NFL Playoff Picks 2015: Odds and Over-Under Predictions for Postseason Games

For the players, coaches and fans of the remaining eight teams in the NFL playoffs, winning is all that matters.

However, there are plenty of football fans who have already seen their teams eliminated from Super Bowl contention but would like to have some type of rooting interest in Saturday’s and Sunday’s games. That is where the point spreads and over-under lines come into play.

With that in mind, here is a look at the latest odds and over-under lines for the divisional-round games. Point spreads and over-under lines are courtesy of Odds Shark as of Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.

Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV	Point Spread	Prediction ATS	Over-Under	Over-Under Prediction
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots	Saturday, Jan. 10	4:35 p.m.	NBC	NE -6.5	Patriots	47.5	Over
Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks	Saturday, Jan. 10	8:15 p.m.	Fox	SEA -10.5	Panthers with the points	39.5	Under
Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers	Sunday, Jan. 11	1:05 p.m.	Fox	GB -6	Packers	53	Over
Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos	Sunday, Jan. 11	4:40 p.m.	CBS	DEN -7	Broncos	54	Over

Take the Over: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos

The matchup between the Indianapolis Colts defense and the Denver Broncos offense is the exact type of pairing you should look for when betting on the over-unders.

The Colts were 19th in the NFL in scoring defense, while Denver’s offense was second in scoring. That combination alone means we should be in for plenty of points from the Denver side of things. 

It goes beyond just the raw scoring numbers, though. The Colts are a measly 18th in the league in stopping the run, and Broncos running back C.J. Anderson has been one of the best players in the entire NFL down the stretch, as Louis Riddick of ESPN noted:

If the Colts have to devote an extra man to the box to stop Anderson, that will open things up for Peyton Manning and the Broncos' lethal passing attack. Denver was fourth in the league in passing yards and should have the full arsenal of Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders available for the game.

On the other side, Denver’s defense was impressive against both the pass (ninth in the league) and the run (second in the league) this season, but it was only 16th in scoring. That is partially a function of being on the field more because the Broncos offense scores quickly on a number of drives, but the defense is susceptible to giving up points.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne and Coby Fleener spearheaded the NFL’s top passing offense, so the Colts will crack the scoreboard against Denver as well. Indianapolis will rely on that passing attack all game, especially if the Broncos take an early lead behind Anderson. 

With Manning and Luck at the helm, you should take the over.

Take the Under: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

If the matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks is anything like the regular-season game these two teams played, the under is a safe bet.

Seattle won in Week 8 to the tune of 13-9 and scored the game’s only touchdown in the final minute. It followed a disturbing pattern for Panthers fans considering quarterback Cam Newton has engineered a touchdown drive only once in the last 28 possessions against the Seahawks.

Seattle’s defense was the best unit in the league and finished No. 1 in yards allowed, No. 1 in scoring defense, No. 1 against the pass and No. 3 against the run. The Seahawks have also held every opponent but one to seven points or fewer since Week 11, which is a terrifying prospect for a Carolina offense that was only 19th in the league in scoring.

Plus, there is the crowd factor in Seattle that the Panthers offense has to deal with, as Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman addressed, via Terry Blount of ESPN.com:

"

Unnerving. If you've never been or played here, people can tell you a lot of things about how loud and disruptive it is. But until you get out there in a crucial part of the game and you can't hear, you can't communicate, you can't talk, and you still have to play at a high level, then there's really no way to feel or experience it.

"

On the other side, the Panthers have a formidable defense of their own with Luke Kuechly leading the way. Carolina held Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson to 97 combined rushing yards in the regular-season matchup and has only allowed 59 points in the last six games. 

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

This game will feature two red-hot defenses and offenses that rely on the running game, which will keep the clock ticking and the scoring opportunities down. Take the under.

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