NFL Playoff Predictions: Picking Games Versus The Spread In The Divisional Round

With an exciting Wild-Card round behind us and the Divisional Round all set, it is time to start offering predictions on what will happen this weekend.

We are going to predict all four Divisional Games against the spread.

Picking games is an easy task. When you have to predict games against the spread, the job gets a little more difficult.

Every game this weekend could go either way. The beauty of the NFL is that all these teams are so evenly matched that anyone can win on any given day.

Personally, I have given up calling anyone a lock thanks to the Seahawks and how bad they made me look against New Orleans last Saturday.

No matter what the point spread says, any one of the eight teams playing this weekend can win and advance to their respective conference championship game.

So which teams will that be?

Who is going to keep their Super Bowl dream alive? Who will go home? Will their be an upset?

The answers to all those questions lie in the next four slides.

*All the spreads are taken from Sportsbook.com.

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Geoff Burke/Getty Images

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

Current Odds: Pittsburgh (-3)

This game is going to be a knockdown, drag out battle between two of the most physical teams in all of football. If you watched the two games that they played this season your body probably started to hurt. These two teams just punish each other every time they meet.

The Ravens looked a little sluggish defensively in the first half of their Wild-Card game against the Chiefs. They gave up a lot of yards on the ground and looked like they could be in trouble. They made the adjustments and locked down in the second half allowing 25 total yards to Kansas City. The defense is peaking at the right time.

Pittsburgh split the season series with Baltimore with each team winning on the others home field. The Steelers have had a week off to make sure that all their key players, namely Troy Polamalu, are healthy and effective going into the playoffs. The Chiefs did have some success running side-to-side on the Ravens defense, look to see if Pittsburgh tries to run the ball off the edges.

There will be no big gimmicks, nothing fancy between these two teams. They know each other so well that they are just going to line up and say here's what we got and stop us if you can. The over/under for this game is set at 36.5. I think that will be way too high for this game.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 16 Baltimore 13

Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 28: Thomas DeCoud #28 and William Moore #25 of the Atlanta Falcons tackle Brandon Jackson #32 of the Green Bay Packers at Georgia Dome on November 28, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Current Odds: Atlanta (-2)

Don't be fooled by these odds, the people that make them and the people that are betting are in love with Green Bay. Typically, if two teams are even the home team will still be favored by three points. So since the spread is only Atlanta by two, you can tell that people are feeling the Packers in this game.

Green Bay was able to get their first playoff road win in 13 years by defeating the Eagles in a very tight game between two teams who could easily have represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers is playing at a very high level right now, throwing three touchdown passes (it should have been four but James Jones dropped it).

Atlanta enters the game as the Oh-By-The-Way we're here team. They are 13-3 and won the NFC South. They earned the No.1 seed in the NFC and no one seems to be talking about them. They aren't a flashy team. They don't WOW you in any area statistically. They finished 15th in passing yards, 12th in rushing yards, 22nd in opponents pass yards and 10th in opponents rush yards. They do have stud players at the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions.

That said, this game is a bad matchup for the Falcons. The Packers have been on a roll for the last three weeks offensively and defensively. The Falcons secondary is very suspect and Drew Brees ripped them apart on Monday night three weeks ago. Aaron Rodgers will do the same thing this Saturday night.

Final Score: Green Bay 27 Atlanta 23

Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - OCTOBER 17: Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears runs over Lofa Tatupu #51 of the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field on October 17, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Seahawks defeated the Bears 23-20. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Current Odds: Chicago (-10)

Seattle beat Chicago in week 6 of this season 23-20. They just knocked off the defending Super Bowl Champion, New Orleans Saints, in one of the greatest Wild-Card games in history. Yet they will enter this weekend's game against the Bears as a 10-point underdog.

The NFC West Champion Seahawks shocked the world on Saturday by putting 41 points up against New Orleans. They did the one thing that no one though they could do, score with the Saints. They picked on Roman Harper in that game and that worked wonders for them.

Chicago might be the second most disrespected playoff team after Seattle. They won the NFC North and are the No.2 seed in the NFC but not a lot of people believe in them. A big reason for that is because of quarterback Jay Cutler. He has moments where he looks like a really good quarterback. The problem is he has a bunch of moments where he looks completely lost.

This was probably the best-case scenario for the Bears. Even though they have lost to Seattle already, do we really think the Seahawks can put on another performance like they did last week? Against a far superior defense?

There is no Roman Harper playing in this game to pick on. Marshawn Lynch isn't going to run over Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher. I don't think that the game will be a blowout but if Seattle wins it would be a bit of a shock.

Final Score: Chicago 30 Seattle 24

New York Jets @ New England Patriots

Elsa/Getty Images

FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Deion Branch #84 of the New England Patriots scores on a 25-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Antonio Cromartie #31 of the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (P

Current Odds: New England (-8.5)

I won't lie, I was expecting the Jets to be the biggest underdog going into this weekend. I don't think that they showed a lot against Indianapolis, at least offensively, and that 45-3 blowout in New England on December 6th would have been stuck in my mind.

Rex Ryan was able to exorcise those Peyton Manning demons on Saturday in Indianapolis. The defense played great and they were able to contain the Colts passing game. The Colts did play a very conservative game and made some questionable decisions (seriously, what was with that timeout with 30 seconds left?). But the Jets made the plays offensively when they had to and the defense was very good.

The way things stand right now, there are three teams that can beat New England. All three of them play on Saturday, they are Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Green Bay (all teams that New England has beaten this year). If you want to beat the Patriots you have to have three things:  good pass coverage, good pass rush and a great quarterback. The Jets have one of those, pass coverage.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick don't lose in Foxboro in the playoffs. The Jets, particularly Mark Sanchez, didn't show that they had enough in the tank to hang with New England's offense. It won't be another 45-3 demolition, but the Patriots will roll into the AFC Championship Game.

Final Score: New England 31 New York 17