NFL Playoff Picture 2019: Updated Title Odds and Most Compelling Scenarios

Six is a great number in this year's NFL playoffs.

Six as in sixth seed. That seed in both the AFC and NFC sides of the playoff dance pulled off hard-fought upset victories in their first playoff games of the year.

The winning ways of the Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles may not stop any time soon. Both teams are continuing with the compelling stories that started in the regular season.

The Colts won decisively on the road over the Houston Texans in their wild-card victory Saturday. The Colts scored two first-quarter touchdowns and added another in the second in beating the Texans 21-7. The win was the 10th in 11 games for head coach Frank Reich, quarterback Andrew Luck and the Colts.

Indianapolis has used an age-old formula while winning games consistently. Luck has given them a star under center, and he owes much of his success to an offensive line that is giving him excellent protection. The most surprising part of the winning formula for this franchise is its rock-ribbed defense.

When Peyton Manning was the front man for the Colts and they were regularly battling the New England Patriots for the top spot in the AFC, the Colts won key games in spite of their defense. Now they are winning games because of their defense.

They will try to write another winning chapter Saturday when they go to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs. 

Colin E. Braley/Associated Press

The Chiefs enjoyed a memorable regular season, but they lost two of their last three games and may not be playing as well as they did when they were lighting up the scoreboard and reeling off big wins earlier in the season.

Patrick Mahomes is a game-changing quarterback, and he has game-changing weapons in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. However, the Chiefs have struggled badly in recent postseason games. They have lost 11 of their last 12 playoff games, including losing all six of their home games in that streak.

While the Chiefs did not have the kind of explosive talent on the offensive side of the ball that they do now, the lack of postseason success is a key psychological factor.

The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles recorded a narrow 16-15 victory over the Chicago Bears in Soldier Field Sunday. The Eagles secured the win when quarterback Nick Foles hit Golden Tate with the go-ahead two-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter.

However, the Bears responded after that late score and had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but Cody Parkey's 43-yard FG attempt went off the upright and bounded down off the crossbar before it landed in the end zone for an excruciating miss.

The Eagles won their last three regular-season games to earn a spot in the playoffs after struggling throughout must of the season. They will have to beat the top-seeded Saints in New Orleans Sunday if they are going to remain alive. 

The Saints are favored to win the Super Bowl with odds of +225, per OddsShark. A wager of $100 on the Saints will earn the successful bettor a profit of $225. The Eagles are the longest shots on the board

Here are the current rankings of the eight playoff seeds that remain in contention for the Super Bowl, along with the odds to win the title.

AFC

1. Kansas City, +400
2. New England, +450
5. Los Angeles Chargers, +800
6. Indianapolis, +1400

NFC
1. New Orleans, +225
2. Los Angeles Rams, +450
4. Dallas, +1400
6. Philadelphia, +1600

The Los Angeles Chargers built a 23-3 fourth-quarter lead over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, and they appeared to be on their way to an easy victory. However, Lamar Jackson brought the Ravens back with two fourth-quarter touchdowns and the Ravens were able to cut the margin to 23-17. That turned out to be the final score, and the Chargers had their first postseason victory since 2013.

They will travel to play the second-seeded New England Patriots Sunday. The Patriots have regularly hosted a divisional playoff game, and while it would be surprising to see Philip Rivers engineer an upset over Tom Brady and the Patriots, it would not be a shocker.

The Chargers matched the Chiefs with a 12-4 record, and the only reason Kansas City won the AFC West crown and the conference's top seed is that the Chiefs had the better division record.

The Cowboys were the only home team to survive and advance in wild-card weekend. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott keyed a 24-22 triumph over Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks.

The Cowboys will go to Los Angeles to play Rams in the divisional playoffs Saturday night. Here's the divisional playoff schedule, along with the point spreads in all four games, per OddsShark.

Saturday

Colts at Chiefs (-5.5, O/U 56.), 4:35 p.m. ET,  NBC

Cowboys at Rams (-7, O/U 48.5), 8:15 p.m., Fox

Sunday

Chargers @ Patriots (-4.5, O/U 47), 1 p.m., CBS

Eagles @ Saints (-9, O/U 51), 4:40 p.m., Fox