NFL Playoffs 2016: Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Final Divisional Games

Climbing the hill is tough, but it's gratifying once you get to the top.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are about to climb up a very steep hill.

Antonio Brown is officially listed as out for Sunday's divisional-round matchup in Denver against the Broncos, as Pittsburgh will be without its top playmaker and Ben Roethlisberger's favorite target.

The Steelers are dangerous at full strength, but now it's a matter of if they can keep up with a Broncos offense led by Peyton Manning.

Here's all the info you need for Sunday's divisional games, including odds and predictions.

Game	Time	TV	Total	Line
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers	1:05 p.m. ET	Fox	44	CAR -1.5
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos	4:40 p.m. ET	CBS	38.5	DEN -7.5

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

This game will be won or lost by Cam Newton.

The MVP front-runner has put the Carolina Panthers in a position to play in games like this, and dethroning the two-time NFC champions is exactly the kind of moment the Panthers envisioned when they drafted Newton No. 1 overall in 2011.

Now, the Panthers are in position to shock the world just like they did in Week 6, when Carolina went to CenturyLink Field and upset Seattle 27-23 to go 5-0 on the year.

“It was kind of at the point where your team is figuring out who it is," Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly said, per ESPN's David Newton. “For us to go out there in the fifth game of the season, in a loud stadium, a hostile environment and win the way we did it, it’s big."

What had to be more satisfying for Carolina than winning in Seattle was the fact that the Panthers didn't even play their best game. Newton completed 20 of his 36 passes for 269 yards and two interceptions, but threw the game-winning touchdown to Greg Olsen in the final seconds.

Carolina won that game by containing Marshawn Lynch, holding him to 54 yards on 17 carries. Lynch, who has not played since Nov. 15 due to an abdominal injury, declared himself ready to go for Sunday in Charlotte.

"Any time you have Marshawn, it's a great thing," said Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, per ESPN's Sheil Kapadia. "He's a great football player. Nobody really runs like him at all, and hopefully we can have him out there on the field."

Carolina's defense played well enough to win in Week 6, but this is a different Seahawks team compared to the one from a cloudy Oct. 18 afternoon in Seattle. This is a Seahawks team that won eight of its last 10 games to close the regular season and also roughed the freezing temperatures of Minnesota to win in the Wild Card Round.

If Seattle wants to win, it's going to have to make Newton beat them. This season has been based on Newton proving people wrong. Carolina was not supposed to win 15 of 16 games without Kelvin Benjamin in the lineup. The Panthers have done that, and the league's best quarterback will lead them to another monumental victory on Sunday, landing them one win away from the Super Bowl.

Carolina 28, Seattle 23

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

How much more can the Pittsburgh Steelers take?

First Le'Veon Bell, then DeAngelo Williams and now Brown. The latter two have been officially ruled out for Sunday's rematch with the Broncos, which officially makes this the most difficult game Roethlisberger has ever played.

Here's how important Brown is to Pittsburgh's offense in a nutshell: He's accumulated 38 percent of Pittsburgh's total passing yards this season. Take that away, and the majority of the other 62 percent come from Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant and Heath Miller.

The Steelers will need Roethlisberger to play at an extremely high level if they're going to make another AFC Championship Game appearance, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler:

"

The Steelers value Ben Roethlisberger most during weeks like this. They feel they have a chance every week with him under center. Go win with whatever you've got. Tom Brady and Cam Newton make it work without topflight weapons everywhere. Roethlisberger can, too. This is assuming he plays, which I'm assuming he will. Roethlisberger acknowledged he made a few throws on the receiver route tree but declined comment otherwise.

"

If the Steelers are going to win this game, defense will be the key, and the Steelers defense will need to get to Manning as early and as often as possible.

The last time Manning started a game, he completed 25 percent of his passes and threw four interceptions. He almost threw as many interceptions as he did completions. That was against the Kansas City Chiefs, who field a very good defense.

Manning won't be asked to win this game himself like he did against the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago. He led Denver to 20 second-half points by running the ball and controlling the clock. If Manning can be a game manager, Denver wins this game.

Denver also hasn't forgotten the loss it suffered to the Indianapolis Colts on its home field in the divisional round last year, and the Broncos will use that as motivation, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold:

“I think we’re more dialed in,’’ Broncos safety T.J. Ward said. “I think we’re more focused, especially after losing last year in the first round at home. We don’t want to let that happen again. We’re dialed in all the way.’’

If Brown were playing, it'd be an easy play to go with the Steelers. But the books think Brown's loss is so impactful, that the line dropped three points to make Denver 7.5-point favorites, per Odds Shark. Denver's defense can do more than enough against a banged-up Pittsburgh offense.

It won't be pretty, but the Broncos will host the AFC title game.

Denver 24, Pittsburgh 21