NFL Playoffs 2018: Updated Schedule and Divisional-Round Predictions

The divisional-round matchups for the NFL playoffs are set after an entertaining quartet of wild-card games.

On Saturday, two teams that pulled off upsets, the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, will look to become road warriors against the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots, respectively.

Then on Sunday, we'll see two regular-season rematches. It will be interesting to see how the teams fare in the second go-around, as both games took place in the first half of the season when the teams looked a bit different.

Here's a look at the updated playoff schedule as well as some divisional-round predictions.

Divisional Round

Saturday, January 13

4:35 p.m. ET on NBC: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

8:15 p.m. ET on CBS: Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots

Sunday, January 14

1:05 p.m. ET on CBS: Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers

4:40 p.m. ET on Fox: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings

Conference Championships

Sunday, January 21

3 p.m. ET: AFC Championship on CBS (Lowest-seeded AFC team at highest-seeded AFC team)

6:30 p.m. ET: NFC Championship on Fox (Lowest-seeded NFC team at highest-seeded NFC team)

Super Bowl LII

Sunday, February 4

6:30 p.m. ET: AFC champion vs. NFC champion

Divisional-Round Predictions

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

The Atlanta Falcons have a big edge over the rest of the NFC playoff field in that they are the only team with significant playoff experience this decade.

Notably, they are the only NFC team remaining that has advanced past the wild-card round since 2012 (the 2011 New Orleans Saints did so thanks to a bye but lost in the divisional round).

In other words, Atlanta has three more playoff wins than the rest of the NFC teams combined since 2010. That experience should go a long way, especially in the divisional round against a Philadelphia Eagles squad that has scuffled since losing quarterback Carson Wentz to a torn ACL.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The defense is still one of the best in the business (fourth in points allowed), but the offense has not looked good when the starters have been on the field in the past two games (13 total points scored).

Look for Falcons wideout Julio Jones to have another big game in an Atlanta victory.

Pick: Falcons 27, Eagles 13

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots

According to OddsShark, the New England Patriots' look-ahead line for a hypothetical divisional-round matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs was 7.5 points.

Kansas City also beat the Pats 42-27 in the league-opening game, so the Pats are likely pleased they will be facing the Tennessee Titans, who are 13.5-point underdogs (per OddsShark), instead.

It's hard seeing the Titans being able to stop the Pats' offensive attack, which has been on fire of late thanks to the emergence of running back Dion Lewis, who has 286 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in his last four games.

Lewis is also one of the more efficient backs in the game, as he rushed for nearly five yards per carry this year.

Otherwise, Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski is a matchup nightmare for any team, and that should be the case here as well.

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Gronk finished with 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games this year and even got an unofficial day of rest as he essentially was a decoy in a target-less Week 17 game against the New York Jets.

If the Titans win, it wouldn't be the first time a double-digit underdog has won outright, but this looks like a blowout on paper.

Pick: Patriots 42, Titans 17

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers

This is the first of two divisional-round games that feature regular-season rematches. Last time around, the Jacksonville Jaguars won 30-9 thanks to five interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

This time around, Pittsburgh will likely ask quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to throw fewer than 55 times and running back Le'Veon Bell to carry the ball more than 15 barring a need to come back from a big deficit.

If Pittsburgh follows its game plan from its two playoff wins last year (in summary: give the ball to Bell as much as possible), then that could go a long way toward a win.

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Jacksonville's pass defense is the best in the business, as it allowed just 170 yards per game this year. For context, only two other teams allowed under 200, and no other team finished under 190.

However, the run defense has not fared as well, as it allows 4.3 yards per carry. Therefore, look for Bell to have a big game and lead Pittsburgh to a low-scoring win.

Pick: Pittsburgh 20, Jacksonville 10

New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings

The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings faced off in Week 1.

In that contest, Minnesota beat New Orleans 29-19 thanks to big games from quarterback Sam Bradford and wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. The Vikings led by double digits throughout the entire second half and led by 17 for much of the fourth quarter.

Case Keenum is the quarterback now after Bradford suffered a knee injury, but the team hasn't missed a beat with him under center, going 12-3 in his 15 games played.

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Although the Saints look nothing like the team that struggled to an 0-2 start, they face an uphill battle in Minneapolis. The Vikings have been stout at home this year (7-1), while New Orleans is just a .500 team on the road (4-4).

Also, the Minnesota defense is strong against the run and pass: Per Football Outsiders, they finished as the only team to rank top five in run-defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and pass-defense DVOA.

Expect a closer game this time around, but Minnesota should hold on for the win.

Pick: Minnesota 24, New Orleans 16