The playoffs have not been kind to our Best Bets so far. I went 0-6 last week as the games played out. Playoff ball has been much different from the regular season bets as the matchups are tighter when these teams gameplan for one another. No worries, we have the chance to turn it around with the start of the divisional round today. Game 1 between the Texans and Chiefs kicks off at 4:30 PM in Kansas City. Then game 2 between the Lions and Commanders starts at 8:00 PM in Detroit. Both games have large spreads but should be very entertaining. I have picked a Best Bet from each game to get us back on track. Let’s make some money!

Best Bets

• Kareem Hunt Rush Yards o31.5 (-110) FanDuel
• Jahmyr Gibbs Rush Yards o83.5 (-110) FanDuel

Best Bet Background- Kareem Hunt Rush Yards o31.5

The first game of the afternoon kicks off in chilly Kansas City. The weather is calling for the temperature to be around 25 degrees at kickoff. This points to a physical game between two very physical teams. The Texans come into this game after a blowout victory over the Chargers in the wild card round. The Houston offense that had been struggling all year woke up in the second half and ripped the LA defense. I do not believe that they will have the same type of success today. The defensive line for the Chiefs are the strength of this KC defense while the Texans have had struggles on the offensive line. I anticipate the KC defense to put the Chiefs in a position where they can play from ahead. That means that the Chiefs will be running the ball more. Isiah Pacheco and Kareem currently are splitting carries in the backfield. Hunt has been a workhorse ever since resigning to fill the gap left when Pacheco was out with injury. Since coming back from injury, Pacheco has not looked the same as he once did. He is back on the injury report this week with a rib injury. He will be a full participant but I think that they will lean more on Hunt in this game.

This was the case when these teams faced off on December 21st. Hunt received the lion’s share of the carries, running the ball for 11 times for 55 yards. The Texans defense has been solid all year but they have shown to be vulnerable to the run, despite a stellar defensive line. They are allowing 114 rush yards per game this year. With the weather conditions being what they are, the rib injury to Pacheco, and the fact that KC should be winning, I believe that Hunt will be able to run for over 32 yards.

Best Bet Background – Jahmyr Gibbs Rush Yards o83.5

The second game of the Saturday slate kicks off in Detroit at 8:00 PM. The Commanders are coming off of their wild card victory over the Buccaneers. The Commanders were able to capitalize on some coaching mistakes made by Tampa Bay and were led to victory by their stellar rookie qb, Jayden Daniels. Daniels has shown veteran like poise in crucial game situations. Detroit will need to do everything that they can to keep the ball out of his hands. The Lions have had difficulty with mobile quarterbacks so Daniels could be in for a big game on the ground. One way to keep the ball out of his hands would be to run the ball. The Lions have one of the best rush attacks in the league. They are 6th in terms of average rush yards per game, averaging 146 yards. In recent weeks, they have been without David Montgomery, which has allowed Jahmyr Gibbs to shine.

Gibbs has gone for over 100 yards on the ground in the past 3 games without Monty sharing carries. This week, Montgomery is coming back off of injury but given the fact that it is being viewed as a quick recovery time for him, I would guess that Gibbs will get more carries than he normally would with a healthy Montgomery. The run defense of the Commanders presents a huge mismatch for this Lions offense. The Commanders are the 30th ranked rush defense, allowing 137 yards per game on the ground. With the relentless nature of this Lions offense, I can see Gibbs having another 100+ yard game today. He will need a few chunk plays in order to hit the 84 yard mark. Luckily that is right in Gibbs’ wheelhouse, as he had 13 runs over 20 yards this year, which trailed only Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.