NFL Playoffs 2016: Schedule, Predictions and Odds for Divisional Round

After a Wild Card Weekend that saw every road team claim a victory, the path gets harder for the lower-seeded squads that now have to travel and play teams that not only have home-field advantage, but an extra week of rest to heal injured players.

Playing at home certainly doesn't guarantee a victory, but the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos are all stiffer challenges for the wild-card teams whose opposing quarterbacks had a combined zero postseason starts heading into last weekend.

That being said, expect at least one underdog to win this weekend in the divisional round in what should produce plenty of drama en route to Super Bowl 50.

Let's take a look at the divisional-round schedule, odds (per Odds Shark) and some predictions as to which teams will be moving on to their respective conference championship games.

(5) Kansas City Chiefs at (2) New England Patriots (-5)

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't lost since the Kansas City Royals won the World Series in early November. However, they are still sizable underdogs heading into Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots. 

New England has won six of its past seven home playoff games, and the Chiefs come into the matchup banged up. They already lost Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles for the season five games in and could be without star linebacker Justin Houston and No. 1 wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, as both are game-time decisions.

The Patriots aren't 100 percent healthy either. Quarterback Tom Brady is nursing an ankle injury, All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski has been dealing with knee and back injuries, and wide receiver Julian Edelman is playing his first game since mid-November.

However, it's the defensive side of the ball that makes me think the Chiefs will win this one. Not only did they allow a minuscule 17.4 points per game this season, but they also cover the middle of the field—a place where Brady and his pass-catchers thrive—extremely well, per ESPN.com.

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Tom Brady has thrown 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions on passes between the painted numbers this season. It’s one of his favorite areas in which to target Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.

But during this 11-game Chiefs winning streak, Kansas City’s defense has sealed off the middle of the field.

The Chiefs have allowed three touchdowns but made 18 interceptions on throws inside the painted numbers since Week 7 (including last week’s win). No other team has even 15 interceptions in that span.

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Not only that, but Kansas City has recently shut down some talented tight ends. If Gronkowski does not have a good game, the Patriots could be in trouble.

Date	Player	Targets	Receptions	Yards	TDs
Oct. 4, 2015	Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals	4	3	69	0
Oct. 11, 2015	Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears	11	4	32	0
Nov. 22, 2015	Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers	3	1	6	0
Dec, 13, 2015	Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers	8	6	76	0
Sept. 29, 2014	Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots	3	2	31	1

Even though an off game for Gronkowski against the Chiefs came in Week 2 of last year, it's notable because Kansas City has a lot of the same personnel, in addition to Derrick Johnson and Eric Berry, who did not play, and the outstanding rookie cornerback Marcus Peters, who was still in college.

The lack of a running game, unless Steven Jackson somehow thinks its 2006 and runs wild for New England, will force the Pats to rely on the pass, something the Chiefs excel in defending.

Look for Kansas City's defense, which shut out the Houston Texans last week, to either score a defensive touchdown or make a big play that sets one up and do just enough to pull off the upset.

Prediction: Kansas City wins, 24-20.

(5) Green Bay Packers at (2) Arizona Cardinals (-7)

Crazy things can happen in the NFL playoffs, but sometimes the games play out to script. Even though quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers found some offense in a wild-card win over Washington, the 35 points were the most they scored since Week 3.

Arizona, on the other hand, although coming off a subpar Week 17 game, has the NFL's second-highest scoring offense and just obliterated the Packers, 38-8, in Week 16.

The veteran Rodgers isn't going to let that happen again, but he also can't play defense. The Packers defense was solid the second half of the season (18.8 PPG), but it gave up 75 points in games played against the top-two scoring teams in the Panthers and Cardinals.

Arizona is going to throw too many weapons at Green Bay, including quarterback Carson Palmer (4,671 yards, 35 TDs) running back David Johnson (88.4 YPG, 5 total TDs past five games) and a trio of star wide receivers in Larry Fitzgerald (109 receptions, 1,215 yards, 9 TDs), John Brown (65, 1,003, 7) and Michael Floyd (52, 849, 6).

Sometimes the numbers speak for themselves, and while Rodgers helped will his team to a victory against an inexperienced and less-talented Washington team, without a healthy running game and a wide receiver corps not as strong as in years past, it's not going to be enough to stop a Cardinals team that has the making of a Super Bowl champion.

Prediction: Arizona wins, 34-21.

(6) Seattle Seahawks at (1) Carolina Panthers (-2.5)

If you automatically count out the Seattle Seahawks, it would be a mistake. The two-time defending NFC champions dug out of a 2-4 hole to not only claim a playoff spot, but lead the NFL in fewest points allowed for the fourth straight season, per NFL on ESPN:

Seattle also has a quarterback who could win MVP—if not for Carolina's Cam Newton—in Russell Wilson and a coach who already has a Super Bowl win under his belt.

Yet, the Panthers will win this game.

Carolina can post some pretty impressive defensive numbers as well—19.3 points per game—and it had the largest scoring differential in the NFL at plus-11.9. 

Sure, the experience edge goes to the Seahawks, but Carolina went up to Seattle in Week 6 and came away with a 27-23 victory after Newton led his team to a fourth-quarter comeback.

Newton has been in the playoffs the past two years and has one win to his name. However, he also has two losses, which means it's more important than ever for him to prove he can win big games in the NFL.

Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner knows Newton will be key to a Panthers victory, per David Scott of the Charlotte Observer.

“I expect the ball to be in his hands,” Wagner said. “Everybody is trying to make it to the Super Bowl now and playmakers want the ball in their hands. He’s a playmaker for that team, so he’ll have the ball, whether he’s throwing it or running it."

He did a lot of running and throwing in the Week 6 win, combining for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Seattle did intercept him twice, but a solid Panther defense also helped preserve the win.

Although the weather in Seattle's wild-card matchup against the Minnesota Vikings was horrific, the Seahawks won a 10-9 game that, quite frankly, would have been a loss had Blair Walsh not shanked a 27-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining.

The Seahawks did not have to go on the road at all in the playoffs during their Super Bowl appearances, and expect the run to end here against one of the most balanced teams in the NFL. They'll make it close, but Newton and the Panthers will prove they are for real.

Prediction: Carolina wins, 22-16.

(6) Pittsburgh Steelers at (1) Denver Broncos (-7)

If you like defense, grab some popcorn, find a seat on the couch and watch the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Broncos.

When healthy, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are one of the most potent offenses in the league. Wide receiver Antonio Brown is arguably the best in the NFL, and DeAngelo Williams has filled in better than anyone expected for injured running back Le'Veon Bell.

The problem is all three may not play. Williams missed the wild-card game against the Cincinnati Bengals with an ankle injury, Brown left the game late with a concussion and Roethlisberger was injured on a sack and currently has a separated throwing shoulder.

It's not promising for Pittsburgh, but the Steelers still seem to find ways to win. Yet, these injuries make Denver's quarterback situation look like a walk in the park.

The season began with the Broncos winning in spite of future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning leading the league in interceptions. They started 7-1 before he was injured in a Week 10 loss to the Chiefs, and he did not play again until backup Brock Osweiler was injured in a Week 17 victory against the San Diego Chargers.

Head coach Gary Kubiak already has named Manning the starter, but that might not be comforting to Broncos fans.

Player	GP	Completion %	Yards	TD	INT
Peyton Manning	10	59.8	2.249	9	17
Brock Osweiler	8	61.8	1,967	10	6

This was the first year Osweiler saw any kind of real-game action, and he showed it at times running into sacks and making poor decisions. However, he has arguably been the better quarterback and has certainly done a better job of holding onto the ball.

While both offenses are struggling, this game is going to come down to which defense makes more plays, and that likely will be the Broncos.

Denver led the NFL with 52 sacks and was tied for first with four defensive touchdowns and 25 forced fumbles. It's a defense that makes plays and has helped mask a weak offense all season.

If Roethlisberger, Williams and Brown turn into Landry Jones, Fitzgerald Toussaint and Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh is going to struggle to score. Even if any of the three can go, the likelihood of the trio being at full strength is low, which plays right into the Broncos' hands. 

Prediction: Denver wins, 17-13.