NFL Playoffs 2018: Odds, Schedule and Bracket Predictions for Wild-Card Games

The NFL playoffs are set following a dramatic final Sunday of the regular season that saw the Buffalo Bills make the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

If that's a shocking development, the reason they made it into the postseason may be even more difficult to fathom. The Bills did their part by defeating the Miami Dolphins 22-16 in South Florida.

As they were leaving the field, the Baltimore Ravens held a 27-24 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals in the late stages of the fourth quarter. The Bengals faced a 4th-and-12 play from the Baltimore 49, and the chances of Andy Dalton keeping the Cincinnati drive alive seemed remote.

However, the Bengals offensive line gave Dalton adequate time, and the quarterback found wide receiver Tyler Boyd open in the Baltimore secondary. Boyd avoided any major hits, kept moving and found his way into the end zone.

The Bengals took a 31-27 lead and held on for the win. Buffalo's victory, coupled with Baltimore's loss, gave the Bills a spot in the postseason.

"It's such an emotional moment," Bills coach Sean McDermott said, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. "No one gave this team a chance all year long. Our fans have been great all season long, and I'm looking forward to seeing them at our playoff game."

Buffalo is the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs and will go on the road to meet the third-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars at 1:05 p.m. ET Sunday. The Jaguars are seven-point favorites, according to OddsShark.

The other AFC matchup features the fifth-seeded Tennessee Titans and the fourth-seeded Kansas City Chiefs. This game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium and will kick off at 4:35 p.m. Saturday. The Chiefs are seven-point favorites.

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The defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons qualified as the sixth seed after beating the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. The Falcons will go on the road to play the third-seeded Los Angeles Rams Saturday at 8:15 p.m, and Atlanta is a 4.5-point underdog.

The fourth-seeded New Orleans Saints will host the Panthers Sunday at 4:40 p.m, and the home team is favored by 5.5 points.

The New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the top two seeds in the AFC. The Steelers will host the highest remaining seed January 13 or 14, while the Patriots will take on the lowest seed.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the top seed in the NFC, while the Minnesota Vikings are the No. 2 seed. The Eagles will host the lowest remaining NFC seed January 13 or 14, and the Vikings will take on the highest remaining seed.

Bracket Predictions

While the Bills made the playoffs in thrilling fashion, they will have a tough time surviving their wild-card game against the Jaguars. 

Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy suffered an ankle injury in the win over Miami, and reports from NFL Network reporter Mike Garofalo indicated the injury was a sprain. McCoy's status for the Jacksonville game has not been determined.

Even if McCoy can play, it doesn't seem likely that he will be in top form, and that's not a good situation for a team that has to face one of the most aggressive defenses in the league.

The Jags will have too much for the Bills to handle and will consequently move on to the divisional round to meet the Steelers.

Kansas City may not be as fortunate. While the Chiefs have righted themselves with four consecutive wins after losing six of seven games, the Titans and Marcus Mariota will go at Andy Reid's team with a lot of speed and quickness. That could be the Chiefs' undoing since they are not the fastest team. Look for the Titans to come up with the upset and earn a spot at New England in the divisional playoffs.

The Los Angeles Rams are a formidable team with Jared Goff at quarterback, Todd Gurley at running back and rookie Cooper Kupp at the wide receiver. The Falcons have a lot of offensive talent in Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, but the Rams are the better and sharper team, and they will move on to play the Vikings in the divisional round.

The Saints have already beaten the Panthers twice this season, and while Cam Newton can be a scary opponent, Drew Brees is a much more accurate passer. And New Orleans has come too far. Look for the Saints to win at home to book at date with the Eagles in Philadelphia.