NFL Playoff Picks 2015: Highlighting Odds, Predictions for Divisional Round

Say sayonara to the pretenders as the NFL Divisional Round approaches.

One can argue that each of the remaining teams is more than capable of running the table. Some will perhaps point out the Indianapolis Colts as a weak link, but go ahead and place money against Andrew Luck if that is the case.

Others will point to the team with the losing record, the Carolina Panthers. Have fun looking silly, though, as Cam Newton is a man possessed a few weeks from a scary car accident, and the team has plenty of strong showings against top teams on its resume.

The divisional round sometimes provides a few clunkers. This time, though, all matchups have a competitive aura.

Who needs a playoff expansion?

2015 NFL Divisional Round Schedule and Predictions

AFC Matchup	Date/Time (ET)	TV	Spread	Pick ATS	Reason
Baltimore at New England	Sat, Jan. 10 at 4:35 p.m.	NBC	NE -7	NE	See analysis below.
Indianapolis at Denver	Sun, Jan. 11 at 4:40 p.m.	CBS	DEN -7	DEN	Even if Peyton Manning struggles, Denver's ability to run the ball and Indianapolis' lack thereof will be the difference.
NFC Matchup
Carolina at Seattle	Sat, Jan. 10 at 8:15 p.m.	Fox	SEA -11	CAR	See analysis below.
Dallas at Green Bay	Sun, Jan. 11 at 1:05 p.m.	Fox	GB -6	GB	Aaron Rodgers is too hot at home, and the Green Bay rush will decimate a struggling Dallas offensive line.

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and accurate as of 9 a.m. ET on Jan. 7. 

Divisional-Round Odds Advice

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

Don Wright/Associated Press

Oh, this again.

Here are the Baltimore Ravens out of the AFC North, equipped with a solid defense and a top-10 rushing attack. There they go to Foxborough to take on a guy named Tom Brady, who leads a top passing attack and is backed by a deceptively sound defense.

All things equal, this is the toughest matchup to decide when it comes to odds. Las Vegas seems to like the Patriots, but history would like a chat, as NFL on ESPN illustrates:

Times change, though.

Baltimore is a good team. The defense ranks fourth against the rush. Justin Forsett is one of the league's top surprises thanks to 1,266 yards and eight scores as the starting rusher. Underrated yet again, Joe Flacco touts a 62.1 completion percentage and 3,986 yards, 27 scores and 12 interceptions, good numbers even for him in a league that inflates stats.

Cut and dry—New England is just better.

Brady completes 64.1 percent of his passes. He takes care of the football, having thrown 33 scores to nine picks. His offense will have few issues moving the ball against a Baltimore defense that ranks 23rd against the pass, much as it did in a 41-7 throttling of these same Ravens in December 2013.

The cliche "everyone is on equal footing" talk now that the postseason is here is true to an extent. But the Ravens won three of their last four to back into the playoffs because of contests against the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns—then got to play a Pittsburgh Steelers team without its best player.

Bill Belichick and Brady have had ample time to prepare for this matchup, which is bad news for any opponent.

Prediction: Patriots 28, Ravens 17

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Don't get cute.

The Seattle Seahawks are the defending champions and have turned things on as of late with six consecutive wins to close the season.

This current line is too large, though, especially if one takes the time to remember that Seattle hit the road to Carolina in Week 8 and hardly escaped with a 13-9 victory.

Yes, Carolina is the road team this time around. This time, the Carolina defense is, well, good, and last time, it held Russell Wilson to 199 yards with a touchdown and a pick, while Marshawn Lynch found room for just 62 yards.

A tad stranger was the fact Jonathan Stewart, who is healthy and just ran for 123 yards and a score in the Wild Card Round against the Arizona Cardinals' 13th-ranked run defense, gashed the Seahawks for 79 yards. Richard Sherman and the so-called Legion of Boom struggled to contain rookie wideout Kelvin Benjamin, too, as he caught four passes for 94 yards.

"We had a lot of new guys early on who had to get accustomed to each other," linebacker Luke Kuechly said, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "Now we're all together and communicating—and that's huge."

All of the above accounted for, do not take Newton and the Panthers outright. 

For one, the Seattle secondary is healthier this time around, as Pro Football Focus' Mike Clay points out:

Two, the Seahawks are nearly as impregnable as the United States itself at home, going 24-2 at CenturyLink Field since the beginning of 2012.

Newton is on fire, and his defense is suddenly in 2013 form. So are these Seahawks, though, so at home and on a six-game tear prior to an extra week of rest, look for Lynch and the Seahawks to fend off the Panthers.

Prediction: Seahawks 24, Panthers 20

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).