NFL Playoffs 2018: Predictions for AFC, NFC Seeds and Matchups Before Week 17

Even with all but one division and first-round bye apiece locked down, the NFL regular season's final Sunday will cram multiple meaningful matchups into one window.

Week 17's schedule eschews the typical evening affairs. Nine games—all but one of which carry some postseason implications—will commence at 4:25 p.m ET. The jammed slate features six teams fighting for three wild-card bids and the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers each hoping to secure the NFC South.

Teams needing help to make the playoffs will have to multitask or avoid scoreboard-watching altogether. The Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons, meanwhile, need only focus on ending their late-afternoon tilts with victories.

Let's look at the playoff picture entering Week 17 before breaking down the last Sunday and predicting each conference's postseason bracket.

NFL Playoff Picture

AFC 

1. New England Patriots (12-3, Week 17 vs. NYJ)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3, vs. CLE)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5, at TEN)

4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-6, at DEN)

5. Baltimore Ravens (9-6, vs. CIN)

6. Tennessee Titans (8-7, vs. JAC)

In the Hunt

7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-7, vs. OAK)

8. Buffalo Bills (8-7, at MIA)

NFC

1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-2, vs. DAL)

2. Minnesota Vikings (12-3, vs. CHI)

3. Los Angeles Rams (11-4, vs. SF)

4. New Orleans Saints (11-4, at TB)

5. Carolina Panthers (11-4, at ATL)

6. Atlanta Falcons (9-6, vs. CAR)

In the Hunt

7. Seattle Seahawks (9-6, vs. ARI)

Both AFC Wild-Card Spots Up for Grabs

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Baltimore and Tennessee have simple win-and-in postseason paths. The former should at least take one AFC wild-card spot off the table.

A dreadful offense for most of 2017, the Ravens have won five of their past six games by scoring 178 points. Because of a defense that has notched three shutouts, they rank No. 7 in Football Outsiders' Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA).

Their first shutout came in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, whom they host to close the regular season. Cincinnati places No. 24 in offensive DVOA and is averaging 15.6 points per game against opponents beside the Cleveland Browns.

While the Bengals showed a pulse by snapping a three-game losing streak on Christmas Eve, they are still long shots to derail their AFC North foe's playoff aspirations. OddsShark shows bookmakers have the Ravens as 9.5-point favorites to wrap up the No. 5 seed, which would set up a first-round date at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The sixth seed can create more chaos. Saddled with a three-game losing streak and minus-27 point differential, Tennessee does not merit the same trust to handle business at home. If it falters, the Buffalo Bills or Los Angeles Chargers can steal its playoff invitation.

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The New York Times' NFL Playoff Machine gives Tennessee a 60 percent probability of preserving a postseason ticket. Those odds would be too high if the 10-5 Jacksonville Jaguars were not buckled into the AFC's No. 3 seed following Week 16's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

There's hope, however, for the Chargers and Bills. During Wednesday's press conference, Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said he intends to play his starters. In addition to bouncing back from the defeat to the 49ers, he hopes to redeem Week 2's 37-16 beating by Tennessee.

"I want to see a lot of things," Marrone said. "I want to see how we respond to last week. I want to see how we respond from the second week of the season. I want to see where we're going."

As long as their starters see meaningful snaps, Jacksonville's NFL-best passing defense will stifle a disappointing Marcus Mariota. That might be a mistake, as it would open the door for a tougher Wild Card Weekend opponent.

After picking off Nathan Peterman five times before Buffalo returned to Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. With a Titans loss, the Chargers would snatch the final spot by beating the Oakland Raiders at home, where they have won their past four games by a combined 77 points.

While opponents have outscored the Bills by 63 points, the Chargers brandish the same differential, just with a positive margin. The most deserving candidate of the 8-7 trio returns to the playoffs with a possibly costly assist from Jacksonville.

Predicted AFC Bracket: 1) New England Patriots; 2) Pittsburgh Steelers; 3) Jacksonville Jaguars; 4) Kansas City Chiefs; 5) Baltimore Ravens; 6) Los Angeles Chargers.

Sorting out NFC South

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Every division beside the NFC South has declared a winner. The NFL might be saving the best for last, as three of the division's squads could advance beyond Sunday.

The Saints and Panthers have already punched their postseason tickets. Boasting the head-to-head tiebreaker over their fellow 11-4 foe, New Orleans can snap a three-year playoff drought by besting the 4-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As Carolina can attest, that's not a guarantee. Cam Newton needed to scoop up and score a botched snap with under a minute remaining to clinch a playoff berth at Tampa Bay's expense. The hard-luck losers have dropped the past four games by a combined 15 points.

Yet it's difficult to envision the league's second-worst defense stopping Drew Brees, Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas from claiming the South. In Week 9, the Saints averaged 6.8 yards per play in a 30-10 triumph.

A Saints win would also stow the Panthers in the No. 5 seed. While Brees and Co. knocked the Falcons out of the division hunt last time out, the defending NFC champions would return to the playoffs with a home victory over Carolina Sunday.

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OddsShark reports oddsmakers have Atlanta as 3.5-point favorites but also noted some trends in favor of Carolina. The Panthers have won 20 of their past 25 December games and have beat the spread in seven of their past nine road contests.

Per Football Outsiders, the Falcons rank No. 25 in DVOA against the run. The Panthers exploited this weakness with 201 rushing yards—led by Newton's 86—in Nov. 5's 20-17 win. In the seven ensuing games, Matt Ryan has averaged 231.6 passing yards per game with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

Look for Carolina to send Atlanta packing, which means the Seattle Seahawks can make their sixth straight postseason by defeating the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks have split their past eight games, and the 7-8 Cardinals far from represent an automatic win.

It's still a game the Seahawks should win at home with the season on the line against an opponent counting down to the offseason. That would keep Seattle in the playoff mix but in the less familiar role of a road underdog.

Predicted NFC Bracket: 1) Philadelphia Eagles; 2) Minnesota Vikings; 3) New Orleans Saints; 4) Los Angeles Rams; 5) Carolina Panthers; 6) Seattle Seahawks.