NFL Playoffs 2017: Updated Schedule and Divisional-Round Predictions

The preliminaries are out of the way in the NFL playoffs, and the heavyweights are about to take center stage.

The divisional round often represents the best and most exciting weekend of the NFL season, and the four matchups on the horizon have a chance to live up to past levels and perhaps surpass them.

The Atlanta Falcons have been overlooked for much of the season, and even though they clinched the NFC South title and rose to the No. 2 seed in the conference, they still have not garnered a ton of respect from football fans and aficionados.

Much of that has to do with a level of disappointment that has been associated with this team for decades. The Falcons have never won a Super Bowl and have been to the game just once in their history. In recent years, they have been known for fast starts and slow finishes, and their overall reputation probably won't change until they win it all.

The current version of the Falcons may be close to the real thing. They have played their best football down the stretch.

Quarterback Matt Ryan has had a sensational season.

Ryan, known largely for up-and-down performances himself, has completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 4,944 yards with a 38-7 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions. He is a legitimate MVP candidate.

Game	Date	Time (ET)	Point Spread	Prediction
Seattle at Atlanta	Jan. 14	4:35 p.m.	Atlanta (-4.5)	Atlanta
Houston at New England	Jan. 14	8:15 p.m.	New England (-16)	New England
Pittsburgh at Kansas City	Jan. 15	1:05 p.m.	Kansas City (-1.5)	Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Dallas	Jan. 15	4:40 p.m.	Dallas (-4)	Green Bay

The Falcons have had problems on defense for years, as they have been the kind of team that gets pushed around at the point of attack. While they regularly have enough athletic ability, they have often been smaller than many of their opponents.

This year's Falcons have shown the ability to fight back on defense, thanks largely to the pass-rush ability of Vic Beasley. He has 15.5 sacks, and his propensity for getting to the quarterback has given the Falcons a defensive identity that had been missing.

They still have issues and rank 25th in yards allowed, but they have a nasty edge.

If the Falcons want to make a run, they'll have to get by the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle won the NFC West with relative ease, but head coach Pete Carroll's team did not have a stellar season. Before beating the Detroit Lions 26-6 in the NFC Wild Card Game, the Seahawks lost a home game to the Arizona Cardinals and barely beat the San Francisco 49ers in their season finale.

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

Still, a team with Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, Bobby Wagner, Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman is capable of rising up and playing a great game. This is a group with tremendous pride and a history of accomplishment, and the team is not going to fall apart on the big stage.

It's up to the Falcons to prove they can take the next step by beating this formidable team. The Falcons are 4.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark.

Texans vs. Patriots

The New England Patriots begin their run toward a potential fifth Super Bowl title with a home game Saturday night against the Houston Texans.

It's hard to believe the Texans can keep this game close, let alone come up with the upset. The Patriots are 16-point favorites, and they have a slew of weapons in Tom Brady, LeGarrette Blount, Julian Edelman and Martellus Bennett. 

The Patriots came up with a 27-0 victory at home over the Texans with third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett leading the way, and now they have Brady back under center during a year in which he has a magnificent 28-2 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.

Steelers vs. Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers may be the most dangerous team in the postseason, and they will get a chance to prove it over the next two weeks.

Following a 30-12 first-round win over the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh's next opportunity comes against the second-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, and the Steelers are 1.5-point underdogs even though they whipped the Chiefs 43-14 in Week 4.

That game was in Pittsburgh, though, and this one will be in the noise cauldron known as Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs are a conservative team with a solid running game and Alex Smith under center, but they have developed a dangerous element in rookie Tyreek Hill, as the NFL shared:

Hill has proved to be an explosive return specialist, receiver and runner. The Chiefs will need him to be a viable threat since the Steelers have many weapons, including Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.

Packers vs. Cowboys

The Green Bay Packers won their seventh consecutive game Sunday, defeating the New York Giants 38-13 on Wild Card Weekend.

After a slow start, the Packers scored two touchdowns late in the second quarter, including a Hail Mary pass from Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb, which triggered a surge by the Green Bay offense in the second half.

The Packers will have to play their best football if they are going to upset the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys next Sunday.

The Cowboys are four-point favorites, but they are going to depend on rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott to survive and advance. That duo passed every regular-season test, but coming through in the postseason is another step they must negotiate.

All betting information courtesy of OddsShark.