Here we go folks. Quite possibly the best weekend of the football season is here, conference championship Sunday is just around the corner. Today’s “No Huddle” will be breaking down both games and I’ll be giving you my picks. So let’s set the stage before we dive into these games.

There is a ton of numbers being thrown around in the media in the lead up to Sunday. The one set of numbers jumped out to me are the records of the favorites from the past two seasons. In the past two seasons, the betting favorites in the conference championship games are 4-0 straight up, and 3-1 against the spread. I know it’s a small sample size but it’s a trend worth being cognizant of as we head into the weekend. Another number worth knowing is the record of betting favorites this postseason. So far in the playoffs, the betting favorites are 6-2 straight up and against the spread (Dallas and Kansas City broke the undefeated run of the favorites.

Now, you are probably wondering why I’m using these numbers before we get into the breakdowns. Well at this stage of the season, recognizing these trends are worth knowing, especially if you are planning to throw a little money down on these games. I’m not saying that these will dictate how these games will pan out but there is always value in knowledge.

In terms of the actual matchups, I’m very excited for both of these games. This is potentially one of the best groups of quarterbacks to square off in the conference title games. The combined quarterback rating of Brady, Rodgers, Ryan, and Roethlisberger currently sits at 107.0, which is easily one of the best aggregate ratings in postseason history.

We also have two different types of trends working against each other heading into this weekend. I’ve noted a few times during the latter half of the season that teams with a first round bye have won the Super Bowl 18 out of 26 times since the NFL went to the current playoff format. That certainly bodes well for the chances of New England and Atlanta based on the historical numbers.

The second trend is the winning streaks of the underdogs. Much is made in any postseason about the threat of a team getting hot at the right time. Pittsburgh is currently riding a nine-game winning streak, while Green Bay is on an eight-game streak of its own. Both teams have been playing playoff-type games for almost two months and have found a formula to keep reeling off wins.

I’ve been on a bit of a run with my picks since the beginning of the postseason. I’m 7-1 with my game picks and 6-2 against the spread, aided by my 4-0 week across the board last week. It should be one hell of a day on Sunday for these games, so lets jump into the breakdowns.

NFC Championship: Green Bay vs. Atlanta (Sun. 3:05 PM, FOX)

We’re getting started with a bang on Sunday with two of the best offenses in football squaring off. Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan are likely going to be the top-two in MVP voting, which should make for quite a quarterback duel. Both men have pretty juicy matchups to exploit with the opposing defenses as well.

Ryan and the Atlanta offense is the number one rated offense in the NFL, putting up over 30 points per game this season. The Falcons are coming off a game in which they shredded the vaunted, but shorthanded Legion of Boom from Seattle. Confidence is at an all time high in Atlanta with the way this offense can operate. Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Taylor Gabriel present all sorts of challenges in the secondary for opposing defenses. Add into the mix the receiving abilities of running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman and it’s very easy to see why this offense has been so lethal all year long.

Green Bay will have its hands full trying to slow down this prolific offense. The Packers have the 31^st ranked pass defense in the NFL, so it’s not too hard to see where Atlanta will look to attack. They will have to get after Matt Ryan and keep him from getting the ball out to his weapons on the outside. Green Bay is capable of doing that with Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, and Julius Peppers. It will be interesting to see what Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers will cook up for the Falcons offense.

Obviously the Packers aren’t slouches on the offensive end either. Rodgers currently leading the fourth ranked offense in the NFL, and in recent weeks you could make the argument that this is the second-best offense compared to Atlanta. The run that Rodgers is on right now is incredible, and dare I say, historic. He has only thrown one interception in his last ten games (both last week), and has racked up 24 touchdowns during this stretch.

The issue for the Packers right now on offense is health, especially at wide receiver. Jordy Nelson is dealing with broken ribs, and could miss his second straight game. Davante Adams and Geronimo Allison are also banged up but are more likely to play that Nelson as of now. Missing Nelson certainly takes away some of the punch of this offense but with the way Rodgers is playing, as long as he has Randall Cobb, Adams, and Allison he should be okay. The tight ends will definitely be an integral part of the offense again, Richard Rodgers and Jared Cook saw an uptick in their production last week due in part to the Nelson injury.

If Atlanta has any chance of slowing down the red-hot Rodgers, a big key will be the play of Vic Beasley. He has the talent to be a Von Miller-type playmaker on defense, but this is the game where he will need to prove it. As we have seen over and over again with Green Bay, if Rodgers has time to throw, he will make defenses pay dearly. Without their shutdown corner Desmond Trufant, who was placed on injured reserve in late November, the pressure will be on the pass rushers to make a big difference in this game.

Vegas odds makers seem to think this will be a high scoring affair, as do I. The over/under is sitting at 61 points, which is the highest number for a playoff game in at least five years. Definitely be ready for a shootout between these two teams similar to the 33-32 thriller back in October. In my opinion I think this game is a toss up. As good as the Falcons have been all season, I’m finding it pretty hard to count out Rodgers. Sit back and enjoy the ride for this one.

Game Pick: Atlanta              ATS Pick: Green Bay (+5.5)

 AFC Championship: Pittsburgh vs. New England (Sun. 6:40 PM, CBS)

Over on the AFC side, we have a battle of the old guard between New England and Pittsburgh. If there is one prediction I was spot on about back in August, it was that these two teams would be meeting in the AFC Championship game (probably the only one).

Now there is a key matchup here to keep an eye on because this will likely dictate how this game will play out. Pittsburgh has a vaunted offense in terms of the talent with the Killer B’s (Big Ben, Brown, and Bell), but last week was a bit forgettable. Pittsburgh absolutely has to convert redzone opportunities into touchdowns this week. Chris Boswell kicking more than three field goals will likely mean the Steelers will be sent home packing.

Scoring in the redzone against New England will be no easy task either. The Patriots bend but usually don’t break down by the goal line. New England has the top-ranked scoring defense in the NFL, allowing only 15.6 points per game. Even more impressive is the percentage of opposing drives that end in an offensive score. New England only allows points on 26.7 percent of opponent possessions, which averages out to 1.37 points per drive.

Look for Pittsburgh to lean on Le’Veon Bell to fix the redzone issue. He has amassed a gaudy 332 yards rushing in two playoff games, both of which he has set a franchise record for single-game rushing in a postseason game. Pittsburgh will have to get creative with how they get Bell the ball in clutch situations, but as I’ve said all season, he is the key to this offense.

Big Ben will also need to protect the football much better than he did last week, and in his career against New England. Roethlisberger has throw six interceptions in eight games against the Patriots (3-5 in his career against New England). In his four conference championship games, Roethlisberger is 3-1, but has thrown five touchdowns and five interceptions.

For New England, Tom Brady will look to continue the incredible success he has had against the Steelers. In nine games against Pittsburgh, Brady is 7-2 in his career, throwing for 24 touchdowns and three interceptions. You don’t have to look too far to figure out what Pittsburgh’s defense will need to do to beat New England. Obviously they will need to flip that script to have a shot to win this game, which is easier said than done.

Bud Dupree is the guy I’m looking at for Pittsburgh on defense. He will need to wreak havoc on the Pats offensive line and get pressure on Brady. Pittsburgh will need to draw up a few exotic blitzes in order to free up Dupree on the edge. The one common denominator in New England’s playoff losses is the amount of pressure Brady faces. The Giants and more recently, the Broncos have shown that there is a blueprint to keep Brady off-balance in the pocket.

I think points could be at a premium in this game with two very familiar opponents facing off in a game of this magnitude. Right now I would have to give a slight edge to New England since this game is in Foxborough.

Game Pick: New England               ATS Pick: Pittsburgh (+6)

That’s it for me today, I’ll be back on Monday to recap the weekend in the sports world. Enjoy the games this weekend, it should be a lot of fun to watch. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.