Small Ballers NFL Conference Championship Round Predictions

With one of the games starting before the Small Baller Podcast comes out with a new episode coming out on Sunday at 4 PM EST, we have the official Small Baller NFL Championship Round Predictions here:

49ers vs. Eagles at 3:00 PM EST, Line: PHI -2.5

Ben: Eagles 24-20, This game is intriguing in so many ways. The two quarterbacks, the line play of both teams, and Shanahan vs Sirianni are all reasons to watch. I have gone back and forth about who to pick in this game countless times and I still don’t know. What I do know is that winning on the road in the playoffs is a daunting task. What is also known is that the quarterback is the most VALUABLE position in all of sports and the offensive line is maybe the most IMPORTANT position in football. For those reasons, I’m taking Philly who I believe has the advantage in all three. Eagle win a close one at the Link.

Brandon: Eagles 26-20, The 49ers have ridden out this playoff run on the back of the talent around Brock Purdy. That talent can only take you so far without an elite-level QB and the Eagles will expose this. This game won't be a blowout at all and I expect a good one from start to finish.

Trevor: Eagles 27-17, The Eagles answered my questions about their health last weekend after dominating the Giants from start to finish. As good as the 49ers' defense is, I think there are some matchups in the secondary Hurts will be able to take advantage of with downfield threats DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown making big plays.

Bengals vs. Chiefs at 6:30 PM EST, Line: KC -1.0

Ben: Chiefs 31-20, This one is an easy pick. I’ve never been more confident in my life on a prediction. You have the best quarterback in the NFL along with a top 5 coach. Not to mention one of the loudest stadiums in the world. There is absolutely ZERO way that the chiefs lose this game. It’s literally impossible. I’m not even considering the Mahomes injury a factor in this one because he’s that good and it won’t matter.

Brandon: Bengals 27-24, This game is so close to being a 50-50 toss-up. To be honest, Mahomes' injury moves the needle a bit but the Bengals have been so incredibly impressive I might have taken them with a healthy Mahomes. This is going to be back-to-back Super Bowl appearances from the AFC North Division Champ. If only it could have been a different AFC North team.

Trevor: Bengals 30-24, Mahomes may be slightly limited in terms of running the ball or getting out of the pocket to buy extra time, but I still expect him to play well. Despite that, I’m leaning Bengals because I don’t fear the Chiefs' pass rush as much as either NFC team left and Burrow will get the ball out quick enough for the Bengals to move the ball and put themselves in scoring positions consistently.