The NFL playoffs are here in all of their win-or-go-home glory.
Saturday’s two-game slate kicks off the wild card round, which will eventually shave the playoff field nearly in half and set the schedule for the divisional round. From there, it’s basically a thrill ride to the finish.
Before the action kicks off, we’ll set the stage by laying out the playoff bracket and the championship odds before examining the scenarios at play this weekend.
AFC, NFC Brackets and Schedule
AFC Seeding
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4, won AFC North)
2. Buffalo Bills (11-6, won AFC East)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6, won AFC West)
4. Houston Texans (10-7, won AFC South)
5. Cleveland Browns (11-6)
6. Miami Dolphins (11-6)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
AFC Wild-Card Schedule
(1) Ravens: bye
Saturday, Jan. 13
(5) Browns at (4) Texans, 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC
(6) Dolphins at (3) Chiefs, 8 p.m. ET on Peacock
Sunday, Jan. 14
(7) Steelers at (2) Bills, 1 p.m. ET on CBS
NFC Seeding
1. San Francisco 49ers (12-5, won NFC West)
2. Dallas Cowboys (12-5, won NFC East)
3. Detroit Lions (12-5, won NFC North)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8, won NFC South)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
6. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-8)
NFC Wild-Card Schedule
(1) 49ers (bye)
Sunday, Jan. 14
(7) Packers at (2) Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox
(6) Rams at (3) Lions, 8 p.m. ET on NBC
Monday, Jan. 15
(5) Eagles at (4) Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET on ACB and ESPN
Championship Odds
San Francisco 49ers +220
Baltimore Ravens +300
Buffalo Bills +600
Dallas Cowboys +800
Kansas City Chiefs +1100
Philadelphia Eagles +1800
Detroit Lions +1800
Miami Dolphins +2000
Cleveland Browns +3000
Los Angeles Rams +4000
Houston Texans +5000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7000
Green Bay Packers +9000
Pittsburgh Steelers +12000
Playoff Scenarios
The playoff paths beyond this weekend won’t be plotted until Monday night, but the format for setting the schedule is straightforward.
The top seeds in each conference—the Ravens and 49ers—will host the lowest remaining seed during the divisional round. If all home teams hold serve at home, then Houston would travel to Baltimore while Tampa Bay would head to San Francisco. Moving down a seed line, the third-seeded Chiefs and Lions would visit the Bills and Cowboys, respectively.
A single upset could substantially change things, though. And if this wild-card round life proves especially wild, the playoff bracket would be dramatically different.
Oddsmakers, for what it’s worth, think things could get chaotic, particularly in the 4-5 matchup, as both road teams are favored. The Eagles are three-point favorites over the Buccaneers. The Browns are two-point favorites over the Texans. Maybe that’s extra motivation for the home teams to perform. Maybe it’s simply a reflection of the fact the more talented team is the visitor.
The Bills (minus 9) and the Cowboys (minus 7) are the strongest favorites of the weekend so those contests could be relatively drama-free. Oddsmakers don’t expect the same for the 3-6 clashes, though, as the point spreads suggest nail-biters are ahead of the Chiefs (minus-4.5) and the Lions (minus-3).
