Super Bowl 2015 Predictions | Odds & NFC Playoffs

Get Super Bowl 2015 Predictions | Odds & NFC Playoffs : The NFL playoffs are here, and it's officially the most wonderful time of the year! This year's postseason slate is as compelling as ever, featuring a few heavyweight contenders and a bunch of teams fighting to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy. Every game this weekend will be compelling, headlined by the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.

Super Bowl 2015 Predictions :

Super Bowl Predictions

There are several juicy potential matchups in the offering—whether it's the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots renewing acquaintances in the AFC Championship Game or the Dallas Cowboys playing at both Green Bay and Seattle in the same postseason. It's going to be fascinating to behold.

Even though the teams with first-round byes have the best odds, it's important to note that three of the last four Super Bowl champions have come out of the Wild Card Round, lending added importance to the opening weekend.

Here are the predictions and odds, courtesy of OddsShark, for every playoff team to win Super Bowl 2015.

ODDS: 66/1

After racing out to a 9-1 start, it appeared that the Arizona Cardinals were on a collision course with home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

But alas, it was not meant to be, as their starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, tore his ACL in the club's victory over the St. Louis Rams on November 9. And to make matters worse, backup passer Drew Stanton suffered a knee sprain on December 11—also against the Rams—and hasn't played since.

Enter third-stringer Ryan Lindley, who was forced to start the final two games of the season (Seattle, at San Francisco). If you're at all familiar with Lindley's catalog of work, you won't be surprised to read that Arizona lost both those contests.

So instead of holding the NFC's No. 1 seed, Arizona finished 11-5 and claimed the fifth spot, putting it on the road at red-hot Carolina on Wild Card Weekend. As of this writing—with Lindley all but certain to start Saturday against the Panthers—it doesn't appear as if many people are giving the Cardinals a shot to pull the upset on the road.

But it's worth noting that Lindley didn't play poorly in Week 17, passing for 316 yards and tossing the first two touchdown passes of his career. His play against the San Francisco 49ers enthused coach Bruce Arians and lends some hope that Arizona won't turn in a one-and-done playoff performance.

If there's one thing Cardinals fans can hang their hats on, it's the superb job the coaching staff has done throughout the season—specifically Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. The latter should absolutely get a head-coaching job this off season.

While the Cardinals might be the longest shot to raise the Lombardi Trophy out of any playoff team, don't count them out. Super Bowl XLIX will be played at their home stadium, and they've proven to be a tough and resilient bunch. If Lindley can steer them into the divisional round, it's within the realm of possibility that Stanton could return and give the offense a boost.

Don't be shocked if the Cardinals pull the upset Saturday in Carolina. But if they do, that will probably be the end of the road, as a road victory at either Green Bay or Seattle doesn't appear likely.