NFL Playoff Bracket 2019: Postseason Picture Predictions for Wild-Card Schedule

We had one wild 2018 NFL season. Week 17 continued that theme, as some a domino effect ended up setting the pending playoff picture.

The biggest drama came in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens games. All Baltimore had to do was win to secure the AFC North, but when the Steelers squeaked by the Cincinnati Bengals, a loss would have ended Baltimore's season.

The Ravens survived thanks to a clutch fourth-down interception with Baltimore nursing a two-point lead.

The Philadelphia Eagles slipped into the postseason thanks to a win and a loss by the Minnesota Vikings. In the night game, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the rival Tennessee Titans in order to grab the postseason's final ticket.

Now that the playoffs are set, it's time to look ahead to our wild-card predictions.

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

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

When: Saturday, January 5 at 4:35 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: ESPN, ABC, WatchESPN and fuboTV

The postseason is getting started with a good one. The Colts will travel to take on a very familiar foe in the Houston Texans. These two teams split the regular-season series, though to be fair, Indianapolis was playing like a completely different team the first time around.

That game came in the midst of the Colts 1-5 start. Since then, Indianapolis has been one of the most balanced and tenacious teams in the NFL.

Andrew Luck is not only healthy, he's playing some of the best ball of his pro career. The Colts defense and running games are emerging. Getting to this point from 1-5 was improbable, but the Colts are here and they are dangerous.

"Everyone who doubted us sounds dumb now right?" tight end Eric Ebron said, per Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star.

We're not doubting the Colts. They too good in too many phases—and they don't have an offensive line that has surrendered 62 sacks like Houston does.

Prediction: Colts 30, Texans 22

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

When: Saturday, January 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: Fox, Fox Sports Go and fuboTV

The Colts are a dangerous wild-card team coming out of the AFC, The Seattle Seahawks are the same over in the NFC. These teams are actually quite similar, though the Seahawks have the league's top-ranked rushing attack (160.0 yards per game). Like the Colts, they also have a strong defense and an elite signal-caller in Russell Wilson.

The Dallas Cowboys also have a balanced team with a stout defense and the league's leading rusher in Ezekiel Elliott. What Dallas doesn't have is a top-tier quarterback. Yes, Dak Prescott can be quite good when things are going well around him, but there's no telling whether he can put the team on his back the way Wilson has in playoff situations before.

This, we believe, is what will determine the outcome of this game. These are evenly matched teams, and the winner will likely be the team that makes the most clutch plays down the stretch. We're going with Wilson and Seahawks there.

Prediction: Seahawks 26, Cowboys 22

Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens

When: Sunday, January 6 at 1:05 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: CBS, CBS All Access and fuboTV

The Ravens barely escaped the Browns on Sunday, but they did thanks in large part to the three interceptions the defense produced. The Baltimore defense grabbed two interceptions two weeks ago when they traveled to battle the Los Angeles Chargers.

This is the rematch, and if the Chargers are going to pull out the win in Baltimore, they're going to have to avoid turning the ball over. Considering Philip Rivers has tossed an interception in each of his last three games, that could prove difficult.

Now that both Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler are healthy, perhaps Los Angeles should take a page out of Baltimore's book and utilize a run-heavy game plan in order to slow the pass rush and limit interception opportunities.

L.A. has shown it can win tough games on the road this season, but Baltimore is a dangerous challenge. Lamar Jackson leads an unconventional offense, the defense is allowing just under 18 points per game, and the Ravens feel disrespected.

"At the end of the day, you need something to drive you," Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.

We believe Baltimore will stay driven right into the divisional round.

Prediction: Ravens 26, Chargers 21

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears

When: Sunday, January 6 at 4:40 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: NBC, NBC Sports App and fuboTV

While the Ravens seem to feel disrespected, so do the defending champion Eagles. They've assumed the underdog role once again, and like last year, it's going to be Nick Foles leading Philadelphia into the postseason.

Foles left Sunday's game with a rib injury, but he will start against the Chicago Bears.

This actually makes the Eagles a stiffer challenge for the Bears. If you've watched Philadelphia over the last few weeks, you've realized that the offense has operated far more smoothly with Foles at the helm. Whether this is because Carson Wentz never fully recovered from his torn ACL or because Foles just has some magic in him is unclear. What is clear is that the entire team has played more efficiently down the stretch than it did earlier in the season.

Foles also has some big-time playoff experience, where Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky does not. This could prove to be the difference-maker in a close, physical matchup between two hungry teams.

Prediction: Eagles 20, Bears 17