Super Bowl 2018: Updated Odds and Predictions Ahead of AFC, NFC Championships

The Philadelphia Eagles finished last season with a 7-9 record. The Minnesota Vikings started 5-0 but fell to 8-8. The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled all year and went 3-13.

This season, the Eagles lost their starting quarterback to a torn ACL in Week 14. The Vikings lost their starting quarterback to a knee injury in Week 1. The Jaguars lost their No. 1 wide receiver to a torn ACL in Week 1.

Given last year's performances and this year's injuries, it's shocking to see these three teams still standing in the conference championship round, but they have earned their way into the field thanks largely to excellent defensive efforts and some key skill-position players improving this year.

The fourth team remaining is the New England Patriots, who have made the playoffs 15 of the last 17 seasons and won five Super Bowls during that span. They are the clear favorite to win their sixth, but do any of the teams left have what it takes to beat them?

We'll find out soon enough, but until then, here's a look at the latest schedule and odds (via OddsShark) as well as picks for how the rest of the playoffs will shake out.

Conference Championship Schedule and Odds

Sunday, January 21, at 3 p.m. ET on CBS: Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots (-9.5, 46.5 O/U)

Sunday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox: Minnesota Vikings (-3.5, 38 O/U) at Philadelphia Eagles

Latest Super Bowl Odds (per OddsShark)

New England Patriots: 6-5

Minnesota Vikings: 7-4

Philadelphia Eagles: 7-1

Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-1

AFC Championship

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles' stat line wasn't particularly impressive against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (14-for-26, 214 yards, one touchdown), but he made some fantastic throws when his team needed him the most.

Notably, he dropped a 45-yard pass in a bucket to deep threat Keelan Cole that set up running back Leonard Fournette's touchdown to open the scoring in the fourth quarter.

Although Fournette, who amassed 25 carries for 104 yards and three touchdowns, is the focal point of the offense, Bortles' play is the X-factor. Even if the run game is successful against New England on Sunday, the fourth-year pro needs to limit mistakes and keep the chains moving with third-down throws as he did often against the Steelers.

Bortles is much improved from last year, as his completion rate, touchdown percentage, yards per attempt and quarterback rating all made leaps. If he plays in the AFC Championship like he did on Sunday, then the Jags have a shot. However, if the passing offense resembles what it did in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans and the wild-card matchup versus the Buffalo Bills, then this could turn into the blowout.

The guess here is that the result is somewhere in the middle. Look for this game to be competitive for four quarters, but the Pats will pull away late.

Pick: Patriots 27, Jaguars 16

NFC Championship

The Philadelphia Eagles' final point total from Saturday night (15) is a bit of a red herring as far as how well the offense actually performed against the Atlanta Falcons.

Philadelphia was successful punching the ball between the tackles with running back Jay Ajayi, who started the game with seven carries for 49 yards. Although he did lose a fumble on the Eagles' first drive, Ajayi's tough running late in the first quarter led to Philadelphia's lone touchdown.

Ajayi was bottled up for the rest of the game, but then the Eagles' executed the run-pass option well with quarterback Nick Foles leading the way. The former Arizona Wildcat finished an efficient 23-for-30 for 246 yards and one touchdown. Granted, one of those passes should have been an interception, but Foles exceeded expectations as he led the Eagles down the field.

The only problem was that the Eagles' drives only led to one touchdown and three field goals, as Philadelphia struggled to find the end zone once it was deep in Atlanta territory. That may not be enough this time around against a Vikings pass offense that finished third in efficiency this year, per Football Outsiders.

The Eagles have home-field advantage on their side, and this could be another classic. But the pick is for the Vikings to come out on top thanks to the passing attack and a pivotal defensive stop late.

Pick: Vikings 17, Eagles 16

Super Bowl

If the Minnesota Vikings win on Sunday, they'll be the first team in Super Bowl era history to play for the Lombardi Trophy in its home stadium.

That's a massive advantage. Granted, the stadium won't be filled with close to 100-percent Vikings fans, as tickets are allotted for the opposing team and neutral observers, but it'd be shocking if the crowd wasn't more partial to Minnesota.

U.S. Bank Stadium has been kind to the Vikings this year: They only lost one game (a close 14-7 defeat to the Detroit Lions) and didn't give up more than 19 points in any home contest until the New Orleans Saints scored 24 in the divisional round.

Aside from the actual game, the Vikings will have an advantage simply by staying home.

Minnesota is a relatively inexperienced playoff team: The Vikings made the playoffs just once from 2014-2016 and lost their only postseason game. Staying at home and being in their own environment in the days leading up to the game can only help the Vikings, who would be on the game's biggest stage for the first time since 1976.

That's an edge against a Patriots team that has won the Super Bowl twice in the past three seasons. They are the NFL's most battle-tested team and will be a very tough out.

However, the home-field advantage might be too tough to overcome. Also, the Vikings defense is one of the best in the game: Per Football Outsiders, the Vikings ranked second in defensive efficiency (fourth vs. the pass and fifth against the run).

The pick is for the Vikings to win a close one. The Pats will move the ball, but the Vikings will keep them out of the end zone for most of the game. On offense, look for Minnesota quarterback Case Keenum to have another big night and lead the way in an instant classic.

Pick: Vikings 20, Patriots 19