NFL Playoffs 2019: TV Schedule, Early Odds and Predictions for Divisional Round

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles got a double-doink of a break in their wild-card victory over the Chicago Bears. Can they take advantage of it and figure out a way to beat a juggernaut of a New Orleans Saints team in the divisional playoffs?

That's the scenario facing head coach Doug Pederson and Nick Foles this week. The Saints had the best record in the league during the regular season, and they earned the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a 13-3 record. Quarterback Drew Brees led an offense that scored 30 points or more nine times this season, reeling off 45 or more in consecutive games against the Los Angles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals and Eagles from Week 9 through 11.

Philadelphia is a much better team now than it was at that point, with six wins in their next seven games, but finding a way to slow down the New Orleans offense is a much more difficult assignment than doing the same to the Bears.

The Eagles and Saints are the last of four divisional playoff games this weekend, and all of them have a chance to be compelling.

Divisional Playoff Schedule

Saturday

Colts at Chiefs (-5.5, O/U 57), 4:35 p.m. ET,  NBC

Cowboys at Rams (-7, O/U 49), 8:15 p.m., Fox

Sunday

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

Eagles @ Saints (-8.5, O/U 51), 4:40 p.m., Fox 

Point-spread information courtesy of OddsShark.

Where to Watch: NFL playoff games, studio shows and more are available through fuboTV.

The Indianapolis Colts are the hottest team in the NFL, having won 10 of 11 games after their 21-7 road victory over the Houston Texans in the wild-card game.

The Colts have many of the weapons needed to be successful in the playoffs. Start off with Andrew Luck (39 TD passes) at quarterback, because he is showing off his arm strength, accuracy and poise. Luck is getting a huge assist from his offensive line, which is doing an excellent job of protecting him and allowing him time to find open receivers.

The other factor for the Colts is a bone-crunching defense that is getting better every week. Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard (163 tackles, 7.0 sacks) is already a star and is on his way to becoming one of the dominant players in the league.

The Colts have to face the top-seeded Chiefs, and Kansas City has perhaps the most explosive offense in the game with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (50 TD passes), wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. That group can light up the scoreboard and distance itself from any opponent.

The Chiefs also have one of the most porous defensive teams (31st in yards allowed) in the league and have dropped 11 of their last 12 playoff games, including all six of the games they have played at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Dallas Cowboys outlasted the Seattle Seahawks in their Saturday night wild-card victory and get a chance to play the Los Angeles Rams on the road. The Cowboys have the speed on defense needed to give Jared Goff and the Los Angeles offense a significant challenge, and Ezekiel Elliott appears to be in peak form running the football.

Elliott rushed for 137 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry against a tough Seattle defense, and he should be able to come close to that figure against a Los Angeles defense that has been leaky. If the Cowboys can keep turnovers to a minimum and keep the Rams from jumping off to a quick two-TD lead, an upset is a legitimate possibility.

The Los Angeles Chargers played a superb road game against the Baltimore Ravens in their wild-card victory and now get the opportunity to take on the Patriots in New England. The Pats are almost always at home in the divisional playoffs, and they usually assert themselves.

Playoff nerves are never a factor when assessing the Patriots at this point, and that means Philip Rivers will have to be at his best to give his team a chance to succeed in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles settled for five field goals in the win over the Ravens, but that will not get the job done against New England.

Rivers will need to find star wideout Keenan Allen with at least two scoring passes if the Chargers are going to pull off the upset.

Brady and Rob Gronkowski are not sure things at this point, and a stellar effort by the Chargers' sharp and effective defense led by Melvin Ingram (7.0 sacks) and Joey Bosa (5.5 sacks) could propel Los Angeles to the AFC title game.

Predictions

The Chiefs may be explosive on offense, but the Colts are the more complete team at this point. Kansas City lost two consecutive games prior to beating the Oakland Raiders in the season finale to clinch the AFC West and top seed in the conference. That's not good enough here, and the Colts will upset the Chiefs and keep their improbable story alive.

While Patriots loyalists are anticipating yet another win in the divisional playoffs and a trip to the AFC Championship Game, head coach Bill Belichick knows the Chargers represent a formidable opponent. Wins over the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets in the final two weeks of the regular season and yet another divisional title do not mask New England's problems. 

The Patriots are not the powerhouse team they have been, and Chargers coach Anthony Lynn and his staff should have every confidence that Los Angeles is capable of winning this game. If the Chargers don't make a slew of mistakes on special teams, the ball could end up in Rivers' hands at the end of the game. He will make the key throws and Los Angeles comes up with the road win.

The Cowboys played sluggish football at the start of the year, but they are a much more complete team at this point. Their win over the Seahawks should not be discounted, because the Seahawks are one of the nastiest defensive teams and Russell Wilson is almost always at his best in the clutch.

There is no doubt about the Rams' talent, but we see the Cowboys being the tougher team and coming through in the fourth quarter. Dallas pulls off the road upset.

The Eagles are the defending Super Bowl champions and know how to survive, but the Saints are on a mission here. This will not be anything like New Orleans' previous 48-7 victory over the Eagles, but they will win this game comfortably and move on to the NFC title game.