NFL Playoffs 2018: Schedule, Odds and Picks for Final Wild-Card Matchups

Sometimes, stats can foreshadow how a game might play out. For example, the Tennessee Titans allowed 59.7 yards per game to tight ends this season, which ranked seventh-worst in the NFL per Football Outsiders.

They played (and beat) the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round, but Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in one half before suffering a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit from safety Johnathan Cyprien.

Sometimes, however, the stats and eventual results don't match up for whatever reason. For example, the Los Angeles Rams averaged a league-best 29.9 points per game this year and played in the wild-card round against the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta gave up 19.8 points per game this year (eighth-best in the NFL), but it impressively shut the Rams down in a 26-13 victory.

We'll take a look a three important statistics below for Sunday's games in addition to providing spreads and over/under totals (via OddsShark) and picks.

Wild-Card Sunday Schedule and TV Coverage

1:05 p.m. ET on CBS: No. 6 Buffalo Bills at No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars (-8.5, 39.5 O/U)

4:40 p.m. ET on Fox: No. 5 Carolina Panthers at No. 4 New Orleans Saints (-7, 47.5 O/U)

Wild-Card Picks

Jaguars 30, Bills 13

Saints 24, Panthers 16

3 Key Stats

3.3: LeSean McCoy Yards Per Carry on the Road (Pro Football Reference)

For whatever reason, Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy just hasn't been able to get it going on the road.

He's near-unstoppable at home, as he rushed for 4.5 yards per carry in New Era Stadium this year in addition to scoring six touchdowns. However, his road woes persisted all year aside from games against the Los Angeles Chargers (126 yards from scrimmage) and the New England Patriots (147).

Oddly enough, McCoy's home-road splits have persisted on and off throughout his three-year career in Buffalo. In 2015, McCoy rushed for 5.2 yards per carry at home compared to 3.9 on the road. Things much improved in 2016 (5.76 at home and 5.02 on the road), but the gap was still there.

McCoy is one of the better running backs in the game, and this isn't to say that he's a bad road performer for whatever reason. It may just be bad luck or a product of the Bills playing behind more often on the road. Also, New Era Stadium provides a solid home-field advantage, so it makes sense as to why he would do better there.

However, the splits are noticeable as McCoy heads into a road contest with Jacksonville.

7.3: Panthers' Adjusted Passing Yards Allowed Per Attempt (Pro Football Reference)

Although the Carolina Panthers have done well stopping the run and rushing the passer this year, they've allowed some big plays through the air, especially in the second half of the season.

That could bode well for Saints receivers Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. Thomas scored a touchdown in each of his games against Carolina this year, while Ginn scored on a 40-yard bomb from quarterback Drew Brees.

Carolina's issue is that New Orleans has a ton of weapons all over the field. If you key on stopping running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, then you become more susceptible to a player like Ginn taking the top off the defense.

But if you look to stop Ginn from beating you, then Ingram and Kamara can slowly win with chunks of yardage at a time, as they did against Buffalo when their team nearly eclipsed 300 rushing yards in a 47-10 win.

We'll see how this plays out Sunday, but the Panthers' pass defense could be in trouble against the explosive Saints offense.

6-1: Saints' 2017 Home Record

One of the most incredible moments in NFL history occurred during the Saints' first game in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. In a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans' Steve Gleason blocked a punt  that was scooped up by cornerback Curtis Deloatch and returned for a game-opening touchdown.

What's most memorable about that play was how loud the fans were in the moments following the punt, so much so that the game's announcers didn't talk for a minute so the home audience could take in the scene.

It was the case then, and it is now: Saints fans can get raucous and give any fanbase a run for their money as the best in the league.

If New Orleans, who went 6-1 at home this year (their eighth "home" game was in London), gets off to a hot start against Carolina, then the Panthers will have to overcome a wave of momentum caused by well over 70,000 screaming fans.

That's a hard task for any team, but it will be especially difficult for Carolina, who has not matched up well with New Orleans in two losses this year by a combined 31 points.