Chairshot Picks: 2020-2021 NFL Conference Championship Picks

The NFL is down to their final four, and your crack staff here at The Chairshot picks the winners–who will advance to the Big Game At The End–err, the Super Bowl???

Welcome to the third week of the NFL second season–the Conference Championships! As we continue to expand our world here at The Chairshot (Sports… Entertainment… and Sports Entertainment!), our crack staff has put together their picks for this week’s games. Games are listed in chronological order.

Odds are provided by the William Hill Sportsbook, as of 12:00 PM Thursday.

Your panel, and their records against the spread after Week 1

• Dave Ungar (@AttitudeAgg) – 7-3
• Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) – 7-3
• Rey Ca$h – (@itsreycash) – 6-4
• Andrew Balaz (@IWCWarChief) – 6-4
• DPP – (@itsmedpp) – 4-6
• PC Tunney (@PCTunney) – 4-6
• Patrick O’Dowd (@wrestlngrealist) – 4-6
• Steve Cook (@stevecook84) – 3-7

On the heels of a perfect week 2, Andrew Balaz jumps from a last place tie to a second place tie, and I jumped up to a first place tie with Dave Ungar, who jumped over Rey Ca$h thanks to a 3 win week.

We will track records straight up as well as against the spread, but the overall winner will be determined against the spread. On with the for-entertainment-purposes-only picks. This week the point total over/under is added in, for fun. It will count towards everyone’s season record next year.

NFL Conference Championship Round – Sunday January 24, 2021

3:05 PM – NFC Championship
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Green Bay Packers (-3)
Over/Under Total 51.5

This is a week 6 rematch of the game that saw the Buccaneers dismantle the Packers in a 38-10 victory. The Bucs defense was responsible for 2 Aaron Rodgers’ interceptions (40% of his season total of 5) and 4 sacks (20% of the 20 he took all season). I know many pundits say they aren’t putting too much stock in that, but the Bucs defense owned the Saints and was the real reason Tom Brady is in his 17th Conference Championship game–just in the NFC this time. Granted, the Saints had Drew Brees, and while he’s a legend, he’s not Aaron Rodgers.

While Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers is the storyline everyone wants to point out, the key to this game is really the Bucs defense vs. Aaron Rodgers’ adjustments. And Rodgers could very well take the opportunity of sharing the field with the GOAT to call his GOAT status into question.

The picks:

• PC Tunney (@PCTunney) – Green Bay/Under
• Rey Ca$h – (@itsreycash) – Green Bay/Over
• Dave Ungar (@AttitudeAgg) – Tampa Bay/Over
• Andrew Balaz (@IWCWarChief) – Tampa Bay/Over
• DPP – (@itsmedpp) – Green Bay/Over
• Steve Cook (@stevecook84) – Tampa Bay/Over
• Patrick O’Dowd (@wrestlngrealist) – Green Bay/Over
• Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) – Green Bay/Over

6:40 PM – AFC Championship
Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs (-3)
Over/Under Total 54.5

While you have two of the league’s most mature and respected quarterbacks in our first match-up, this battle represents two of the young guns who are sure to light up the league for years to come. Patrick Mahomes has cleared concussion protocol, but I don’t think anyone expected otherwise. One groggy stand-up on Sunday night and we’re watching Chad Henne lead the red and yellow down the field once again. Josh Allen is really coming into his own throughout this run, and his team is rallying around him. Stefon Diggs might be the best off-season acquisition in all of football this year once we’re done, and that’s in the same year as a team acquired Tom Brady.

Much like our first match-up, these two teams played in Week 6, and it was the Chiefs who came out on top by 9 (26-17), but once again that’s a little misleading as we are talking about mid-October versus the Conference Championship! While my personal analysis of the early game is about Aaron Rodgers and consistency, this game for me is about momentum. The Bills are having fun, and almost don’t know any better. That makes them dangerous. I think they could spoil the “dream match” of Chiefs-Packers, a rematch from the first ever Super Bowl.

The picks:

• PC Tunney (@PCTunney) – Kansas City/Over
• Rey Ca$h – (@itsreycash) – Kansas City/Under
• Dave Ungar (@AttitudeAgg) – Kansas City/Under
• Andrew Balaz (@IWCWarChief) – Buffalo/Under
• DPP – (@itsmedpp) – Kansas City/Under
• Steve Cook (@stevecook84) – Kansas City/Under
• Patrick O’Dowd (@wrestlngrealist) – Buffalo/Under
• Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) – Buffalo/Under

A spot in the Super Bowl is at stake for the players and coaches on the field, and bragging rights hang in the balance for our Chairshot Crew. See who comes out of Week 3 with a lead!