NFL Playoff Schedule 2017: Wild Card Weekend Bracket Picture and Predictions

When was the last time the NFL playoffs had such a deep field of Super Bowl contenders?

Sure, the New England Patriots are big favorites to win it all at 19-10, per OddsShark, but seven of the other 11 teams in this year's postseason can make legitimate Super Bowl claims: Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Atlanta, Seattle, Green Bay and New York.

Of note, the Giants and Seahawks are tied with the seventh-best odds at 12-1, but they each have good resumes. The former team has the second-best scoring defense, and arguably the best playmaker (Odell Beckham Jr.) in the league, while the latter has made two of the last three Super Bowls. 

It wouldn't be a huge surprise if any of those eight teams won the Super Bowl, which makes this year's Wild Card Weekend so exciting, as four of those eight will be playing this week.

Let's take a look at the playoff schedule, the postseason bracket and offer some quick predictions for the weekend.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Schedule

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Sat., Jan. 7	No. 5 Oakland Raiders at No. 4 Houston Texans	4:35 p.m.	ESPN/ABC
Sat., Jan. 7	No. 6 Detroit Lions at No. 3 Seattle Seahawks	8:15 p.m.	NBC
Sun., Jan. 8	No. 6 Miami Dolphins at No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers	1:05 p.m.	CBS
Sun., Jan. 8	No. 5 New York Giants at No. 4 Green Bay Packers	4:40 p.m.	Fox

Schedule via NFL.com.

NFL Postseason Bracket

Here's a look at the postseason bracket, via NFL's Twitter account.

The highest-seeded team remaining in each conference after this weekend will face the No. 2 seeds (Kansas City and Atlanta), while the lowest-seeded teams remaining in each conference will face the No. 1 seeds (New England and Dallas).

Oakland at Houston

Call me crazy, but this game might actually be pretty good.

Yes, it's a quarterback battle between Raiders quarterback Connor Cook (making his first career start) and Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (one of the few full-time starting quarterbacks to throw for more interceptions than touchdowns this year), but the defenses feature star power that should be on full display.

For Oakland, Khalil Mack should do work. He amassed 73 tackles, 11 sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown this year. On the Houston side, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and a very underrated secondary lead the way.

It should be fun to see solid defensive football on both sides. Expect a close, low-scoring game won by the home team.

Prediction: Houston 16, Oakland 13

Detroit at Seattle

On the flip side, the Detroit-Seattle game probably won't be as competitive.

It comes down to two simple notions.

First, Seattle is 7-1 at home and has not lost a playoff game at CenturyLink Field in 12 years. Detroit is 3-5 on the road this year.

Second, Detroit allowed a 73-percent completion rate this season, by far the worst mark in football.

Considering Seattle's run game is stagnant and its strength lies in the arm (and legs) of Russell Wilson and the talents of wide receiver Doug Baldwin and tight end Jimmy Graham, it shouldn't be an issue for the Hawks to get going through the air.

Prediction: Seattle 23, Detroit 10

Miami at Pittsburgh

Like the Detroit-Seattle game, this matchup boils down to a few points.

First, Miami allows 4.8 yards per carry, tied for worst in the entire NFL with the woeful 2-14 San Francisco 49ers.

Pittsburgh has a running back in Le'Veon Bell who finished top five in rushing yards in the NFL despite missing three games.

Second, Byron Maxwell has missed practice all week with an ankle sprain. If he can't go, it opens the door wide open for Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown to have a field day.

Pittsburgh is also just a much better team at home. In particular, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a 20:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio against just 9:8 on the road.

Miami's had a great season and should knock on the Patriots' door for the AFC East crown next season, but its 2016 campaign will end in Pittsburgh.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 27, Miami 13

New York Giants at Green Bay

One of the best offenses in football (Green Bay has averaged nearly 31 points a game during a six-game winning streak) will face the second-best scoring defense in football, which has held three of its last four opponents to 10 or fewer points scored.

I don't expect either team to find much success on the ground. The Giants have rushed for only 3.5 yards per carry this season, while the Packers don't have anyone who rushed for more than 500 yards this year.

Therefore, expect a duel between Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning, with the difference being Rodgers' ability to make plays with his legs.

It should be a close contest and has the potential to be a classic. Take the Packers at home.

Prediction: Green Bay 20, Giants 17 (OT)