NFL Playoff Odds 2014-15: Can't-Miss Picks and Predictions for Wild Card Weekend

The 2014 NFL season has been as wild and unpredictable as any in recent memory, so it stands to reason that the chaos will carry over into the playoffs as well.

Although the top two seeds in both the AFC and the NFC are unquestionably the class of the league currently, there will be plenty of very good teams in action during Wild Card Weekend as well. With so little separating those teams, though, predicting how things will play out is no easy task.

While there are usually one or two virtual locks on the board, that simply won't be the case this year, as either team could conceivably win in all four games.

With that said, here is a look at the latest lines for every Wild Card Round contest along with predictions for who will come out on top in each.

*Point spreads courtesy of Odds Shark.

Date	Time (ET)	Away Team	Home Team	Point Spread	Pick Straight Up	Pick ATS
Saturday, Jan. 3	4:20 p.m.	Arizona Cardinals	Carolina Panthers	CAR (-4)	CAR	CAR
Saturday, Jan. 3	8:15 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens	Pittsburgh Steelers	Even	PIT	PIT
Sunday, Jan. 4	1:05 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals	Indianapolis Colts	IND (-6)	CIN	CIN
Sunday, Jan. 4	4:40 p.m.	Detroit Lions	Dallas Cowboys	DAL (-8)	DAL	DET

NFL Wild Card Weekend Picks

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers

The Arizona Cardinals had four more victories than the Carolina Panthers during the regular season, but they will be underdogs for their playoff matchup, and with good reason.

Arizona deserves a ton of credit for staying afloat in the face of several major injuries on both sides of the ball; however, those injuries are bound to catch up with the team eventually. The Cards have lost four of their past six games, and there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding their quarterback situation.

Carson Palmer is already out for the season, and backup Drew Stanton could be as well. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Stanton is dealing with a knee infection that may force him to miss Arizona's Wild Card Weekend clash:

If that is the case, then third-stringer Ryan Lindley is likely to get the start. He broke his career-long touchdown drought by throwing two against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17, but he also threw three interceptions.

Carolina, on the other hand, is riding a four-game winning streak, during which its revitalized defense has allowed just over 10 points per contest.

In addition to that, quarterback Cam Newton is playing inspired football, and he is finally getting some help from his running game in the form of Jonathan Stewart. With everything firing on all cylinders for the Panthers, the Cardinals won't be able to overcome the adversity.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have been among the fiercest rivals in football over the past several years, which is why it's so fitting that they will meet during the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

Pittsburgh and Baltimore split their two meetings during the regular season, and it can be argued that no playoff matchup will be more tightly contested than this one. The Steelers have been the better team of late, with four straight wins, but extenuating circumstances could potentially put Baltimore in the driver's seat.

The Steelers had the No. 2 offense in the NFL this season in terms of yards per game; however, running back Le'Veon Bell's status is unclear after he left Pittsburgh's Week 17 game with a knee injury, according to SportsCenter:

Bell never reentered the contest, but the Steelers were still able to beat the Cincinnati Bengals and clinch the AFC North. Being without Bell would be a huge loss for Pittsburgh, as he racked up well over 2,000 total yards and 11 touchdowns in 2014.

There has been no official word on whether Bell will suit up, but head coach Mike Tomlin at least seems optimistic, per ESPN.com's Scott Brown.

"We'll gather more significant information as we proceed through the week," Tomlin said. "We're thankful that it's not anything major."

The Steelers' running game will be compromised if Bell can't play, but they'll still have a shot due to the spectacular play of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown.

On the other side, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco played like an MVP the last time Baltimore made the playoffs. You can never be sure which version of Flacco will show up, though, so the Steelers have to be favored to prevail on their home field.

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to get a proverbial monkey off their back after three consecutive Wild Card Round losses, but it won't be easy, as they must travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts.

Indy has a clear advantage at the quarterback position, with Pro Bowler Andrew Luck coming off a 40-touchdown regular season. Andy Dalton has had his moments for the Bengals, but most view him as a playoff failure due to his inability thus far to get the job done when the games mean the most.

The Bengals also have reason to be concerned about superstar wide receiver A.J. Green, who has been banged up all season and suffered a concussion against the Steelers in Week 17, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer:

Life will be much more difficult for Dalton and the Cincinnati offense if Dalton is out, although it will not necessarily spell disaster. The Bengals have a fantastic running back combo in Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, which could be huge in terms of winning on the road.

While the Colts have won five of their past six games, they haven't exactly been impressive. They easily could have lost games to the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans, and they were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bengals, on the other hand, beat the Denver Broncos a couple of weeks ago and gave quarterback Peyton Manning some real issues.

Most will probably favor the Colts since they're at home and beat the Bengals earlier in the season, but Cincinnati truly seems to be playing better football right now, and it will finally figure out a way to win in the playoffs for the first time since the 1990 season.

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys

With a record of 12-4, the Dallas Cowboys are undoubtedly among the NFL's most pleasant surprises this season. Few gave them a chance at making the playoffs, but now they have a great opportunity to advance with a home game against the Detroit Lions.

Dallas went a perfect 8-0 on the road during the regular season, which means it was just 4-4 at Jerry World. Even so, the Cowboys are in great shape, as they are healthy on both sides of the ball and playing some of their best football of the year.

The Cowboys have won six of their past seven games, and that is due largely to the fact that quarterback Tony Romo is locked in. Add in the recent hot play of wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten, as well as 1,800-yard rusher DeMarco Murray, and it's clear that the Lions will have their hands full.

Detroit is a very talented team in its own right with the No. 2 defense and an explosive offense; however, it has struggled against top teams away from home.

In fact, quarterback Matthew Stafford has a shockingly bad record over the course of his career against winning teams on the road, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com:

What this game may ultimately come down to is the ability of Dallas' defense to keep the Detroit offense in check. The Cowboys defense doesn't have much star power, but it has held up well. If it can deal with the likes of Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Joique Bell, then a playoff win should be on the horizon.

Perhaps no team in the NFL is playing better than Dallas right now, so look for it to keep the dream season going.

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