2025 NFL Conference Championship predictions, picks: Back favorites to cover

Twenty-eight NFL squads have been disqualified from the quest to hoist the coveted Lombardi Trophy, and now, the league's version of the Final Four is here.

Home teams went 5-1 in the wild-card round and then 3-1 last week in divisional matchups. The Cinderella Commanders are the only team this postseason to emerge victorious on the road.

And last week was a great reminder of the importance of shopping for the best possible line when making your wagers. Let's briefly examine why.

The Chiefs were anywhere from 7.5- to 9.5-point favorites over the Texans last Saturday, depending on when and where you made your bet. And thanks to a late safety, they won by exactly nine points. The Eagles were 5.5-point favorites early last week over the Rams — a line that sat at 6 for the majority of the week — but got all the way up to 7 on Sunday. 

Thanks to some shaky kicking by Eagles' kicker Jake Elliott and a late touchdown by the Rams, the final margin was six points. That was right in the middle of the opening and closing numbers. 

Even on Monday night, in the Notre Dame vs. Ohio State College Football Playoff title game, the line bounced back and forth between Buckeyes by 7.5 and 8.5 points. Until an improbable last-second field goal, Ohio State led by exactly eight points. 

So again, always shop around and make sure you’re getting the most favorable line possible. Doing so can be just as important as picking the right team. 

Now, let’s take a look at the games that will decide who’s headed to the Super Bowl.

Commanders @ Eagles (-6, 47)

If you told a Cowboys fan back in August that there would be an all-NFC East, NFC title game, they would have been celebrating. Unfortunately for Dallas diehards, their squad didn't make