The playoffs got off to a great start last weekend. Our Best Bets went 3-3 but the football itself was great. Most of the games were 1 score games and this weekend is shaping up to be another great weekend. Today, we have a double header with the Broncos hosting the Bills at 4:30 PM ET and then an NFC West matchup between the 49ers and Seahawks at 8:00 PM ET. I have gone through both games and picked a bet that I believe should be a lock. Let’s make some money!

Best Bets

• Jaleel McLaughlin Rush Yards over 22.5
• Kenneth Walker III Rush Yards over 58.5

Best Bet Background – Jaleel McLaughlin Rush Yards over 22.5

The first game today will be between the Broncos and Bills. The Broncos have been given the edge in the books by 1 point. The point total is set at 46.5. The Bills come into this game limping a bit after a hard-fought game against the Jaguars. The Broncos have had one of the best defenses in the league all year. They are the 2nd ranked run defense, and the 7th ranked pass defense. This matches up well against the Bills who have struggled to find consistency through the air while relying on the best rushing attack in the league. The Bills have the X-factor in Josh Allen but this Denver defense might be able to shut him down today.

A huge weakness for the Bills this year has been their run defense. They are allowing 136 yards per game, which 28th in the NFL. They will be missing several players on defense today as well. This makes Denver’s running game the key component of this game. If they can get the ground game going, they should be able to win this game. The problem is picking the right running back. RJ Harvey was pegged to be the cowbell once J.K Dobbins went down with injury. however, he has been splitting carries with Jaleel McLaughlin and has not been as productive as expected. For that reason, I am rolling with the lower line of McLaughlin’s. He has averaged 23.4 yards per game this year and has gone over 35 yards in the past 3 games as he gets more carries. He should be able to get some longer runs today against a bad Bills run defense and find a way to 23 yards.

Best Bet Background – Kenneth Walker III Rush Yards over 58.5

The second game of the day will kick off at 8 between the 49ers and Seahawks. Seattle is currently listed as a 7-point favorite but there is concern about the health of Sam Darnold who popped up on the injury report this week. He said in interviews that he was playing it safe but an oblique injury has kept him from throwing a football over the last couple of days. Teh 49ers meanwhile are no strangers to injuries. They lost George Kittle last week in what was just another entry on a long list of significant injuries. Despite losing stars left and right, the 49ers have found ways to win games. They will face their biggest test this week against a tough Seattle team.

Given the injuries on the 49ers and that the Seahawks have a great defense, I think the run game for the Seahawks will be the key to victory today. The Seahawks have 2 backs that can contribute but the hot hand seems to be Kenneth Walker III. He had 97 yards against the 49ers in week 18. He has been averaging 60 yards per game this year. The 49ers have the 11th ranked run defense in the league but I think that the Seahawks will need to run the ball heavily today given the questionable health of Darnold.