NFL Playoff Bracket 2019: Predictions, Schedule Guide for AFC, NFC Championships

The first two rounds of the 2018-19 NFL playoffs are in the books. This means that we have just two rounds, and four teams, remaining in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy.

This Sunday, those four teams will compete for the right to represent their respective conferences in Super Bowl LIII.

Interestingly, both the AFC Championship and the NFC Championship are rematches from the regular season. The New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints have already defeated the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, respectively, in the last calendar year.

The Patriots, though, were at home in the first round and will be playing at Arrowhead in the rematch.

Both of the initial matches were close, and truly anything can happen the second time around.

Read on for all the viewing information you need for Conference Championship Weekend, as well as the latest odds and over/unders from OddsShark and score predictions for each contest.

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

Conference Championships

Sunday, January 20

NFC Conference Championship Game

Who: Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints

When: 3:05 p.m. ET

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

Odds and Over/Under: NO -3.5, 56.5

Prediction: Saints 30, Rams 24

AFC Conference Championship Game

Who: New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs

When: 6:40 p.m. ET

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

Odds and Over/Under: KC -3, 54.5

Prediction: Patriots 30, Chiefs 27

Patriots Will Be Wary of Tyreek Hill

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

New England won a shootout with the Chiefs the last time these two teams met, but winning the battle wasn't easy. Making things tougher was Kansas City wideout Tyreek Hill, who caught seven passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns.

Hill is one of the fastest players in the NFL. It's not that New England slept on him the last time around, but they'll surely be looking to game plan for him in the rematch.

"Every situation is a little bit different," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said, via the team's official website. "Who's where and how fast everybody is moving and what direction we're going in and the opponent is going in and so forth. Yeah, certainly there has to be an awareness of that. It's a little bit different with him than everybody else; no question."

While actually slowing Hill will be no easy task, expect Belichick and Co. to use every creative measure to try doing so on Sunday.

Saints Bringing Back a Familiar Face

The Saints find themselves at a disadvantage in the rematch with the Rams. Star defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins suffered a torn Achilles against the Philadelphia Eagles last week and will miss the remainder of the postseason.

With Rankins out, we saw more of David Onyemata against Philadelphia, and the Saints have taken precautions to increase the depth behind him heading into the championship game.

According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, the Saints have signed defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker.

Walker, you may remember, played for New Orleans from 2012-14, so he is at least somewhat familiar with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's schemes (Allen was a defensive assistant in 2014).

However, Walker also didn't take a snap during the 2018 regular season, so it feels unlikely he'll be a significant contributor on Sunday.

Expect Walker to have a bigger impact in Super Bowl LIII, should the Saints advance.

Will Andy Reid Outcoach Himself?

On paper, the Chiefs are the clear favorite in the AFC over the New England Patriots. They have the better quarterback in Patrick Mahomes (yes, even over Tom Brady), they have the more explosive offense, and they have home-field advantage.

Where the Patriots have the edge, though, is in postseason coaching experience. Is there anyone you'd rather have on the sideline in a playoff game than Belichick?

It certainly isn't Andy Reid, who has a history of mismanaging the clock and the game in the playoffs. Just look at Kansas City's lengthy drive at the end of regulation against the Pittsburgh Steelers two years ago, or the blown 18-point lead against the Tennessee Titans last postseason for proof.

Reid has to buck his trend if the Chiefs are going to advance.

"There's only one way the Kansas City Chiefs lose this game," Jason Whitlock of FS1 recently said on Speak for Yourself, "and that's if Andy Reid does something silly."

History suggests that Reid just might do something silly in the championship game.