NFL Playoff Picture 2015: Wild-Card Odds, Picks and Matchup Scenarios

Sometimes, getting the right matchups is good enough to propel an underdog through to the Super Bowl. After all, we've seen teams get hot during the playoffs and make incredible runs, and that all starts with a little bit of confidence.

The Baltimore Ravens went on a similar run in 2012. They weren't expected to go far, but after an impressive 24-9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round, they surged through the postseason, eventually defeating the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII.

This season, we have several very talented and well-rounded teams playing on Wild Card Weekend, so another similar run shouldn't come as much of a surprise. But, here's the question: Which team appears to be in the most favorable situation to string together a few wins?

Here's a look at the updated 2015 playoff picture, wild-card odds, picks and matchup scenarios for the divisional round.

2015 Playoff Picture

Wild-Card Odds and Picks

Home	Away	Spread	Pick
Carolina Panthers	Arizona Cardinals	CAR -6.5	Panthers
Pittsburgh Steelers	Baltimore Ravens	PIT -3	Ravens
Indianapolis Colts	Cincinnati Bengals	IND -3	Bengals
Dallas Cowboys	Detroit Lions	DAL -6.5	Cowboys

All game odds courtesy of Odds Shark and current as of December 31.

So, why did the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys deserve to move on to the next round? Well, again, it's all about the matchups.

Carolina's defense has been extremely impressive of late. This team hasn't allowed an opposing offense to generate a total of 300 yards in its last three games. Considering the Panthers' season finale was against a resurgent Atlanta Falcons offense, that's pretty darn good. Now, this team gets to play the lethargic offense of the Arizona Cardinals.

Baltimore gets the upper hand due to the statuses of two key players. The Ravens get the dangerous Haloti Ngata back from suspension, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to have to play without star running back Le'Veon Bell. The ball-carrier was a do-it-all player for Pittsburgh, and without his ability to act as a receiver out of the backfield or help in pass protection, Ngata and the Ravens defense have the advantage.

Cincinnati has been one of the league's best rushing teams over the last several weeks of the season, and bruising ball-carrier Jeremy Hill has a great matchup against the 18th-ranked run defense of the Indianapolis Colts.

Quarterback Andrew Luck has been having trouble finding a rhythm of late, and if he remains on the sidelines for an extended period of time due to Cincinnati controlling the clock, that trend will continue.

Dallas won't have it as easy as we once thought now that Ndamukong Suh's one-game suspension has been lifted, but the team's offense has been so well-rounded all season long. The Detroit Lions have a solid enough defense to limit the Cowboys' scoring drives, but it's difficult to have faith in a Lions offense that has struggled to generate points of its own of late, accumulating 20 points or less over its last three games.

Divisional Round Matchup Scenarios

Home	Away
New England Patriots	Baltimore Ravens
Denver Broncos	Cincinnati Bengals
Seattle Seahawks	Carolina Panthers
Green Bay Packers	Dallas Cowboys

With winners of the Wild Card Round picked, we can now project the matchups for the divisional round. This exercise is rather simple: The lowest seed plays the highest seed in its respective conference, leaving the two remaining squads to face off as well.

It's difficult to see the Ravens go on another run this year. The New England Patriots have been playing lights-out at Gillette Stadium this season, and their ninth-ranked offense should be good enough to contain Justin Forsett and force Joe Flacco to throw more often than Baltimore would like.

A matchup between the Bengals and Denver Broncos would be rather intriguing. Cincinnati took Peyton Manning and Co. down in Week 16, as Hill ran rampant over the Broncos defense, and the Bengals secondary picked the future Hall of Famer four times. Cincinnati certainly has the recipe for success here, but it will all come down to what kind of adjustments Denver can make.

We probably shouldn't expect too many points scored in a clash between the Panthers and Seattle Seahawks, as both defenses have been truly spectacular down the final stretch of the season. Offensively, both teams boast a quarterback capable of producing yards with his arm and legs, making this an evenly matched contest that should come down to the wire.

Speaking of intriguing matchups, a prolific Cowboys offense travels north to meet the potent Green Bay Packers in the NFC's second game. A showdown between Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo will certainly make for some captivating football, and the defense that is able to step up when it matters most will decide the outcome here.