Conference Championship Picks: Can the Lions Pull Off an Upset for a Super Bowl Berth?

The heater that we were on with the picks rolling into the playoffs is completely gone.
The Divisional Round was a complete and utter bust for me as I went defeated over the course of the weekend with an 0-4 record. Now, I’ll have to go 3-0 in the conference championships and Super Bowl to ensure that I finish the season with an even .500 record. Before we get into the championship picks, here is a look at what went wrong last weekend:
- Texans +9 (L)
- Buccaneers +6.5 (L)
- 49ers -9.5 (L)
- Bills -3 (L)
Playoff Record: 4-6
Overall Season Record: 138-141-17
Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens

- Spread: Ravens -4.5
- O/U: 44.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Ravens -4.5
For the sixth straight season under Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs are in the AFC Championship Game. Mahomes proved he could go into a hostile environment and earn a playoff win on the road, and now he has a chance to make his fourth Super Bowl appearance.
However, the Baltimore Ravens will certainly have something to say about that. Their defense is one of the best in the league at swarming to the ball, and they wreaked havoc on an efficient Houston Texans offense last weekend to make their first AFC Championship since 2012 when they won their most recent Super Bowl.

If this game was taking place in Arrowhead, it would be impossible to pick against Mahomes in this situation. That being said, the Ravens will be getting tight end Mark Andrews back, giving Lamar Jackson another weapon to throw to, and even when Jackson isn’t able to throw, he is a lethal weapon with his running ability. Baltimore makes the Super Bowl with a win.
Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

- Spread: 49ers -7
- O/U: 51.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Lions +7
This is a very interesting matchup. On one hand, the 49ers will indeed have their full crew of offensive weapons as Deebo Samuel is set to suit up for this weekend’s NFC Conference Championship. However, the 49ers have had some very sneaky struggles on defense for about a month and a half, and these troubles almost cost them last weekend’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
San Francisco has not been able to generate a ton of pressure on opposing QBs with their front four, and they may have to start blitzing against a very talented Lions offensive line in order to do that. However, that could leave their secondary vulnerable against some star pass-catchers like Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
At the end of the day, I’ve picked against the Detroit Lions in every playoff game, and I’ve been proven wrong each time. I can’t do that again. The Lions pull off an upset this weekend to make their franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.

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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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