NFL Playoffs 2019: Odds, Schedule and Bracket Predictions for Wild-Card Games

It took until the NFL season's final game of its final weekend to do it, but the playoff field for January 2019 is finally set.

While most spots were secured ahead of Sunday, the last three berths were taken in Week 17.

The Baltimore Ravens claimed the AFC North with a 26-24 win over the Cleveland Browns. The Philadelphia Eagles wiggled in by shutting out the Washington Redskins 24-0 and having the Minnesota Vikings lose to the Chicago Bears 24-10. The Indianapolis Colts survived a win-or-go-home clash with the Tennessee Titans by a count of 33-17.

Let's dig into Wild Card Weekend by examining the schedule and odds, then taking a closer look at two of the matchups.

Wild Card Weekend Schedule

Saturday, Jan. 5

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, 4:35 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET on FOX

Sunday, Jan. 6

Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens, 1:05 p.m. ET on CBS

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears, 4:40 p.m. ET on NBC

Where to Watch: The NFL postseason and all NFL broadcasts are available through fuboTV.

Odds

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys

Roger Steinman/Associated Press

The Seahawks and Cowboys aren't quite mirror images of one another, but they share a ton of similarities.

Each has a top-12 scoring defense and a top-six rushing attack. Both starting quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott, can create plays with their legs but use their ground game to supplement their passing.

Both clubs are also peaking at the right time with the teams posting a combined 13-5 record since the start of November.

"They are similar to us," Seahawks defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson told reporters. "They started slow, but then got their rhythm and got their running game to pick up. This is going to be a fun battle between two hungry teams."

As fun as the Wilson-Prescott battle could be, this game could be decided by dueling running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Chris Carson.

In terms of stature, they couldn't be more different. Elliott arrived as the fourth overall pick in 2016 and has lived up to the billing ever since. He's rushed for 4,048 yards and 28 touchdowns in just three seasons. Carson, on the other hand, came to Seattle as the 249th pick of the 253-player 2017 draft. He barely saw the field as a rookie and didn't claim the featured rusher role until Week 3 of this season.

However, the stat sheet sees them as near-equals. While Elliott rushed for a league-best 1,434 yards, Carson held the No. 4 spot with 1,151. Both averaged 4.7 yards per carry.

This feels like it will be a close, low-possession contest, but our crystal ball has Dallas advancing thanks to its superior rushing defense and sharper weapons at running back (Elliott) and receiver (Amari Cooper). 

Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Chargers and Ravens apparently had so much fun in their Week 16 matchup that they're meeting again in the wild-card round.

The initial bout went Baltimore's way, as most things tend to have done since rookie Lamar Jackson took over under center. The Louisville product pushed his record to 6-1 as a starter Sunday, reaching 90 rushing yards for the third time in three weeks. With the 21-year-old at the helm, Baltimore has averaged 45.1 carries for 229.6 yards per game.

It's simple football, but the formula is proving wildly successful. No one is getting more out of the ground. No one allows fewer points per game. And no one else has Justin Tucker, who connected on 31 of his 35 field-goal attempts, including five of his seven tries from 50-plus yards out.

"Baltimore is a good football team," Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. "I think they've proven that over the last six weeks."

The Chargers are really good, too.

They are one of five teams to hold top-10 scoring rankings on offense and defense. They might have just witnessed Philip Rivers' best season. They have home run hitters at running back (Melvin Gordon, 14 touchdowns) and wide receiver (Keenan Allen, 1,132 receiving yards, six scores). Their front four is relentless, and safety Derwin James is among the Defensive Rookie of the Year favorites.

That said, L.A. wobbled a bit down the stretch. While it closed with five wins in six weeks, the offense hit a funk in Weeks 16 and 17. It didn't have 200 passing yards or a 60-yard rusher in either contest. Rivers tossed just one touchdown pass against four interceptions. The offense only contributed three touchdowns in that span, two of which came on drives of fewer than 20 yards.

The Chargers look the better team on paper. But the Ravens clearly found something with Jackson, and they'll have their home fans behind them.

We see Baltimore controlling the clock and ultimately the contest in a nail-biter.