I'm not sure I remember a season where the home playoff teams have been getting so little respect. The Chiefs are the latest victim as most of the experts are on board with a Ravens win. I agree with them, don't misunderstand, but I didn't think it would be quite the landslide it has been. The Chiefs do have a dominant running game, a 7-1 home record and a quarterback who plays mistake-free. Then again, it's playoff season and the Ravens have the pedigree.
| Source | Winner | Notes |
| Miami Herald | Ravens | Greg Cote: The Ravens have enough run stoppage to limit K.C.'s big ground attack. That means pressure shifts to Matt Cassel, coming off a nightmare game last week and making his first playoff start. I will take Joe Flacco, who becomes the fifth quarterback to start a playoff game in each of his first three seasons, after Otto Graham (1950-52), Pat Haden (1976-78), Dan Marino (1983-85) and Bernie Kosar (1985-87). Experience matters. Ravens 21, Chiefs 17 |
| CBS Sports | Ravens | The Chiefs get no love at home despite a 7-1 record there this season. |
| Fanhouse | Ravens | Chris Burke: Despite the road game, Baltimore figures to be favored in this one. And the Ravens' 33-14 romp at New England last postseason showed that this team can go into hostile environments and get the job done. This one doesn't figure to be as easy as that one, though -- Kansas City enters the playoffs under the radar, but it's a solid enough team to pull this one out. That doesn't mean the Chiefs will though. Baltimore 24, Kansas City 21 |
| What If Sports | Chiefs | The Chiefs won 60.6 percent of the simulations. Chiefs 21, Ravens 18 |
| Sports Illustrated | Ravens | Peter King: I love the Chiefs' run game, with Mr. Inside (Thomas Jones) and Mr. Outside (Jamaal Charles) being capable of winning it. But this game, I believe, is going to be a case of a young, hungry, deserving team getting very close, and nearly being rewarded for a division title with a playoff win, but the Ravens being a little bit more equipped to grind down a defense on the ground. Ravens 23, Chiefs 20 |
| USA Today | Ravens | Eight for Eight for the now-lesser known Harbaugh's team. |
| Sporting News | Ravens | The Chiefs are getting less love than the Seahawks in this matchup. |
Only the WhatIfSports computer showed the Chiefs any kind of love. One positive is most experts think it will be a close game and if the Chiefs can keep it close in the fourth quarter, all bets are off.