NFL Playoff Picks: Odds for Every Divisional Round Underdog

The NFL playoffs will come down to eight teams playing against one another this weekend, and Tim Tebow's Denver Broncos won’t be pulling off another miraculous upset.

I love Tebow's story. You love Tebow's story. Heck, we all love the underdog story, but there's no way the Broncos get past the New England Patriots Saturday night.

The Patriots are favored by 13.5 points, and while New England will win the game, they won't cover the spread.

That brings up a good question—will any underdog be victorious this weekend?

Better yet, will any favorite cover the spread?

These are the betting odds for every game this weekend.

Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots

The first game was a one-sided beatdown by the Patriots, but this game will be a lot more competitive.

In the first game, the Patriots won 41-23 when they shut down the Broncos' option attack, but after watching Denver open it up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, this offense might have more to offer than teams originally thought.

Tebow passed for 316 yards and threw two touchdowns against the Steelers while proving that he's an accurate passer down the field and is more than capable of spreading the field.

That'll allow the Broncos to do more against the worst defense in the league, because Tebow will be able to stop the Patriots from stacking the box.

My prediction for this game is that Tebow and the Broncos will play neck and neck with the Patriots for four quarters, but Brady’s experience will be the difference-maker.

The Patriots will win a tight one by seven, but won't cover the point spread.

Line:  New England -13.5

Pick: Patriots 34, Broncos 27

New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers

Even though the San Francisco 49ers are the No. 2 seed, the New Orleans Saints are favored in this game. The biggest question surrounding this game is, can the 49ers stop Drew Brees and the Saints from scoring?

If they can, they will win the game, and if not, they will lose.

It's as simple as that, but this matchup will be a real treat for football fans.

It's basically old school vs. new school, with the 49ers' style of football bringing a smile to your grandfather's face while the Saints' style favors the new brand of football that fans are growing accustomed to.

The Saints scored 45 points on 626 yards last week against the Detroit Lions, but the 49ers are the best defense in the league. They've averaged only 77 rushing yards per game and 231 yards per game through the air, which brings me to my prediction.

The Saints will be able to throw the ball against the 49ers with Brees using Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and Marques Colston all game. They'll continue to use Graham to chip the defensive end before running his route, and that'll help them score 27 points against this defense.

New Orleans' defense steps up in this game and limits the 49ers to only 20 points, which allows the Saints to not only win the game but also cover the spread. 

Line:  New Orleans -3.5

Pick: Saints 27, 49ers 20

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers

The New York Giants are going to give the Green Bay Packers nearly all they can handle Sunday.

The Giants finally found their rushing game, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Against the Atlanta Falcons, the Giants rushed for 172 yards, and if they can keep that up this week, they could defeat the Packers.

New York's defense found its swagger in the game too, as they didn't allow the Falcons' offense to put any points on the board and limited them to 247 total yards.

Even though the defense is playing well right now, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will put points on the board—after all, it's what they do best.

The Packers averaged 35 points per game this season, and with Rodgers in postseason form, they'll put up 30 against the Giants. Rodgers is a nightmare for defenses in the playoffs; his average quarterback rating in the postseason is 129.4. That's better than any other quarterback who has attempted at least 100 passes in the playoffs in the past 50 years.

The Packers win a nail-biter by three points and fail to beat the spread.
 

Line: Green Bay -7.5

Pick: Giants 27, Packers 30

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Houston Texans will be fired up after not getting a whole lot of respect this postseason, but it won't matter when they play against the Baltimore Ravens.

While the Patriots, Packers and Saints have gotten a lot of ink this season because of their great offenses, the Ravens have won football games the old fashioned way—with defense.

Even though T.J. Yates played fairly well against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens are a completely different defensive monster.

Baltimore has the fourth-best pass-defense in the league, with an average of 196.3 passing yards per game.

And, quite frankly, that doesn’t fare well for the rookie quarterback.

The Texans' defense will keep this game moderately close, but the Ravens will ultimately pull away and clear the spread.

Line: Baltimore -7.5

Pick: Texans 10, Ravens 20