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NFL Divisional Round Playoff Picks 2016: Expert Predictions Include Patriots, Cardinals, Panthers, Broncos

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 16:44 PST, Jan 12, 2016

NFL divisional round playoff picks for 2016 from the experts at CBS Sports are in, and we are looking at another exciting week of competitive football. While quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers are questionable for this week’s game against the Denver Broncos, the experts believe the Steelers have a real shot at winning this difficult matchup. While the predictions heavily favor the Arizona Cardinals over the Green Bay Packers, a few of the NFL experts believe that the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks will come out victorious in their games. Here are all of the 2016 NFL divisional round playoff picks from CBS Sports. Current playoff odds are courtesy of Vegas Insider.

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 at 4:35 p.m.)

While the Kansas City Chiefs currently have an astonishing 11-game winning streak, the odds are that their magical season is going to come to an end this Saturday when they take on the reigning Super Bowl champions. After starting off the season with a record of 10-0, the New England Patriots went 2-4 in their final six games. As the heavy favorite to win home-field advantage throughout the NFL playoffs in the AFC, the Patriots had to settle for the second seed after the Denver Broncos overtook them in the final week of the season.

Injuries to tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman have slowed down the Patriots’ prolific offense, and Tom Brady has not looked his usual self in recent weeks. The good news for Brady and Patriots fans is that Edelman is finally back in the lineup, as reported by the Inquisitr, and the offense should be able to fire on all cylinders again. While the Chiefs have had an outstanding season, it is going to be extremely difficult for them to win in Foxboro. Seven out of the eight CBS Sports experts are predicting the New England Patriots to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, and Vegas Insider agrees.

Expert Pick Consensus: New England Patriots

Current Odds: New England (-5)

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals (Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 at 8:15 p.m.)

While the Green Bay Packers were considered among the top teams in the NFL in the beginning of the year, their once great play has since fallen off. Aaron Rodgers is still their quarterback though, so there is always a chance they go on a run similar to their 2010-2011 season. The problem is they are facing the Arizona Cardinals on the road, a place that has not been friendly to opposing teams. Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has seen a resurgence in his career, and there are way too many offensive weapons for the Packers to cover. In their predictions, the experts at CBS Sports do not believe this one will be close. In a unanimous decision, all eight of them are picking the Cardinals to win this game and advance in the playoffs to the NFC Championship Game.

Expert Pick Consensus: Arizona Cardinals

Current Odds: Arizona (-7)

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 at 1:05pm)

After finishing the season with a record of 15-1, the Carolina Panthers are not exactly getting the respect that one might think. While six out of the eight experts are picking the Panthers to come out victorious against the Seattle Seahawks, the Panthers do not seem to be on many lists for the team to come out of the NFC. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is having a historic year for a quarterback, and their defense is among the most ferocious in the NFL, so it is odd that they are not a more popular pick. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Vegas is actually fairly split on this game.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has already appeared in two Super Bowls in his short career, and seems to have taken his individual play to an elite level this year. After starting out slow, the Seahawks defense is also back to their former dominant play. While the Panthers should win this game on their home field, Wilson and the Seahawks are not going to go down easy.

Expert Pick Consensus: Carolina Panthers

Current Odds: Carolina (-3)

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 at 4:40 p.m.)

If Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown are unable to play on Sunday, Pittsburgh is going to be in serious trouble. As two of the best players on one of the top offenses in the league, Roethlisberger and Brown have an undeniable chemistry. While Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is a future NFL Hall of Famer, he is at the end of his career, and his play has been questionable at times over the past two years.

As reported earlier in the week by the Inquisitr, Roethlisberger and Brown were both originally expected to play. While there is still optimism, reports are coming out that Roethlisberger has a better chance to be in the starting lineup than Brown. In order to keep the Broncos guessing, the status of their injuries will not be officially announced until right before kickoff. Despite all of the question marks for the Steelers, three out of the eight experts are predicting them to win.

Expert Pick Consensus: Denver Broncos

Current Odds: Denver (-6.5)

While those are only picks and predictions from eight NFL experts at CBS Sports for the 2016 divisional round playoffs, the consensus from other sources agree. Regardless, any of these teams have a chance to come out victorious, and it is going to be an entertaining weekend of divisional round playoff football.

[Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]

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