NFL Playoff Picture 2017: AFC, NFC Brackets, Odds, Scenarios and Picks

The divisional round of the NFL playoffs begins Saturday when the Seattle Seahawks face the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome at 4:35 p.m. ET.

Let's take a look at the playoff bracket as well as the latest odds and scenarios, and we'll offer some picks for the games, with a focus on how Friday's (and early Saturday's) news might affect the outcomes.

NFL Bracket

Divisional Playoff Point Spreads and Predictions

Game	Date, Time (ET)	Point Spread	Prediction	Next Opponent
Seattle at Atlanta	Jan. 14, 4:35 p.m.	Atlanta (-6)	Atlanta, 30-20	If Seattle wins—at Dallas or vs. Green Bay; if Atlanta wins—at Dallas or vs. Green Bay
Houston at New England	Jan. 14, 8:15 p.m.	New England (-15)	New England, 31-10	If Houston wins—at Pittsburgh or at Kansas City; if New England wins—vs. Pittsburgh or Kansas City
Green Bay at Dallas	Jan. 15, 4:40 p.m.	Dallas (-4.5)	Dallas, 27-24	If Green Bay wins—at Atlanta or at Seattle; if Dallas wins, vs. Atlanta or vs. Seattle
Pittsburgh at Kansas City	Jan. 15, 8:20 p.m.	Kansas City (-1.5)	Kansas City, 20-17	If Pittsburgh wins—vs. Houston or at New England; if Kansas City wins—vs. Houston or at New England

Spread information courtesy of OddsShark.

Seattle at Atlanta

Gregg Bell of the News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) wrote about running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed seven weeks with a shoulder injury.

"

As we discussed all week -- including this morning on KJR AM radio's "Mitch in the Morning" show back in Seattle -- I'm sensing the rookie third-round draft choice will play for the first time since he broke his scapula during the win over Philadelphia on Nov. 20.

He was a full participant in practice on Thursday, which coach Pete Carroll called "a good sign." Carroll said the decision whether Prosise will play will come on game day. But the only way to test the health of his shoulder blade would be in a game; he wore a no-contact jersey all week in practice, but the team doesn't hit in practices, anyway.

"

Prosise, who gained 153 yards in a Sunday Night Football win over New England on November 13, could be the game-breaker the Seahawks need to pull off the upset.

Seattle does not match up well with Atlanta. Its offensive line has struggled all season, and the Falcons have one of the best pass-rushers in football in Vic Beasley, who accrued 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.

Furthermore, the Seahawks pass defense isn't the same without safety Earl Thomas, who is on injured reserve. The Falcons, who scored the most points in the NFL this season, can take advantage of Thomas' absence in the secondary.

But Prosise could be the secret weapon if he can go. He showed great rushing and pass-catching abilities in his last two games and could break off a big play or two out of the backfield to give Seattle a needed offensive boost.

The pick right now is 30-20 with Prosise's availability still unofficial at this time, but if he is active and in the game as anything more than a decoy, this game could go down to the wire.

Houston at New England

Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reported the following Saturday morning:

Malcolm Mitchell broke out during a four-game late-season stretch this year, catching 21 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns. His loss won't be insignificant.

However, the Patriots still have Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback in the history of football, Bill Belichick, arguably the best head coach in the history of football, and a bevy of running backs and pass-catchers to beat the Texans defense.

On defense, the Patriots can feel confident knowing they shut out the Texans 27-0 during a Week 3 Thursday Night Football contest in which Houston did not even cross the Patriots' 35-yard line.

Crazier upsets have happened (see: Super Bowl III, Miracle on Ice), but the path to victory for Houston isn't revealing itself. The Pats should win this game easily.

Pittsburgh at Kansas City

The NFL announced this AFC Divisional Round matchup, which was previously scheduled for 1:05 p.m. on Sunday, has been moved to 8:20 p.m. on the same day due to an ice storm that is moving into Kansas City on Sunday morning. The storm should be over by afternoon's end (and kickoff).

This switch shouldn't benefit either team, as both are playing under the same set of circumstances. Furthermore, there are no surprises on the injury reports in the last 24 hours.

On the field, the Chiefs have a big advantage in the special teams phase. The Steelers' unit is playing bad football, while Kansas City has Tyreek Hill (three return touchdowns) and a special teams crew that ranked second in the league, per Football Outsiders.

The Sports Xchange (h/t United Press International) wrote more about how poorly the Steelers' special teams played, even in a 30-12 blowout of the Miami Dolphins last Sunday in a wild-card matchup.

"Pittsburgh's special teams are a mess. The starting field position for their first three drives was as follows: 15-, 10- and 17-yard lines. ... The special teams have been a problem all season, and coach Mike Tomlin doesn't appear to have any answers."

The special teams gap will prove to be the difference in a close Chiefs win.

Green Bay at Dallas

The Packers officially ruled out wide receiver Jordy Nelson for Sunday's game after he suffered a rib injury the previous weekend against the New York Giants.

That was to be expected, as Nelson did not practice all week and was assumed to be out for the Dallas game before the official announcement.

Nelson is a big loss. The Packers may have done fine without him for most of the game last week in a 38-13 win over the Giants, but Nelson caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. That production can't be replaced overnight.

ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reported this news about cornerback Quinten Rollins:

Rollins' return could be huge for a Packers secondary that could use more depth.

In Dallas, everyone with a listed injury practiced Friday and should be good to go for Sunday's game.

This matchup will come down to the Packers' ability to stuff the Dallas running game. That's a tall task considering the Packers gave up 157 rushing yards to Ezekiel Elliott the last time these two teams played, which resulted in a 30-16 win for the Cowboys at Lambeau Field.

Now the game is in Arlington, Texas, wide receiver Dez Bryant (who missed the Packers game) is back, and Nelson (who played in that regular-season contest) is out. Those three big edges all go to Dallas.

Aaron Rodgers is playing so well right now (22 touchdowns, no interceptions in his last eight games) that it's impossible to count the Packers out, though, so take Dallas to win in a competitive, close contest.