Nat Coombs NFL Conference Championship Tips Including Bills @ Chiefs

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Nat Coombs NFL Conference Championship Tips Including Bills @ Chiefs

Nat Coombs is an NFL writer and broadcaster who has been anchoring TV and radio coverage in the UK for over 15 years, working with a range of networks including BBC, TalkSPORT, FIVE, ESPN and Channel 4. 

He writes a column for The Times and also hosts his own NFL podcast - The Nat Coombs Show, which has been nominated for the best American Football podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards.

Nat has joined The Panel to share his three best tips for the weekend’s NFL action using the best prices from the leading NFL betting sites.

Check out the best NFL odds on Betway.

Nat Coombs' NFL Wild Card Predictions:

Commanders @ Eagles Prediction: Daniels Gives Washington A Shot 

Even if the Commanders fall at the penultimate hurdle, Jayden Daniels has a lock on the 'Greatest Rookie QB Season Ever' TM. 

He plays with a maturity that belies his youth, a poise that sparks confidence in his team-mates that he’s got it covered however deep the hole. 

Practically, he’s succeeded to this degree with an indifferent offensive line, an inconsistent ground game, and a receiving corp that, Terry McLaurin aside, isn’t stacked with the top-tier talent that some of his contemporaries enjoy. 

Indeed, his counterpart on Sunday, Jalen Hurts, has a McLaurin comparable in AJ Brown, but much more depth around him.

That includes deep threat Devontae Smith and the veteran smarts of tight end Dallas Goedert (who didn’t train Thursday and is an injury doubt).

Let's not forget the sensational running back Saquon Barkley, who kept the Eagles on track for New Orleans with a game-changing performance in the Divisional round. 

But despite the talent around Hurts, including a dominant offensive line, the Eagles' passing game has flattered to deceive all season long.

The Eagles quarterback goes into this game, like Goedert, banged up with a knee injury likely to affect his mobility. 

Whilst this suggests even more Saquon - if the designed runs utilised to leverage the dual threat ability of Hurts can’t be fully exploited (and Washington are susceptible to the run) - it does point to Philly airing it out more. 

The conditions look to be far more clement than last weekend, which is not a high bar admittedly. 

The 'glass half full' Eagles fan (if there are any) will lean on offensive co-ordinator Kellen Moore to dial up a game plan that finally gets this engine humming, especially underneath. 

If Goedert doesn’t go, Grant Calcaterra can ably deputise and an AJ Brown comeback game feels somewhat written in the stars. 

Conversely, Daniels faces one of the most improved defensive units in the game, with Philly under the guidance of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. 

The young signal caller may well need to take matters into his own hands. 

As X’s & O’s specialist Ted Nguyen pointed out this week, Washington have dialled up designed rushes featuring Daniels on 15.6% of plays in their two playoff games thus far.

That's over twice as much as Daniels ran in the regular season games against the Eagles. 

Daniels had 81 rushing yards in Washington’s 36-33 win over Philadelphia in December, which featured Kenny Pickett under center for Philadelphia, following Hurts’ concussion. 

Washington needs more than this though if they’re going to punch their ticket to the Superdome. 

If Brian Robinson can double down on his 5.1 per carry against Detroit in the Divisional round and the ground game is established, with Daniels' moxie, the Commanders have a shot on NFL betting sites.

Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 1: Commanders +6.5 To Beat The Eagles - 5/6 With Betway

Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 2: Jayden Daniels Over 53.5 Rushing Yards - 20/23 With Betway

Bills @ Chiefs Betting: Same Ending In Familiar Story

Well, well, well, here they are again. 

An indifferent season by their lofty standards, it's extraordinary to think that a 15-2 Kansas City Chiefs side is rolling into another AFC Championship game.

It will be their seventh in a row and is somehow being underestimated by so many. 

Sure, the offense has undergone a marked 180-degree shift from the heady days of Tyreek Hill ripping the lids off every defense in their way, and a youthful (in playing terms) Travis Kelce being almost un-coverable. 

Hill’s long gone, Kelce is grinding through the twilight like Gronk, and the Chiefs' offense is attritional and understated. 

But Kelce demonstrated why he’s one of the greatest tight end last time out, a prop that landed from this very column, and he will certainly be in the thick of it again.

The offense has protected the ball well with no turnovers in the last eight games and there’s a huge amount of potential upside to dial up, particularly in Deandre Hopkins.

In Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown, they also have players capable of drive-changing clutch plays, which of course is the Chiefs' MO at this stage of proceedings. 

Players with proven quality who have not consistently delivered during the season, have stepped up in the moment. 

The Bills defense is built to handle things better than the Texans were last week in terms of make-up. 

While the Chiefs can rely on the Mahomes/Kelce connection, Isaac Pacheco must get going and the way that Matt Milano and Buffalo's defense handles this will be key. 

Defensively, the Chiefs exploited the Texans' under-par offensive line to the tune of eight sacks in the Divisional Round.

The Bills possess a top-five offense, and have a more effective ground game, with James Cook complementing the MVP-elect Josh Allen.

Allen, much like Daniels, has carried the team on his shoulders multiple times this season. 

Unlike Daniels, his receiving corp is deeper, if by committee as opposed to individual super stars, with Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid having solid years.

The under-utilised Amari Cooper needs to step up in a Chiefs-esque fashion, with a clutch performance after an anonymous postseason, so far. 

Mahomes is 3-0 against Allen in the postseason and whilst most neutrals want a fresh script, I think the Chiefs make that 4-0 and roll on for a shot at the three-peat in New Orleans. 

Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 3: Chiefs -2 To Beat The Bills - 50/57 With Bet365

Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 4: Josh Allen Over 47.5 Rushing Yards - 20/23 With Betway

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