Conference Championship Weekend

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Developing Stories 📰

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions are set to clash with the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in a high-stakes NFC Championship game scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Lions' journey to this pivotal matchup has been nothing short of remarkable, marked by a series of impressive victories that have endeared them to fans in Detroit and beyond, earning them the title of America's underdog this season. With a blend of tenacity and skill, they've showcased their prowess on the field, but the ultimate question remains: Can they topple the favored 49ers and secure their spot in the Super Bowl?

Detroit's offensive statistics paint a picture of a formidable force, averaging 27.1 points per game (ranking 5th) and amassing an impressive 394.8 total yards per game (ranking 3rd). Their balanced attack sees them garnering 258.9 passing yards (2nd) and 135.9 rushing yards (5th) on average. Additionally, their proficiency shines through with a 41.3 percent conversion rate on third downs (ranking 9th) and a remarkable 66.2 percent touchdown rate in the red zone (ranking 2nd).

However, defensively, the Lions face some challenges, conceding an average of 23.2 points per game (ranking 23rd) and allowing 336.1 total yards per game (ranking 19th). Particularly vulnerable against the pass, they give up 247.4 passing yards per game (ranking 27th), though their run defense stands strong, yielding only 88.8 rushing yards per game (ranking 2nd). Despite tallying 40 sacks and 12 interceptions during the regular season, they still face an uphill battle, with opponents converting 36.7 percent of third-down attempts (ranking 10th) and finding success in the red zone 64.4 percent of the time (ranking 29th).

Headlines 🚨

On This Day in Sport History: 1951 Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame,

1985 Wayne Gretzky scores 50^th goal in 49^th game of the season,

1997 Pete Sampras wins his 2^nd and last Australian Open.

The Ravens are activating TE Mark Andrews off IR to play against the Chiefs.

Carolina Panthers hire Buccaneers OC Canales as new head coach.

Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte arrested over illegal betting at LSU.

Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Joel Embiid scores career high 70 points breaking Wilt Chamberlains 76ers record.

Lebron James becomes NBA’s first 20 time All-Star.

Jannik Sinner upsets Novak Djokovic and will face Daniil Medvedev in the finals.

Trends 📈📉 via Oddsshark

🎓🏀 MSU at #13 WISC

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wisconsin's last 6 games at home

🏀 Mavericks at Hawks

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games on the road

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home

• Atlanta is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Dallas

🏀 Suns at Pacers

• Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Indiana

• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 9 games

🏀 Rockets at Hornets

• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing at home against Houston

🏀 Magic at Grizzlies

• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing on the road against Memphis

• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games on the road

• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Memphis's last 8 games at home

• Memphis is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Orlando

🏀 Thunder at Pelicans

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games

🏀 Trailblazers at Spurs

• Portland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Portland

• The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games

🏀 Wizards at Pistons

• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games on the road

🏒 Golden Knights at Rangers

• The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Rangers's last 8 games at home

🏒 Panthers at Penguins

• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games at home

🏒 Kings at Avalanche

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Colorado

• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games

🏈 Lions at 49ers

• The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 11 games.

• Detroit is 1-11 SU in their last 12 games against San Francisco.

• San Francisco is 10-0 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against Detroit.

Public Money 🤑 via VSiN at 9AMCT

🏀 NBA

34% of bets and 66% of money is on UNDER 223.5 HOU at CHA

41% of bets and 73% of money is on UNDER 235.5 LAC at TOR

53% of bets and 80% of money is on ORL -6

34% of bets and 62% of money is on UNDER 229.5 POR at SA

🏒 NHL

26% of bets and 68% of money is on NYR -1.5 (+150)

38% of bets and 72% of money is on FLA -1.5 (+185)

🏈 NFL

52% of bets and 62% of money is on BAL -4

47% of bets and 65% of money is on BAL -200

31% of bets and 49% of money is on SF -7.5

Future Odds 🔮 via Bovada Sportsbook

Injury Report 🏥 via ESPN

BAL (CB) Marlon Humphrey | Questionable - Calf

BAL (CB) Rock Ya-Sin | Questionable - Knee

BAL (LB) Del’Shawn Phillips | Doubtful - Shoulder

DET (G) Jonah Jackson | Out - Knee

KC (WR) Skyy Moore | Out - Knee

KC (S) Mike Edwards | Questionable - Concussion

KC (LB) Willie Gay | Questionable - Neck

KC (WR) Kadarius Toney | Questionable - Hip

KC (RB) Isaiah Pacheco | Questionable - Toe/Ankle

KC (G) Joe Thuney | Out - Pectoral

KC (CB) L’Jarius Sneed | Questionable - Calf

Weekend Picks 🔒

Suns -4.5 | The Suns now have three top-flight scoring options and can spread the floor effectively. That will serve them particularly well against a Pacers team that wants to play fast and shoot from long range. 

49ers -7.5 | The 49ers have held their opponents to 21 points or less in 13 of 18 games this season. They will put relentless heat on QB Jared Goff, whose own outdoor struggles are well-known, forcing the Lions signal-caller into check-downs, throwaways.  While SF allowed 4.2 yards per carry, the Lions will be too one-dimensional to keep up with the 49ers' electric offense.

Ravens - 4 | Big playoff games can often be won or lost by costly turnovers, and Baltimore has a distinct advantage in turnover discrepancy. Baltimore had the best turnover differential in the regular season at +12, while Kansas City had one of the worst differentials at -11. The Chiefs were only 18th against the run this season, meaning Jackson, Edwards and Hill will be able to eat up yards on the ground. The Ravens led the NFL in rushing yards per game. Jackson can beat teams through the air or on the ground, and he will prove he is worthy of the MVP in this game.