NFL Playoffs 2015: Analyzing Odds and Bracket Scenarios Before Divisional Round

The 2015 NFL playoffs bracket is the perfect balance of quantity and quality that would make even March Madness blush.

While the divisional round appears promising, look at the potential scenarios ahead—such as another fateful Peyton Manning-Tom Brady standoff and the Green Bay Packers potentially getting down and dirty with the Seattle Seahawks.

Of course, teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers (see, even a team with a losing record is competitive, says the NFL) have to play along to help birth the most attractive matchups possible. 

About that. Las Vegas continues to shift lines as bets and news roll in, so be sure to understand the latest happenings as the bracket nears its conclusion.

2015 NFL Divisional Round Schedule and Predictions

AFC Matchup	Date/Time (ET)	TV	Spread	Pick ATS	Reason
NFC Matchup
Baltimore at New England	Sat., Jan. 10 at 4:35 p.m.	NBC	NE -7	NE	Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have had plenty of time to prepare, not to mention tout a top-10 run defense.
Indianapolis at Denver	Sun., Jan. 11 at 4:40 p.m.	CBS	DEN -7	DEN	See analysis below.
Carolina at Seattle	Sat., Jan. 10 at 8:15 p.m.	Fox	SEA -11	CAR	These two played to a 13-9 result in favor of Seattle this season. Expect a similar result, as the Panthers have no answer for Marshawn Lynch.
Dallas at Green Bay	Sun., Jan. 11 at 1:05 p.m.	Fox	GB -6.5	GB	See analysis below.

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and accurate as of 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 8.

Updated Predictions

Luck Is Not Enough

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

It is quite amazing what Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck does each week given the lack of talent around him. 

Backing Luck is a spotty pass defense, an 18th-ranked rush defense and a rushing attack that hardly averages more than 100 yards per game. The team's leading rusher is Trent Richardson, who touts a 3.3 per-carry average and hardly saw the field in the Wild Card Round.

Yet Luck's team is 11-5 and through to the divisional round, and he owns 4,761 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He turns up his game—or the staff leans even more on him to make up for weaknesses—in the postseason, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Luck's head is in the right place, though. While the media focuses on the quarterback vs. quarterback narrative, his mind is on the task, per STATS LLC (via ESPN.com):

"

It's not the quarterback versus quarterback thing. We're not on the field at the same time. I have a lot of respect for (Manning), what he does, what he still does is amazing. He's a stud. I'll worry about the Denver defense, that's what I worry about.

"

The only problem for Luck? He has been down this road before. He opened the season in Denver and threw a ridiculous 53 times, gaining 370 yards but also tossing a pair of touchdowns and interceptions. His complementary rushing attack gained just 54 yards and a score, with 19 and the trip to paydirt coming from Luck.

The rematch is not very different on paper. Manning has struggled as of late, feeding nonsensical cold-weather narratives. The ground game is on fire, though, led by C.J. Anderson's seven rushing touchdowns over the course of his last four outings.

That ground game, paired with Denver's ninth-ranked pass defense and top-two rank against the rush, will funnel Luck into a predictable attack that births a predictable result.

Until the front office surrounds Luck with more quality, the buck will stop in this area for the Colts each year.

Prediction: Broncos 28, Colts 20 

The Green Bay Rush Proves Critical 

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Look at what the Cowboys did for Tony Romo this year.

Romo went from attempting 535 passes in 2013 to just 435 this year. His completion percentage is six points higher, he has thrown more touchdowns and fewer interceptions and his yards-per-attempt number has leaped by more than a full yard.

Much of this has to do with a defense that ranks in the top eight against the rush. It helps that DeMarco Murray finally shook off the injury bug and ran for 1,845 yards and 13 scores.

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

One area in which the Cowboys still struggle is up front. Just last week, Romo was sacked an unacceptable six times in a four-point win against the Detroit Lions.

Cue Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers. The former owns 11 sacks on the year to the latter's seven to help along a unit that notched 41 total. For Matthews, Sunday is a chance for his unit to show what it is about, as captured by FoxSports.com's Paul Imig:

"

Well, how can we beat them with that right there? We'll be all right. You've got to pick and choose who to take away. Obviously Dez is going to be a No. 1 concern out there. You look at his production throughout the year. DeMarco Murray leading the league in rushing, as well as Romo arguably having his best year.

It presents a challenge, but I think we're all up for it. We're ready for it to showcase this defense and what we're about.

"

What gets lost in the hype of Green Bay's rush is its subsequent stellar pass defense, which ranks 10th in the league. In a division that forces the unit to encounter Calvin Johnson twice a year (it held him to less than 100 yards in both matchups, too), the secondary figures to at the very least contain Dez Bryant.

Aaron Rodgers will play with an injury Sunday, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, so the defense's ability to hold its own becomes more pertinent than before.

Pair a great rush against a weak line and the almighty home-field advantage, and it is difficult not to pick the Packers. The Cowboys needed a dash of luck last week to get to this point, but in one of the league's most hostile environments, it will take a miracle to move past Green Bay.

Prediction: Packers 36, Cowboys 27

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