2023-24 Divisional Round playoff predictions National Football League

By: Evan Troxel

The Divisional Round of the National Football League playoffs during the 2023-24 season is almost (finally) here!

So who do I think is going to win each playoff game? Well, here are my thoughts (and my predictions to win and lose) for each game.

To read my predictions before the playoffs started on what the playoff brackets may ultimately look like if your favorite team actually wins Super Bowl LVIII (58), click here to find out what I wrote about your favorite team!

(Generally speaking, I expect all of the home teams to actually and probably win this weekend, despite my actual predictions I have written down below and whatever I really think will actually happen right now).

(Additional note: I'm going to laugh if the red, white and blue teams (the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans) win on the AFC side and the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers win on the NFC side this weekend.)

(I wrote all of the following thoughts on Friday, January 19th, 2024, the day before the Saturday games.)

Saturday, January 20th, 2024

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens, 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN, ABC, ESPN+

I am not a fan of ESPN/ABC/ESPN televising any NFL playoff game, but especially when we get to the Divisional Playoffs or later. I would also like to speak with the idiot who thought it was “OK” to ever give ESPN a chance to televise a Super Bowl in the future! ESPN gets plenty of opportunities to talk about American Football during the season (and the entire offseason), something NBC, CBS and FOX don’t have the luxury anytime soon of doing. I am also not a fan of a Monday Night game in the playoffs, these games should be during the daytime if you are going to do it on a Monday! Just give ESPN a Wild Card playoff game to televise and be done with it!

Anyway, there isn’t much to say. I really don’t expect the Ravens to “choke” since they haven’t played a game in almost two weeks. Maybe because most people don’t expect them to lose is why I should pick the Houston Texans to win!

If Houston somehow makes it to the Super Bowl, I think they will end up playing Detroit and losing!

At this moment, I don’t think Baltimore is actually making it to the Super Bowl, but if they do, I totally expect them to lose because I don’t think they will be playing the San Francisco 49ers. If the Ravens make it to the Super Bowl and they play the Detroit Lions, I don’t think I am going to waste my time watching the Super Bowl (and watching the Lions win)! I absolutely cannot see Baltimore playing Green Bay in the Super Bowl!

Prediction to win: Baltimore Ravens, Prediction to lose: Houston Texans

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time, FOX

I am really uncertain about this game. My gut tells me just to use the no-brainer approach and pick San Francisco to win and be done with it (and not think about it).

Could San Francisco “choke”? Sure. Maybe. But most likely “No!” The 49ers won at the Packers in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs not that long ago, so it is now time for the Packers to return the favor I think! I was surprised that Green Bay won last week and I probably should just pick San Francisco to win.

I don’t think you can keep having San Francisco go to the NFC Championship Game and then continue to lose it every single time. So I think the 49ers will make it to the Super Bowl (and lose that) or they will lose this game! I think the 49ers are more likely going to lose this game as people will remember them/you forever if your team loses the Super Bowl!

I looked at the history and the 49ers lost twice in the NFC Championship in 1970 and 1971 seasons and then they lost in the Divisional Round in the 1972 season. And who did they lose to? The Dallas Cowboys! And who did the Green Bay Packers play last week? The Dallas Cowboys! So history could be repeating itself if they lose again on Saturday!

I also looked at the 1985-1987 seasons and they lost the divisional playoffs twice and the wild card round in 1985!

So there is a strong narrative San Francisco will lose!

And if San Francisco doesn’t lose, I think they are going to lose the Super Bowl for sure!

Losing the NFC Championship and/or the Super Bowl is a big deal! It isn’t like this happens to whoever your favorite team is every single year or every two or three years!

Prediction to win: Green Bay Packers, Prediction to lose: San Francisco 49ers

Sunday, January 21st, 2024

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions, 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC

I can’t pick against Detroit in this game! If Detroit does lose, it will be interesting to know whether San Francisco won on Saturday or not! If San Francisco loses on Saturday, I like Tampa Bay’s chances to go to the Super Bowl if they defeat the Lions on Sunday!

If you are the NFL, I think you can make a lot more money by having the Lions advance to the NFC Championship Game against the argument of having people wonder for a week whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the San Francisco 49ers are going to the Super Bowl!

Detroit can possibly get back at Green Bay in Detroit at the NFC Championship Game for ruining Thanksgiving!

Prediction to win: Detroit Lions, Prediction to lose: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills, 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS

I think the road finally ends here for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills are on a six-game winning streak. Their last loss was in overtime at the Philadelphia Eagles. I’m still not convinced Buffalo is going to lose this game (or actually lose the Super Bowl) at this point! I can see San Francisco defeating Buffalo in the Super Bowl, but we’ll get there when we cross that bridge (and I just don’t see Buffalo losing to San Francisco if there were to actually meet in the Super Bowl this year)!

Prediction to win: Buffalo Bills, Prediction to lose: Kansas City Chiefs

Those are all of my predictions for right now! Be sure to come back to this website for my predictions to win and lose in the National Football League for next week, the Conference Championship Games!

I reserve the right to change my predictions before game time. I also can change my predictions AFTER game time ONLY if I decide BEFORE game time that I want to change my predictions and I just do not have access to the Internet before game time.

LEGAL NOTICE: I DO NOT endorse and I do not encourage people to gamble or bet your own real money and other people's real money at all! These predictions are not meant to be taken as extremely serious advice for betting and gambling purposes anytime at all in the near future!