NFL Divisional Round Point Spreads, Totals & Prediction

NFL Divisional odds, NFL odds, NFL line

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are the favorite at home in the Divisional Round this weekend. (Getty)

The wait for more NFL postseason action is over.

That felt like forever, didn’t it? Luckily, we head back to the gridiron on Saturday afternoon as the Divisional Round gets underway. Things have changed a bit since the lines for each matchup were released last weekend and there’s plenty to consider before kickoff.

Can Peyton Manning lead the Denver Broncos back to playoff glory? Can the Pittsburgh Steelers battle through injuries, an find a replacement for Antonio Brown, after last weekend’s insane victory? And what about the New England Patriots? Can the reigning Super Bowl champs get back on track after a less-than-positive end to the regular season?

Keep reading for a breakdown on each game’s line as well as a prediction for the matchup. Happy football, everyone.


Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots

Date: Saturday, January 16
Time: 4:35 p.m. ET
Spread: New England -4.5 via OddsShark
Total: 44.5
Prediction:
 The Patriots ended the season on a serious slide, seemingly succumbing to the injuries that had plagued the squad all season and losing four of their last six. But, and this is a big but, this is still the Patriots and as long as Tom Brady is the one throwing the football, it’s difficult not to be confident in this team. Let’s not forget either, Kansas City is a bit banged up as well. Jeremy Maclin didn’t tear his ACL, as first thought, but did suffer a high ankle sprain in last week’s blowout win over the Houston Texans. Maclin hasn’t been listed as an official participant in practice all week and is, as of Friday afternoon, listed as questionable for the Divisional matchup. If he can’t go, the Chiefs offense will, unquestionably, suffer. Go with New England on this one. You don’t go against Brady when he’s had time to stew over losses.


Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals

Date: Saturday, January 16
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Spread: Arizona -7 via OddsShark
Total: 48.5
Prediction:
It was difficult not to be impressed by the Packers last week. Despite a slow start, Green Bay’s offense appeared to get back on track, playing one of its more productive games en route to a victory over the Washington Redskins. That probably won’t happen on Saturday. The Cardinals have had 12 days to rest, giving their players a chance to recoup from the regular season, particularly outside linebacker Alex Okafor who had been dealing with a nagging toe injury. Arizona’s defense might have flown a bit under the radar this season, but the team ranked fourth in the NFL in turnover ratio and fourth in sacks. If the Cardinals can add to those totals, they’ll earn a spot in the NFC championship. These two teams already played once this season, with Arizona notching a blowout victory. It won’t be like that on Saturday night, but the Cardinals are still getting the win.


Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers

Date: Sunday, January 17
Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
Spread: Carolina -1.5 via OddsShark
Total: 43.5
Prediction: 
This game started off a bit more on the Panthers odds-based side, but things have shifted a bit over the past few days and Seattle is making things a bit more interesting. Why? It may have something to do with Marshawn Lynch. The running back, who was originally slated to return to the field last week, has declared himself “ready” for the game in Carolina and having him in the backfield is a major bump for Seattle. The Panthers, despite their 15-1 record, are still seen by many as the underdog and even with a home game come into the tilt with something to prove. This is a close one and it’s hard to pick one side or the other, but we’ve got to go with Seattle. Even on the road, the Seahawks have been doing some pretty great things over the past month.


Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos

Date: Sunday, January 17
Time: 4:40 p.m. ET
Spread: Denver -7 via OddsShark
Total: 40.5
Prediction: 
This game is going to be a lot different than the Steelers-Broncos matchup just a few weeks ago. This time around, Denver is being led by Peyton Manning while Pittsburgh will be without Antonio Brown who was ruled out with a concussion. That news alone moved the spread by two points. Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger missed much of the fourth quarter in last week’s Wild Card with injury issues of his own and while he’s expected to play, Big Ben may be fairly limited on Sunday evening. Oh, and did we also mention that DeAngelo Williams will also be out? Yeah, this one is looking good for Pittsburgh. The Broncos aren’t a perfect team and if the Steelers were healthy, we might actually pick them for the win. Not like this, though. Go with Denver.

 

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