Category: playoffs

What to Watch This Weekend: October Kings and Contact Sports: Dodgers, Jays, and Everyone Else Fighting for Oxygen

It’s one of those weekends that looks like the remote’s about to sprain a thumb. We’ve got the World Series, the NBA back in full swing, and a football slate that runs wall-to-wall with a side of chaos. F1 rolls through Mexico City, NASCAR bangs fenders in Martinsville, and there’s just enough combat and global flair to keep you from pretending you’ll get anything productive done.

MLB — World Series (Dodgers vs Blue Jays)

Game 1 — Fri 8:00 PM ET (FOX)
Game 2 — Sat 8:00 PM ET (FOX)

Toronto’s trying to prove they belong with baseball’s heavyweights; Los Angeles is looking to repeat

NBA — Opening Weekend Highlights

Fri: Celtics at Knicks — 7:30 PM ET (Prime Video)
A great NBA rivalry with one of the favorites in the East taking on the Celtics looking to compete without Tatum.
Fri: Warriors at Trail Blazers — 10:00 PM ET (NBA TV)
Portland’s in post-scandal mode; Golden State’s in perpetual drama mode.
Sat: Suns at Nuggets — 9:00 PM ET (League Pass)
Denver looks the part; Phoenix looks like a team still learning each other’s names.
Sun: Bucks at Cavaliers — 6:00 PM ET (NBA TV)
Milwaukee’s size, Cleveland’s speed—whoever blinks first loses.

NFL — Week 8 Headliners

Bills at Panthers — Sun 1:00 PM ET (FOX)
Buffalo’s firepower meets Carolina who are a surprising team over .500.
Cowboys at Broncos — Sun 4:25 PM ET (CBS)
Denver’s altitude vs. Dallas’ attitude; something’s getting gassed.
Packers at Steelers — Sun 8:20 PM ET (NBC / Peacock)
Classic uniforms, classic bruises—bring an ice pack.

NHL — Saturday Showcase

Avalanche at Bruins — Sat 3:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Two Cup contenders in October form, which means both already look terrifying.
Golden Knights at Panthers — Sat 6:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
A pair of Stanley Cup hopefuls, including one looking to repeat.

College Football — Rivalries & Ranked Clashes

Ole Miss at Oklahoma — 12:00 PM ET (ABC)
Points everywhere. Defenses optional.
Missouri at Vanderbilt — 3:30 PM ET (ESPN)
Vandy looking like a genuine football school suddenly.
Illinois at Washington — 3:30 PM ET (BTN)
Two teams who have had some ups and downs, need this one big.
Texas A&M at LSU — 7:30 PM ET (ABC)
Baton Rouge at night—equal parts football and exorcism.
Michigan at Michigan State — 7:30 PM ET (NBC / Peacock)
Hate runs deep, records don’t matter, neighbors don’t speak.
Houston at Arizona State — 8:00 PM ET (ESPN)
Expect points and coaches who age a decade by halftime.

NASCAR — Martinsville Playoff Weekend

Truck Series (“Slim Jim 200”) — Fri 6:00 PM ET (FS1)
Xfinity (“IAA & Ritchie Bros 250”) — Sat 7:30 PM ET (The CW)
Cup (“Xfinity 500”) — Sun 2:00 PM ET (NBC / Peacock)

The paperclip where patience dies and bumpers retire early.

F1 — Mexico City Grand Prix

FP1 — Fri 2:30 PM (ESPNU)
FP2 — Fri 5:55 PM (ESPNEWS)
FP3 — Sat 1:25 PM (ESPNEWS)
Qualifying — Sat 5:00 PM (ESPN2)
Race — Sun 4:00 PM (ESPN)

No Perez this year to soak up the cheers, but the Foro Sol grandstand will still sound like a jet engine. Altitude kills grip and lap times—and usually someone’s strategy.

Combat Sports — Day Violence, Night Violence

UFC 321 — Abu Dhabi

Prelims: Sat 10:00 AM ET (ESPN+)
Main Card: Sat 2:00 PM ET (ESPN+ PPV)
Aspinall vs Gane for the heavyweight title—lunch with left hooks.

Boxing — Joseph Parker vs Fabio Wardley

Undercard: Sat 1:30 PM ET (DAZN PPV)
Main Event: ~5:30 PM ET
London heavyweights with bad intentions and worse defense.

Soccer — World and Club Action

Women’s U-17 World Cup (Morocco) — Group stage through the weekend on FOX Sports platforms and FIFA+.

Men’s Club Highlights

Fri: Inter Miami vs Nashville SC — 7:30 PM ET (MLS Season Pass)
Sat: Chelsea vs Sunderland, Napoli vs Inter Milan (Paramount+), Lens vs Marseille (beIN)
Sun: Real Madrid vs Barcelona — El Clásico (ESPN)

🧠 The Stain Remote Plan

Friday: World Series G1 → Celtics-Knicks → Warriors-Blazers → Martinsville Trucks if sleep is overrated.
Saturday: Ole Miss-OU brunch → F1 qualifying → UFC 321 main card → World Series G2 → Xfinity night race.
Sunday: Mexico City GP → Martinsville Cup race → NFL double (Cowboys-Broncos, Packers-Steelers) → El Clásico cool-down.

Your couch is the MVP.

What to Watch This Weekend: NFL Week 8, F1 in Austin, MLB Playoffs, and a Regatta of Pumpkins

If you thought last weekend was busy, this one’s an all-you-can-eat buffet of sports chaos. We’ve got international football that starts before your coffee, college rivalries that spill into the night, playoff baseball holding America hostage, and an F1 sprint weekend deep in the heart of Texas.

Oh — and if none of that moves the needle, there’s a regatta featuring people racing in hollowed-out pumpkins. Let’s dive in.

NFL — Week 8

Rams vs Jaguars (London, Wembley) — Sunday 9:30 AM ET, NFL Network
The NFL international games roll on. Stafford vs. Lawrence with tea and scones.
Patriots at Titans — Sunday 1:00 PM ET, CBS
Mike Vrabel faces his old team, and Tennesse plays its first game since firing his replacement. You can practically smell the awkward.
Eagles at Vikings — Sunday 1:00 PM ET, FOX
Two of the best receiving duos in the NFL, if Hurts decides to use his receivers again.
Colts at Chargers — Sunday 4:05 PM ET, CBS
Two teams with plenty of talent, let’s just hope nobody on the Colts has to go to the hospital pregame.
Falcons at 49ers — Sunday 4:25 PM ET, FOX
Motion on motion on motion. Somewhere, an analytics intern is having a breakdown.
Monday Night Football Doubleheader — 7:00 PM ET (Buccaneers @ Lions, ABC) and 10:00 PM ET (Texans @ Seahawks, ESPN)
Baker and Dan Campbell sure to bring plenty of entertainment. Texans still trying to figure out who they are while Darnold is looking legit in the Pacific Northwest.

College Football — Rivalries and Ranked Drama

Louisville at Miami (FL) — Friday 7:30 PM ET, ESPN
Friday-night humidity meets ACC volatility.
LSU at Vanderbilt — Saturday 12:00 PM ET, ESPN
Vandy is no longer the SEC dormat of the past, this is no cakewalk for LSU.
Ole Miss at Georgia — Saturday 3:30 PM ET, CBS
Rebels air raid vs. Bulldogs brick wall.
Tennessee at Alabama — Saturday 7:30 PM ET, ABC
The Third Saturday in October: cigars, grudges, and one coach crying in the tunnel.
USC at Notre Dame — Saturday 7:30 PM ET, NBC/Peacock
Not Catholics vs. Convicts, but the tension’s familiar.
Utah at BYU (Holy War) — Saturday 10:15 PM ET, FOX
You’ll be watching at midnight. Don’t lie.

MLB Postseason — One Ticket to Toronto, One to L.A.

Friday, Oct 17

Blue Jays @ Mariners — Game 5 (ALCS) — 6:08 PM ET, FS1
Brewers @ Dodgers — Game 4 (NLCS) — 8:38 PM ET, TBS/truTV/Max

Saturday, Oct 18 — Game 5 Brewers–Dodgers (if necessary)

Sunday, Oct 19

Blue Jays vs. Mariners — Game 6 (ALCS) — 6:03 PM ET, FS1

October baseball — because your blood pressure wasn’t high enough already.

NHL — Early-Season Showdown

Bruins vs Avalanche — Saturday 8:00 PM ET, ABC/ESPN+
Two heavyweights skating like it’s April already. Someone’s goalie gets embarrassed.

Soccer — Cups, Classics, and Chaos

U-20 World Cup: Third Place — Colombia vs France — Saturday 2:00 PM ET, FS2
*Final — Argentina vs Morocco — Sunday 4:00 PM ET, FS2
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund — Saturday 12:30 PM ET, ESPN+
Premier League: Liverpool vs Manchester United — Sunday 11:30 AM ET, NBC/Peacock

Racing — Two Flavors of Mayhem

NASCAR Playoffs — Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday 2:00 PM ET, NBC/USA Network
Restrictor-plate roulette: half the field finishes upside down, the other half finishes furious.

Formula 1 — United States Grand Prix (COTA, Austin)

Sprint Weekend Schedule (ET):

Friday: Practice 1 (1:30 PM, ESPN2), Sprint Quali (5:30 PM, ESPN)
Saturday: Sprint Race (1:00 PM, ESPN), Grand Prix Qualifying (5:00 PM, ESPN/ABC)
Sunday: Grand Prix (3:00 PM, ABC)

McLaren’s dominance, Ferrari’s optimism, Mercedes’ confusion — all served with brisket.

Wildcard Window — West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta (Tualatin, Oregon)

Sunday, Oct 19 — Heats at 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM ET
Competitors climb into 1,000-pound pumpkins and paddle across the lake in costume.
Part race, part fever dream, all glory

The Stain Viewing Plan

Friday: Louisville–Miami, then Game 5 in Seattle.
Saturday: Ole Miss–Georgia, F1 Sprint, and nighttime chaos in South Bend and Tuscaloosa.
Sunday: London football breakfast → Talladega mayhem → F1 COTA → MLB ALCS → Pumpkin boats.
Your remote deserves hazard pay.

What to Watch This Weekend: Flush the Excuses, Strap In, and Pray for Your Plumbing

The Stain Sports was born out of bathroom humor, so it’s only fair the weekend ahead feels like a marathon Taco Bell run — fast, messy, and guaranteed to test your guts. What is a Taco Bell run you wonder? Well Denver’s most deranged ultramarathon makes Taco Tuesday look like a spa day. NFL goes abroad, college football brings service-academy swagger in fighter-jet threads, F1 lights the streets of Singapore, NASCAR chews up the ROVAL, and UFC straps up for a title brawl.

NFL — Week 5 Headlines

Vikings vs Browns (London) — Sun 9:30 AM ET, NFL Network/ESPN+
Breakfast football, defense vs. Jefferson, and another chance for London to politely clap for punts.
Broncos at Eagles — Sun 1:00 PM ET, CBS
Philly’s trench dominance against Denver’s pass rush.
Buccaneers at Seahawks — Sun 4:05 PM ET, FOX
Baker’s chaos in one of the loudest stadiums in sports.
Commanders at Chargers — Sun 4:25 PM ET, CBS
Washington’s front four trying to collapse SoFi.
Patriots at Bills — Sun 8:20 PM ET, NBC/Peacock
Bills are supposed to own the division, but divisional dogs always bite harder in primetime.

College Football — Rivalries and Flyovers

Boise State at Notre Dame — Sat 12:00 PM ET, NBC/Peacock
Blue turf toughness hits the golden helmets.
Air Force at Navy — Sat 12:00 PM ET, CBS Sports Network
Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy opener. Forget “whiteout” — Air Force is rolling out F-16 inspired uniforms built for supersonic option football that go entirely too hard.

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Vanderbilt at Alabama — Sat 3:30 PM ET, CBS
Last year Vandy shocked Bama; Tuscaloosa hasn’t stopped muttering since. Revenge tour or repeat nightmare?
Virginia at Louisville — Sat 3:30 PM ET, ABC/ESPN App
ACC undercard with bite.
Miami (FL) at Florida State — Sat 7:30 PM ET, ABC
Sunshine State spite in primetime.

MLB Postseason — Division Series Begin

American League

New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays — Game 1 Sat Oct 4, Rogers Centre, Toronto (FOX/FS1)
Classic AL East blood feud, now with October stakes. The Bronx Bombers ride momentum into a hostile Canada.
Seattle Mariners vs Detroit Tigers — Game 1 Sat Oct 4, T-Mobile Park, Seattle (TBS/TruTV/Max)
Mariners’ power vs. Detroit’s arms. Two fan bases starving for October glory collide.

National League

Philadelphia Phillies vs Los Angeles Dodgers — Game 1 Sat Oct 4, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia (FOX/FS1)
Two heavyweights. Two stacked lineups. One ticket to the NLCS.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs — Game 1 Sat Oct 4, American Family Field, Milwaukee (TBS/TruTV/Max)
NL Central neighbors turned October enemies. Wrigley vs. Milwaukee taps straight into Midwest baseball heartache.

Formula 1 — Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay)

Practice: Fri 5:30 AM & 9:00 AM ET (ESPN platforms).
Qualifying: Sat 9:00 AM ET, ESPN.
Race: Sun 5:00 AM ET, ESPN.
Support: F1 Academy + Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

It’s hot, it’s humid, and if a driver sneezes in Turn 18, half the field’s in the wall.

NASCAR — Charlotte ROVAL Playoffs

Truck: EcoSave 250 — Fri 3:30 PM, FS1
Xfinity: Blue Cross NC 250 — Sat 5:00 PM, The CW
Cup: Bank of America ROVAL 400 — Sun 3:00 PM, USA Network/truTV

Half oval, half road course, all mayhem.

Combat Sports — UFC 320

UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira II (Light Heavyweight Title) — Sat Oct 4
- Early Prelims: 6:00 PM ET, ESPN+
- Prelims: 8:00 PM ET, ESPN+/ESPNEWS
- Main Card: 10:00 PM ET, ESPN+ PPV

Ankalaev plays the long game, Pereira brings the sledgehammer.

Soccer — Euro Heavyweights & U-20 Spotlight

Saturday:

Chelsea vs Liverpool — 12:30 PM ET, NBC/Peacock/Universo
Dortmund vs RB Leipzig — 9:30 AM ET, ESPN+
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern Munich — 12:30 PM ET, ESPN+
Real Madrid vs Villarreal — 3:00 PM ET, ESPN+/ESPN Deportes

Sunday:

Sevilla vs Barcelona — 10:15 AM ET, ESPN+/ESPN Deportes
Juventus vs AC Milan — 2:45 PM ET, Paramount+
Lille vs PSG — 11:45 AM ET, beIN/stream TBA
Porto vs Benfica — 11:15 AM ET, GolTV/Fubo

Youth Spotlight:

FIFA U-20 World Cup — South Africa vs USA — Sun 4:00 PM ET, FS2

WNBA Finals — Aces vs Mercury

Game 2 — Sun 3:00 PM ET, ABC
Las Vegas star power vs Phoenix grit. And yes, it comes after the league’s commissioner made headlines for all the wrong reasons this week — which only adds heat to a Finals already packed with it.

Taco Bell 50K Ultramarathon (Denver)

Forget Boston. Forget Berlin. The most sadistic race on Earth involves ten Taco Bells, nine required food items, and 31 miles of regret.

By Stop 4, you’ve got to hammer down a Chalupa or Crunchwrap. By Stop 8, it’s a Burrito Supreme or Nachos Bell Grande. All while running. All under 11 hours. Only one designated bathroom break (avoid Wash Park if you in Denver this weekend).

Optional bonuses include drowning everything in Diablo sauce or attempting to keep two liters of Baja Blast inside your body. Spoiler: it won’t work.

The prize? A commemorative token. The punishment? Your own digestive tract filing for divorce.

The Stain Remote Plan

Saturday: Boise-ND and AF-Navy at noon → ROVAL Xfinity mid-afternoon → Miami-FSU primetime → UFC 320 at night.
Sunday: London breakfast football → Singapore GP sunrise → ROVAL Cup chaos → NFL quadruple stack (Vikings-Browns, Broncos-Eagles, Bucs-Seahawks/Commanders-Chargers, Pats-Bills) → WNBA Finals G2 → and the Taco Bell 50K if you dare.
Saturday and Sunday: Baseball playoff action.

AFC Conference Championsip Preview

New England +4.5 @ Denver (55): The New England Patriots beat the Denver Broncos in overtime, in New England earlier this season, after the Patriots handed over a 24-10 halftime lead thanks to multiple fumbles early in that game. This game is in Denver, and I don’t expect it to be a sloppy game like the first one. I do believe the Patriots will pull this game out, but if the line was Denver +4.5, I would tell you to take Denver on the betting line.

The game will come down to a field goal or less, because, well, why not when you have a matchup of the two best quarterbacks in this generation. In all the great Peyton vs. Brady mathups, neither has ever won a playoff game against the other on the road, but that changes this weekend. Denver fans can get loud, but nothing like the Colts fans used to get in the dome, so Brady’s audibles at the line shouldn’t be an issue on Sunday.

The Broncos have lost another defensive back, and that could prove to be the difference. The Patriots have the biggest selection of unassuming wide outs, Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman, and Austin Collie, as any team has ever had, but they are productive. In addition, the running back depth is impressive, and Shane Vereen can create mismatches all over the field.

For the Broncos to win, they will need to lean heavy on Knowshon Moreno. The Patriots are thin at defensive tackle and middle linebacker, so a between the tackle running attack is their biggest weakness on defense. Despite this being a game between two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, the winner will be the team that is able to run the ball more efficiently.

You can follow Shaun Kernahan on twitter @shaunkernahan, add him to your network on Google, and like Shaun on Facebook.

NFC Championship Preview

San Francisco +3.5 @ Seattle (40): Does anyone else think it’s really funny that the Seahawks refused to sell tickets to anyone in California? Hey, a “rivalry” suggests that teams don’t like each other, right? And while both would probably deny it if you put them on the spot, I’m pretty sure the coaches don’t like each other much. Well, Pete Carroll probably doesn’t like Jim Harbaugh much from their college days after Harbaugh went for a needless two-point conversion with Stanford late in a blow-out win over Carroll’s USC Trojans. And Harbaugh…well, he’s just kind of a d*ck.

Anyway, here’s where we cover all the obvious stuff. The game is in Seattle. Seattle almost never loses at home. It’s really loud. Blah blah blah.

Well, last time San Francisco came to Seattle, they got embarrassed. Don’t think they will have forgotten that. So, the question then is, will that serve as motivation for the 49ers, or will it boost the confidence of the Seahawks defense?

It’s going to prove tough for both offenses to move the ball. It may come down to which of two excellent kickers, Phil Dawson or Steven Hauschka, gets more opportunities. There have been times, this season where Seattle could be run on. If Frank Gore and company get going, it could make the difference. I’m going with a 16-12 win for the ‘Niners, with a late comeback attempt by Seattle stalling in the red zone.

NFL Divisional Weekend – AFC Preview

I will twist Torten’s rodeo analogy, a solid pull by the way, and twist it into the upcoming Olympics. The Stain is standing atop the podium receiving our gold medals for terrible predictions last week. Among the eight potential betting lines, spread and over under for each game, I am pretty sure we almost got one right, so if you are in Las Vegas this weekend, be sure to go completely opposite of our choices here.

Indianapolis +7 at New England (53): As a Patriots fan, and knowing my history in predictions posted online, I am tempted to take the Colts in a blowout, you know, to reverse jinx it, but I have to remain objective here. The Patriots should win this game, but the seven point spread is huge for this matchup. With Brandon Spikes hitting IR this week, join Jarrod Mayo and Vince Wilfork, the three best middle defenders, and run stoppers, are now on IR. Lucky for the Patriots, the Colts are terrible when it comes to running the ball. The Colts will have to rely on Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton, which is actually a good matchup for them this week. Aqib Talib is a master at shutting down big #1 receivers, but can struggle against the smaller quicker types, aka T.Y. Hilton. The Patriots offense is a whose who of who’s that. Gronk is on IR, and the only household name left is Tom Brady. Shane Vereen is as versatile a back as there is in football, and the best rusher is a guy best known for decking a guy on Boise State, LeGarrette Blount. Amendola and Edelman are excellent slot guys, but the big play will need to come from one of the rookie receivers. Robert Mathis will be in the backfield all game, and Brady will come out of the matchup beat up, but will do enough to win. I see a high scoring game, 34-30 Patriots.

San Diego +9.5 at Denver (55.5): San Diego is the hottest team in the NFL, having won five straight, including two against Kansas City, and one against Denver, and will give the Broncos all they can handle again. Picking against Denver is a terrible idea regardless of the matchup, they are the most talented team in the NFL, and have the greatest offense in NFL history, so, I pick the Chargers to win. Yup, I am running with the terrible idea, and I feel good about it. Weather shouldn’t play much of a factor in the game, outside of the wind gusts that should reach about 25 mph, which can cause some trouble for Peyton, but that is not going to be the difference in the game. Keenan Allen is as good a rookie receiver as there has been in several years. He seems unassuming when watching the game, and never makes the big highlight plays, but watch a Chargers game, and #13 will be a staple. He will end each game with near 10 grabs, around 100 yards, and a touchdown or two every game. Ryan Matthews is running like the first rounder they expected when they drafted him several years ago, and Phillip Rivers might be the second best quarterback in the league right now. Yes, I just punched myself in the gut after writing that, but he is truly playing the quarterback position as good as anyone not named Peyton Manning. In order to win the game, the Chargers need to keep the score reasonable, and they will, easily covering the spread, and just coming in on the under. I pick the Chargers, 28-24.

You can follow Shaun Kernahan on twitter @shaunkernahan, add him to your network on Google, and like Shaun on Facebook.

NFL Playoff Weekend Preview: NFC

Well, if they were giving out belt buckles for worst playoff predictions last weekend, our pants would certainly have been securely fastened to our waists. This weekend’s matchups will hopefully make us look less like blithering fools, and more like we actually know what we’re talking about with this stuff.

New Orleans +8 at Seattle (46.5): Well, what do we know? Seattle is brutal at home. Last visit the Saints made up there didn’t go well for them at all. And whatever this polar vortex thing is, it’s making places cold. Very cold. Does Drew Brees like the cold? Not really. Seattle can be run on, but unfortunately, the Saints don’t really have a strong running game. Last week, I bagged on the Saints D a little bit, but they performed better than I thought against Philadelphia’s explosive offense. And Seattle, while good, is not Philly on offense. That 46.5 over/under looks really high for me. I’m seeing a defensive and elemental battle here. Nobody (besides Arizona) beats Seattle at home, I’m taking the ‘Hawks 17-10.

San Francisco -1 at Carolina (42): I hate clichés like “point are going to be at a premium,” and nonsense like that. Points are always at a freaking premium. Without them, you can’t win. It’s going to be a real “field position battle.” Really? F*** you! Every game is a field position battle. If it wasn’t, teams would go for every single fourth down. But anyway, they rankle me less for this game than others. I’d bet my life’s savings (not very much) on the under (and probably lose, kowing my luck). Coaches, except in game-winning situations, view field goals largely as consolation prizes. Well, we didn’t get in the end zone, send the pseudo football player out there to boot one through the big yellow thing. But when you look at this game, “field goal range” is probably going to be a very early consideration. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: when you go against superior defenses (which both teams have), you tend to adopt a conservative game plan, thereby putting a ceiling on how effective you can be on offense, making it easier for the defense to stop you. But at least you’re not committing turnovers! Anyway, both teams use the read option, so both teams can stop it. I really have no idea. I’m going to go with Carolina by a score of 16-6, but not because they’re the home team. Because they have former 49er Ted Ginn returning punts, and he might break one off.

There you have it. Am I right? You can bet on it! Just know, if you do, you might lose.

NFL Wildcard Weekend – AFC Preview

So, without further ado, the AFC predictions sure to go wrong:

Kansas City (+2.5) @ Indianapolis, 47: The Indianapolis Colts have been a truly blessed franchise going from Peyton Manning straight into Andrew Luck, but they are not yet a complete team. Even with the franchise quarterback, the Colts needed a corporate partner to buy up the final 1,200 tickets, granted for a good cause, in order to avoid a blackout. Trent Richardson should have a bounce back season in 2014, but it won’t start Saturday against the Chiefs. The Kansas City defense is really good, despite struggling down the stretch, and the Colts just don’t have enough offense. T.Y. Hilton is really the only threat Andrew Luck has ever since Reggie Wayne went down with a knee injury. The Chiefs offense can ride check down king, Alex Smith, to a win in the playoffs, but they are not a Super Bowl contender. Jamaal Charles is an easy MVP in almost any season except this year, and he will have a great game on Saturday. Look for Charles to put up close to 200 yards of total offense in a game where the final score is much closer than the feel of the game, 20-17.

San Diego (+7), @ Cincinnati, 47: The Chargers might have been the most dangerous team of the final four AFC teams that had a chance at the playoffs, but then again they almost lost a must win game against a Chiefs team that was almost entirely backups. The Bengals have an excellent 1-2 punch in the backfield with Benjarvis Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard, and the second best receiver in football, A.J. Green. Their biggest issue is quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton is not a championship level quarterback, he is overrated because of Green’s incredible ability to catch bad balls and defenses ability to keep games close. Ryan Matthews is finally looking like the first round running back Chargers fans had been hoping for since the day he was drafted, and Keenan Allen has emerged as a star at receiver. This will again be a close game, with San Diego covering the spread, but in the end, I see the Bengals escaping with a victory, 27-24.

You can follow Shaun Kernahan on twitter @shaunkernahan, add him to your network on Google, and like Shaun on Facebook.