Super Bowl 2015: Updated Odds and Predictions for NFL Championship Game

The regular season has officially come to a close, and only 12 teams will venture into January in hopes of an elusive Super Bowl win. Now that we know what the playoff bracket looks like, we can begin to speculate on which teams have the easiest and which have the most difficult paths to the big game.

With the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots gaining home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, they will be the teams to beat. Still, Ross Tucker of NBCSN tweeted an interesting reminder:

Will the No. 1 seeds prevail? It sure seems as though some predictions are in order.

Of course, one way to determine which team is likeliest to go the distance is to take a look at what the Las Vegas oddsmakers think of the remaining contenders. So, before we delve into those predictions, let's first take a look at the updated odds to win Super Bowl XLIX.

Updated Super Bowl Odds

Team	Odds
Seattle Seahawks	49-20
New England Patriots	3-1
Denver Broncos	13-2
Green Bay Packers	131-20
Dallas Cowboys	14-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	26-1
Detroit Lions	30-1
Cincinnati Bengals	35-1
Indianapolis Colts	41-1
Arizona Cardinals	42-1
Baltimore Ravens	70-1
Carolina Panthers	100-1

All odds courtesy of Odds Shark and current as of December 29 at 1:30 a.m. ET.

Postseason Predictions

AFC Playoffs

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals to close out the regular season, earning the AFC North crown. While that win assured them of a home game to begin the playoffs, it also earned them another divisional showdown, this time with the Baltimore Ravens.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

These teams always produce a hard-fought contest, leaving each other battered and bruised. The outcome of this contest could hinge on the status of Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell, as he suffered what appeared to be a hyperextended knee on Sunday night, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Should Bell play, the Steelers offense will be too much to handle for a visiting Ravens team.

Cincinnati will face off against the Indianapolis Colts for the second time this season. The first time the Bengals met Andrew Luck and Co., they were stifled, losing 27-0 due to a stagnant offense. Don't expect that to be the case this time around.

With Jeremy Hill leading the way, Cincinnati's offense has become dangerous. In fact, the Bengals are arguably more dangerous than a Colts team that continues to deal with turnover issues and what appears to be a lack of chemistry. Controlling the clock and keeping the Colts out of rhythm will result in the first Bengals postseason victory since 1991.

In this scenario, the New England Patriots would take on the Bengals in the Divisional Round. New England has looked unbeatable in recent weeks (when its starters are playing). However, Tom Brady will find the Bengals secondary to be a formidable opponent.

Still, it's difficult for any defense to contain the future Hall of Famer, and Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton hasn't shown he's capable of hanging with such an experienced playoff veteran. If the Bengals fall behind early, they won't come back, and that's what will happen here.

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The Denver Broncos will see their first action of the playoffs against the visiting Steelers. Denver looked much better in Week 17, but the lack of production from quarterback Peyton Manning is concerning heading into the playoffs. C.J. Anderson has been able to carry the load for the offense, but Pittsburgh has been very good against the run of late.

Still, few teams have been better against the run than Denver this season, and that will be key. Stopping Bell will force Pittsburgh into a more one-dimensional offense. That isn't a good situation for a Steelers team playing on the road. Denver will advance in a close one.

That leaves just the AFC Championship Game between the Broncos and the Patriots. This will be the second Manning-Brady showdown of the season, as New England took the first one in convincing fashion. Still, Manning didn't have such a reliable running game when these teams met earlier this season.

The presence of Anderson out of the backfield will help open things up for Manning and his dangerous weapons, exploiting New England's secondary and earning the Broncos a trip to the Super Bowl.

AFC Champion: Denver Broncos

NFC Playoffs

The Detroit Lions are coming off a tough loss to the Green Bay Packers, and they're running straight into one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. The Dallas Cowboys are firing on all cylinders, as Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant have looked extremely impressive of late.

While Detroit has a very strong defense, it may not be possible to contain this prolific attack for a full 60 minutes. Due to the Lions' inconsistencies on offense, it's hard to see Matthew Stafford and Co. putting up enough points to win.

The Carolina Panthers fought their way into the playoffs with a big win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. This team is looking fantastic on the defensive side of the ball right now, and that's not good news for an Arizona Cardinals offense that continues to struggle.

Cam Newton is playing well enough to circumvent a good Arizona defense and score enough points to overcome the odds and win a playoff game despite finishing the regular season under the .500 mark.

Unfortunately for Newton and Co., that win sends them to CenturyLink Field to take on the Seahawks. Seattle has been arguably the most dominant team in the league over the second half of the season, and it is riding a six-game winning streak into the playoffs.

A Panthers offense with limited weapons just won't have enough firepower to score enough points on a stout Seattle defense, especially on the road.

Dallas will head to Green Bay to take on Aaron Rodgers and Co. in what should shape up to be a highly entertaining offensive battle. Rodgers has been unstoppable at Lambeau Field this season, tossing 25 touchdowns and zero interceptions. However, Romo has been stellar in December with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12-to-1.

The difference-maker here will be in the running game, and Dallas happens to have the NFL's rushing leader in its backfield. The Packers have struggled against the run this season, and that will continue in this contest, propelling the Cowboys into the NFC Championship.

So, the NFC's final showdown pits a prolific offense against a sturdy defense. The last time the Cowboys and Seahawks met, the Cowboys handed Seahawks a surprising loss in Seattle. However, Dallas isn't likely to put up 30 points again, as Seattle has hit its stride recently, allowing seven points or fewer in five of its last regular-season contests.

The Cowboys went on a great run this season, but there may not be an offense in the league capable of producing against Seattle's defense right now. The Seahawks will be heading to the Super Bowl once again.

NFC Champion: Seattle Seahawks

Super Bowl

Don't look now, but we have a rematch of last year's Super Bowl. The Broncos and the Seahawks are set to duke it out once again for the NFL's title. So, what's different this time around?

For the Broncos, a viable running game finally brings balance to the offense, making them much more difficult to defend. For the Seahawks, Russell Wilson's improved ball security and scrambling ability makes Seattle's offense more versatile.

While the climate will certainly be much more friendly to Manning this time around, he hasn't shown enough consistency of late to warrant backing him against a defense of this caliber. That's right, the Seahawks will repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2015. Is it time to start talking about a dynasty?

Super Bowl Champion: Seattle Seahawks