NFL Playoffs 2017: AFC, NFC Schedule, Odds and Predictions

The Pittsburgh Steelers are on an eight-game roll and in excellent shape as they head to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon for their AFC divisional-round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

However, they figure to get a severe test from the home team. And while the Steelers have won eight games in a row, they may have a problem with overconfidence.

Not only are the Steelers surging, but they have also already laid a major beating on the Chiefs. They defeated Kansas City 43-14 when the two teams met at Heinz Field in Week 4. Pittsburgh is a stronger team now than it was earlier in the season and should be much more dangerous from an offensive perspective.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown give the Steelers the most dangerous combination at the three lead skill positions of all the teams in the league.

The Chiefs have to find a way to slow them down. It's unlikely they can blunt the Pittsburgh attack completely, but the Kansas City defense is capable of producing a slew of big plays. Cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry are both capable of poaching Roethlisberger's passes and taking them back a long way.

Peters had six interceptions during the regular season, taking one back for a touchdown, while Berry had four picks and returned two of them for scores.

The X-factor for the Chiefs could be outside linebacker Justin Houston, who missed the last two games of the regular season because of swelling in his knee. If he can contribute for 60 minutes Sunday, that would be a big advantage for the Chiefs.

Kansas City does not have the offensive firepower to compete with Pittsburgh, but it is capable of holding the ball for long stretches. Quarterback Alex Smith is a smart field general, and he has at least two dependable receivers in tight end Travis Kelce and wideout Jeremy Maclin, not to mention rookie spark plug Tyreek Hill.

If the Chiefs turn a couple of their possessions into touchdown drives and take the ball away from the Steelers at least twice, they should have a good chance of surviving and advancing to the AFC title game.

The Chiefs are 1.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark. However, the noted the major trends favor the Steelers. Pittsburgh is 8-0-0 straight up and 6-1-1 against the spread in its last eight games. The postseason has not been kind to the Chiefs, who are 1-9 both straight up and ATS in their last 10 playoff games.

Game	Date	Time (ET)	Point Spread	Prediction
Seattle at Atlanta	Jan. 14	4:35 p.m.	Atlanta (-5)	Atlanta
Houston at New England	Jan. 14	8:15 p.m.	New England (-15)	New England
Pittsburgh at Kansas City	Jan. 15	1:05 p.m.	Kansas City (-1.5)	Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Dallas	Jan. 15	4:40 p.m.	Dallas (-4.5)	Green Bay

Seattle at Atlanta

The Seattle Seahawks appeared to right the ship when they handled the Detroit Lions with little trouble en route to a 26-6 victory in the Wild Card Round.

They received a sensational effort from running back Thomas Rawls, who recorded 161 rushing yards, and Russell Wilson did his usual solid job at quarterback. The defense was dominant against the Lions, but it may not have gotten a true test because Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford was playing with an injury to the middle finger on his passing hand.

A test is coming on Saturday, when the Seahawks go on the road to face NFC South champions the Atlanta Falcons. Signal-caller Matt Ryan had a brilliant regular season, with 38 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions while completing 69.9 percent of his passes.

Unlike in past seasons, the Falcons are playing excellent football as the postseason gets underway. In previous years, Atlanta ran out of gas by this time of year, but that does not seem to be an issue this season.

The Falcons have two superb running backs in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, who combined for 1,599 yards and 19 touchdowns, playing a big role in Ryan's huge season.

Ryan knew the offense didn't depend entirely on his right arm, which gave him less of a burden. He took advantage of that freedom and built a passing game that has been dependable from the start of the regular season while showing no signs of slowing down.

Julio Jones, the star of the wide receiver corps, has had a successful career in Atlanta, per BamaSavages:

Jones caught 83 passes for 1,409 yards with six touchdowns in the regular season while getting support from fellow wideout Mohamed Sanu. Taylor Gabriel can also play a key role as a breakaway threat every time he gets his hands on the ball.

The veteran Seahawks have regularly proved themselves in the playoffs, and they often play well on the road. However, Atlanta has more firepower. We like the Falcons, who are five-point favorites, to assert themselves and advance to the NFC Championship Game.

Houston at New England

The New England Patriots have been waiting to get back to the postseason since losing last year's AFC Championship Game to the Denver Broncos. As Patriots Nation noted, New England is accustomed to this stage:

The Patriots not only get to host the Houston Texans on Saturday, but they will also host the AFC title game if they get by the Texans. New England is a robust 15-point favorite Saturday, but the big issue may be complacency.

The New England offense knows it will face a difficult challenge against Houston's top-rated defense, but it's hard to see Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler moving the ball with any success against the Patriots, who rank first in the league in points allowed. 

The Pats offense centers on Tom Brady's passing, and the quarterback had another sensational year, with 28 TD throws and just two interceptions.

The home team is also dangerous on the ground, where LeGarrette Blount, James White and Dion Lewis combined for 1,872 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.

Houston head coach Bill O'Brien understands that the Patriots are dangerous when they get their running game going.

"I just think again they've done a great job of bringing in a very diverse group of running backs," he said, per Nora Princiotti of the Boston Globe. "It's a very, very difficult challenge for us, and it's a difficult challenge for anybody that goes against them because of that group of guys. They're all very good at what they do."

Look for New England's to assert its ground game and have no trouble surviving against Houston to advance to the AFC title game.

All betting information according to OddsShark.