NFL Playoff Picks 2019: Latest Odds and Predictions for Divisional Round

The wild-card spot is a great spot to be in this season's NFL playoffs, apparently.

The only regular-season division champion to win on Wild Card Weekend was the Dallas Cowboys. Outside of AT&T Stadium, it was wild-card winners galore. The Los Angeles Chargers went into Baltimore and won, 23-17, after the Indianapolis Colts stomped the Houston Texans, 21-7.

Most stunning of all, the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles—seeded No. 6 this year—escaped Chicago with a 16-15 win over the Bears. 

Wild Card Weekend produced the unexpected—a double-doink field-goal miss and a lack of touchdowns, for example—which leaves little question that the divisional round will be just as if not more surprising. 

Below is an early look at odds and predictions for the NFL divisional slate.

All odds provided via OddsShark. 

AFC Divisional Round

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Odds 

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs (-5.5) | O/U 57

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots (-4.5) | O/U 47.5

Predictions 

The Kansas City Chiefs have won just one game in 11 playoff appearances since 1994—including four postseason matchups and losses against the Colts, who will visit Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Chiefs have also never had Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback in the postseason. Mahomes became just the second quarterback in NFL history to post 50 touchdowns and 5,000 passing yards in the regular season—joining Peyton Manning, ironically a former Colt. 

As a team this season, the Chiefs' offense has been record-setting while the defense has been a major liability. The Colts, meanwhile, are solid across the board with a No. 7-ranked offense and No. 11-ranked defense.

Will Colts running back Marlon Mack be able to puncture the Chiefs' front seven so that quarterback Andrew Luck can expose the secondary with wide receiver T.Y. Hilton or tight end Eric Ebron? Or will Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Tyreek Hill be too much to keep up with?

On Sunday, the Chargers will try to beat the Patriots for the first time in the Philip Rivers era. 

While the future Hall of Fame quarterbacks will be the narrative this week, the Chargers defense is what holds the most power. In Week 16, the Baltimore Ravens suffocated the Chargers in a 22-10 win only for the Chargers defense to adjust supremely for the wild-card rematch to the tune of seven sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception.

It's worth noting, of course, that the Chargers were able to adjust to and shut down a rookie quarterback in Lamar Jackson, which is a much different task than beating five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. At 41 years old, though, Brady is not unstoppable—especially if Rob Gronkowski isn't at 100 percent and when wide receiver Josh Gordon is no longer with the team.

Prediction: Chiefs exorcise demons, hold off hot Colts, 38-31

Prediction: Rivers finally beats Brady, Chargers keep rolling, 27-21

NFC Divisional Round

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Odds

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (-7) | O/U 49

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints (-9) | O/U 51

Predictions

A question looming over the Rams as the regular season drew to a close was whether the team had peaked too early. After starting 10-1, the Rams finished 3-2. On paper, that isn't worrisome in the least. But the details of those two losses cause concern as L.A. prepares to host the Cowboys on Saturday.

In Week 14, the Rams looked like a shell of themselves in Chicago in a 15-6 loss. Week 15 saw more scoring but another loss to the Eagles, 30-23. In both losses, quarterback Jared Goff threw a total of five interceptions. That will be an especially relevant statistic against the Dallas defense, even if the unit is in the middle of the pack with 20 total takeaways in the regular season.

The Cowboys defense seems to have figured out how to make usually dynamic offenses look pedestrian—most recently in the wild-card matchup against Seattle when the No. 1 rushing offense couldn't do anything on the ground, but most notably in a 13-10 Week 13 win against the Saints. 

The Rams' bye week fell in Week 12 this season, and they have not looked like the same team since returning to play in Week 13. Will the first-round bye backfire? 

The Saints will host the defending-champion Eagles on Sunday afternoon—a rematch from Week 11 when New Orleans took swift care of the Eagles, 48-7, at home. The circumstances will mostly be the same on Sunday—except, of course, for who is playing quarterback for Philly.

Nick Foles has yet again stepped in for an injured Carson Wentz. Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman writes of the journeyman quarterback's impact on the Eagles:

"The defense has also played better. Is that Foles? Not really. Or maybe it is. We can't rule anything out. Foles is the tide that lifts all players, and it cannot be overstated how much belief matters in a locker room. The Eagles believe in him the way a young child believes in his momma's embrace."

Is something as intangible as belief enough to overcome a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees who holds almost too many to count and very tangible NFL records? Probably not.

Prediction: Dallas pulls out gritty upset, 20-17

Prediction: Philly fairytale ends at hands of Drew Brees, 41-27