All eyes may be on the matchup between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers this weekend for the NFC crown, but the better playoff game might be the New England Patriots hosting the Baltimore Ravens.

A couple of years ago, these two AFC heavyweights went head-to-head in the NFL playoffs. Even though the Patriots were thought to be the better team, the Ravens dominated Tom Brady and company to advance to the next round. The key to victory for Baltimore was the running game as the New England had absolutely no answer for Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice out of the backfield.

In the AFC Championship, these teams are very similar to the teams that faced off in the playoffs two years ago. The New England Patriots still depend on their offense to get wins on a weekly basis and the Baltimore Ravens continue to play well with a strong running game and a solid defense. If the Ravens can get going in the ground game and contain Tom Brady, Baltimore will almost certainly advance to the Super Bowl to take on either the New York Giants or the San Francisco 49ers.

Even though I believe that the Baltimore Ravens still have a good chance of pulling off the upset against Bill Belichick’s squad, it would be hard to bet against the New England Patriots in such a crucial game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

As of right now, the Baltimore Ravens are big underdogs with a -9 point spread in favor of the New England Patriots to win at home in the AFC Championship game. The Patriots might be able to cover, but I would take Baltimore to make it a close game.

Take the Ravens at +9.

Related News

• NFL Preseason: New York Giants @ New England Patriots
• New England Patriots superstar quarterback Tom Brady wants to play until 43
• Super Bowl XLVI: New England Patriots vs New York Giants
• Randy Moss Will Return For At Least One More Season Following Super Bowl
• NFL Playoffs: Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos