/18/26
NFL
3:00 PM EST
Rotation # 387
Texans +3 over Patriots (loss)
We are going to see a little snow today, but the weather doesn’t help New England much, as the Texans proved they could play in cold weather last week at Pittsburgh, and the winds will be calm. I believe this will be a tight game, which is why the extra three points could be significant. New England, through no fault of their own, had the weakest schedule in the NFL this year. New England is still a first-year staff under head coach Mike Vrabel. Linebacker coach Zak Kuhr replaced defensive coordinator Terrell Williams due to illness. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels is in his second stint in New England, but it’s still his first season with many of the players. In most cases, it’s a ritual in this league to take your lumps and hit your bumps in the road as a team before you get to play for titles. It’s not always the rule, but more often, experience or lack thereof is a big deal in the playoffs. The Texans have their own issues on offense as top receiver Nico Collins is out today. I like how running back Woody Marks performed last week in Pittsburgh. Houston will get an additional boost to their running game with Jawhar Jordan being back in the lineup. The Texans have a massive offensive line that will look to test the conditioning of Milton Williams, who recently returned from IR, and Khyiris Tonga, who missed last week’s game. Linebacker Harold Landry is not 100 percent due to a knee injury. The Texans are built on a top-rated defense that will look to bait the young Drake Maye into turnovers and would love nothing more than to control the clock and have CJ Stroud make a few big plays. Like most playoff games, this one should come down to the final quarter. Take the Texans.
3:00 PM EST
Rotation # 387
Texans +3 over Patriots (loss)
We are going to see a little snow today, but the weather doesn’t help New England much, as the Texans proved they could play in cold weather last week at Pittsburgh, and the winds will be calm. I believe this will be a tight game, which is why the extra three points could be significant. New England, through no fault of their own, had the weakest schedule in the NFL this year. New England is still a first-year staff under head coach Mike Vrabel. Linebacker coach Zak Kuhr replaced defensive coordinator Terrell Williams due to illness. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels is in his second stint in New England, but it’s still his first season with many of the players. In most cases, it’s a ritual in this league to take your lumps and hit your bumps in the road as a team before you get to play for titles. It’s not always the rule, but more often, experience or lack thereof is a big deal in the playoffs. The Texans have their own issues on offense as top receiver Nico Collins is out today. I like how running back Woody Marks performed last week in Pittsburgh. Houston will get an additional boost to their running game with Jawhar Jordan being back in the lineup. The Texans have a massive offensive line that will look to test the conditioning of Milton Williams, who recently returned from IR, and Khyiris Tonga, who missed last week’s game. Linebacker Harold Landry is not 100 percent due to a knee injury. The Texans are built on a top-rated defense that will look to bait the young Drake Maye into turnovers and would love nothing more than to control the clock and have CJ Stroud make a few big plays. Like most playoff games, this one should come down to the final quarter. Take the Texans.
NFL
6:30 PM EST
Rotation # 393
Rams -3.5 over Bears
The weather in Chicago is forecasted to be windy and cold with gusts up to 40 mph, yet the oddsmakers have the indoor Rams as the biggest road favorite on the board in the playoffs to date. Sean McVay is an experienced coach with a Super Bowl ring, facing Bears head coach Ben Johnson and a first-year staff. Chicago did a remarkable thing this year by leading the league in turnover margin despite being a poor statistical defense against the run and the pass. The incredible luck flipped on them last week, as they were minus-2 in turnovers and were blown out of the stadium by the Packers, until the most improbable comeback took place in the fourth quarter. The Rams were the least penalized team in the NFL this year and are fundamentally sound with veteran Matthew Stafford calling the plays. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are a good 1-2 punch that should take advantage of a Bears defense that is by far the worst unit left in the playoffs. Los Angeles is a hard team to stop with Devante Adams and Puka Nacua stretching the field and the likes of Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee at the tight-end position. Take the Rams.
6:30 PM EST
Rotation # 393
Rams -3.5 over Bears
The weather in Chicago is forecasted to be windy and cold with gusts up to 40 mph, yet the oddsmakers have the indoor Rams as the biggest road favorite on the board in the playoffs to date. Sean McVay is an experienced coach with a Super Bowl ring, facing Bears head coach Ben Johnson and a first-year staff. Chicago did a remarkable thing this year by leading the league in turnover margin despite being a poor statistical defense against the run and the pass. The incredible luck flipped on them last week, as they were minus-2 in turnovers and were blown out of the stadium by the Packers, until the most improbable comeback took place in the fourth quarter. The Rams were the least penalized team in the NFL this year and are fundamentally sound with veteran Matthew Stafford calling the plays. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are a good 1-2 punch that should take advantage of a Bears defense that is by far the worst unit left in the playoffs. Los Angeles is a hard team to stop with Devante Adams and Puka Nacua stretching the field and the likes of Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee at the tight-end position. Take the Rams.