2019 NFL Conference Championship Picks

January 18, 2019

By the Football Garbage Time Staff

If you followed last year, you won over 60% of your picks, and we aim to do even better this year.

And if you’ve been following us, you know that we here at Football Garbage Time have gone head to head against Wally, Will and Ray at Urban Sports Scene on our NFL Picks for the last 3 seasons. Why? Because they’re awesome competitors, they KNOW their sports, and, heck, they’re just good guys! But this year we’ll have their picks up right HERE each and every week, so keep it tuned in, to both us and them, because we’ll be picking all season all long.

Without further to do, here we go:

Conference Championship Games

Ha Kung Wong’s Picks

Ha Kung’s Thoughts:

Last year I ended up with a 62% record for the season, so that’s three years in a row with over a 60% pick rate. I was perfect in the Divisional Playoffs, getting me to 173-89 (66.0%). And I intend to keep you at 62%+, as well as keep you ahead of Ryan.

So far this season I’m 17 for 19 on Locks of the Week and 10 for 18 for Upsets of the Week. Let’s see what I can do for you for the Conference Championships…

Lock of the Week => Kansas City Chiefs (-3.0) over New England Patriots

Check out my thoughts on why I chose the Saints and Chiefs in this week’s Football Garbage Time Podcast!

Joanne Kong’s Picks

Ryan Whitfield’s Picks

Saints / Patriots

Ryan’s Thoughts:

Check out Ryan’s thoughts on why he chose the Saints and Patriots in this week’s Football Garbage Time Podcast!

Follow me on Twitter – @RyanWhitfieldNE

Scott King’s Picks

Scott’s Thoughts:

I hated my picks last week and ended up going 1-3. All the home teams and favorites won, that’s just chalk and I don’t like it. None of the games were even that competitive except Saints v. Eagles late. I don’t expect to see 1 v 1 in the Super Bowl so I’m going with the pats and saints. I trust Brady I’m bad weather and I think the Saints are rolling. This is a rare year where none of these matchups will be bad, any one of them is exciting. There will be a lot of scoring in the super bowl and we’ll get an amazing storyline either way. Brady wins again? Brees gets #2? Mahomes or Goff get their first. Exciting…..oh, and I hate my picks.

Wally’s Picks

Rams / Chiefs

Ray’s Picks

Rams / Chiefs

George’s Picks

George’s Thoughts:

Split the 2 games last week since I took 2 road teams that didn’t win.

L.A. Rams at New Orleans: Rematch of week 9 when the Saints knocked the Rams from the ranks of the unbeaten 45-35. Michael Thomas’ 72 yard TD catch sealed the win and ludicrous day from him. Twelve receptions, 211 yards. Rams trailed 35-14 and tied it at 35.

The Rams won’t have Cooper Kupp who caught a TD pass in the game but do have C.J. Anderson. Aqib Talib was hurt in the first game and Marcus Peters got torched by Thomas. Talib will be out there. The Saints also have 1 major miss. Sheldon Rankins felled by a gruesome achilles heel tear last week.

If you are going to pick against Sean Payton and Drew Brees in a home playoff game you better have a good reason. And the addition of Anderson + the subtraction of Rankins is it. Rams best chance is to pound the ball on the ground and control the clock. They did it last week against the Cowboys for 273 yards and they will do it with the Gurley-Anderson combo.

Rams 27-24

New England at Kansas City: Patriots won 43-40 on a Stephen Gostkowski field goal at the buzzer. Chiefs roared from 24-9 down to lead 33-30. Pat Mahomes threw two picks but had a virtuoso game with 352 yards and 4 TDs. Tyreek Hill went wild with 142 yards receiving and 3 TDs. Kareem Hunt had 185 yards of total offense. Sony Michel went over 100 with 2 TDs and Brady threw for 340 and 1 TD.

The big change here is no Kareem Hunt. Damien Williams filled in admirably and I think Bill Belichick’s plan could be to force KC to rely on Williams. Hill and Travis Kelce will get a lot of the Pats focus so how will Andy Reid counter it to get those guys opportunities. The first game was in Foxboro and it’s critical that this one is in Arrowhead. Why? New England hasn’t won a road playoff game in 12 years (0-3). And because of Mahomes curse-busting brilliance and a Chiefs defense that at least at home has played well, they won’t win this one either.

Chiefs 38-21