VSiN’s NFL expert dives into betting angles for the three Saturday NFL playoff games.

It’s always easier to make an argument for the favorite, and Buffalo has a strong case. The Bills went 9-1 in their last 10 games — losing only at Arizona on Kyler Murray’s Hail Mary — and scored 38.2 points per game during a six-game win streak to close the regular season. Josh Allen (69.2 percent completions, 37 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) has performed better than every quarterback not named Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes, Stefon Diggs (127 receptions, 1,535 yards, eight TDs) has turned into one of the league’s top five wide receivers and Sean McDermott might be Coach of the Year. But enough with the obvious.

A case also can be made for an 11-win team that was favored in 14 of 16 games and is now a big underdog. Indianapolis, which blew a 24-7 third-quarter lead at Pittsburgh two weeks ago, is 4-1 in its last five games. The Colts rank in the NFL’s top 10 in total defense (No. 8) and total offense (No. 10). Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 253 yards in the regular-season finale, is emerging as a force and will help Philip Rivers move the ball against a Buffalo run defense that ranks 17th in the league (120 ypg). The trend for several years has been to bet on Philip Rivers in the road ’dog role. Two years ago, Rivers was a road ’dog with the Chargers in a playoff win at Baltimore.

Everyone is impressed with the Allen-led Bills and their explosive offense, and almost everyone expects them to take care of business at home in near-freezing temperatures, but the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens looked similarly impressive a year ago at this time and got upset.

Allen flopped in his only playoff start last year, when his late meltdown led to a loss at Houston. Rivers’ postseason experience should be worth something. Sharp money forced this line move from 7 to 6.5, but the public will probably bet the Bills back to -7 before kickoff. I’ll take the points with the Colts as somewhat of a contrarian play.

Who wants to bet on John Wolford to beat Russell Wilson? Nobody. Fortunately for the Rams, this is not a one-on-one game between the quarterbacks. Who wants to side with an underdog that ranks No. 1 in the league in scoring defense (18.5 ppg) and total defense? I’ll put my money on a defense led by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. The Rams are as good as it gets at pressuring quarterbacks, and Ramsey has shown he can contain DK Metcalf, Seattle’s top receiver. In the teams’ two meetings this season, the Rams limited the Seahawks to a total of 36 points while Wilson took 11 sacks and totaled one touchdown pass and two interceptions.

The Rams could be without Jared Goff, who had right thumb surgery on Dec. 28, but Wolford might actually be the better option due to his mobility. Wolford will benefit from the return of receiver Cooper Kupp this week, and coach Sean McVay will tailor the playcalling to what Wolford can handle. The Rams should be able to keep things close with their defense and running attack. Seattle’s improved defense is getting good news with the return of safety Jamal Adams. Most signs point to a low-scoring brawl that could be decided by a field goal either way.

Tom Brady put up big numbers down the stretch, but he also did that damage against soft defenses. It’s no secret Washington’s physical defensive front is the team’s strength, and Brady’s weakness is dealing with pass-rush pressure. The plan laid out by Washington coach Ron Rivera from the beginning was to make games ugly and get a chance to win in the fourth quarter, and the plan is no different this week.

Washington went 5-1 with veteran quarterback Alex Smith as the starter and 2-8 with other starters, so this is not a 7-9 team to write off in the playoffs. Smith hopes to play despite a calf injury, with Taylor Heinicke ready if Smith is injured or ineffective. With the returns of top running back Antonio Gibson and wide receiver Terry McLaurin, the offense has potential. Washington is a free-rolling team with no pressure, and Rivera will be ready to play the role of a riverboat gambler. Rivera coached Carolina to the NFC South title with a 7-8-1 record in 2014, when the Panthers beat Arizona, coached by Bruce Arians, in the wild-card round. Arians has Brady this time.

Tampa Bay beat only one team that finished with a winning record this season: the Packers. In Brady’s last 10 away playoff games with the Patriots, he was 4-6, with one win by more than six points. Washington’s defense did not allow more than 20 points in any of its last seven games. The Buccaneers probably will survive and advance — bet the favorite on a teaser at -2.5 if you want action on that side — but this might not be easy for Brady.