Super Bowl 2011: Predictions, Odds for Who Will Make It Through NFL Playoffs

That little tournament sponsored by the National Football League starts next weekend and it doesn't take a research scientist to figure out that there are two overwhelming favorites to make it to that billion-dollar corral that Jerry Jones built in Dallas for the Super Bowl. New England (14-2) and Atlanta (13-3) came into the playoffs the way favorites are supposed to. The Patriots simply crushed the Dolphins while Atlanta did what it was supposed to do against the pitiful Panthers.

These two teams, who are tougher than tough at home, are your top seeds, the odds-on favorites to square off in Dallas, any other scenario will involve upsets of major proportions. Atlanta has been installed as a 7-4 NFC favorite by scoresandodds.com and it certainly didn't involve going out on a limb to favor the Falcons. Matt Ryan is 20-2 as a starter in the Georgia Dome. You have to like those numbers. The second-seeded Chicago Bears (11-5) are 2-1 but after watching Jay Cutler against Green Bay, where Cutler displayed his penchant for inconsistency, you know that this guy can be so very good and at times look so very bad. The Bears will have two weeks to get the bad taste of the loss to Green Bay out of their mouths and will have a nice cold-weather home game.

The third-seeded Eagles (10-6) are 3-1 and their hopes certainly revolve around Michael Vick. Sixth-seeded Green Bay (10-6) is 4-1 and the type of team that is getting more respect than your average sixth seed. The New Orleans Saints (11-5) are the defending Super Bowl champions and they are limping into the playoffs after getting de-pantsed at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season finale. The Bucs finished with 10 wins but that wasn't good enough to get them in the tournament. And yes, there are those Seattle Seahawks (7-9) from the NFC Worst, er, NFC West, nifty 75-1 long shots and that's probably generous. Would anyone bet two cents on those guys?

Predictions:

The Saints crush the Seahawks next Saturday in Seattle and, drum roll please, the Packers pull the upset in Philly. The Pack moves on to play in Atlanta and the Saints head to Chicago to face the Bears.

NFC title game: Chicago at Atlanta.

NFC Super Bowl rep: Atlanta.

The AFC has a similar scenario but should be a tougher road for the eventual winner. The New England Patriots (14-2) are an overwhelming 5-8 favorite to head for Dallas. The P-Men are 8-0 at home and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this guy Tom Brady is damn good at playoff time. Pittsburgh (12-4) is 5-2 and the Steelers would probably win the NFC if they were over in that neck of the NFL woods, but alas they're not. The fifth-seeded Ravens (12-4) are in a 5-1, the fourth-seeded Jets (11-5) at 8-1 with the third-seeded Colts (10-6) and then there's Kansas City (10-6) getting no respect at 10-1.

New England has the home field. That's huge.

Predictions:

The Jets take the oil out of Indy at the House of Oil on Saturday. The Chiefs upset the Ravens in KC on Sunday. The Patriots struggle but edge the Jets in two weeks. The Steelers crush the Chiefs. AFC title game: Steelers at New England. AFC Super Bowl rep: New England.

SUPER BOWL XLV Champion: The New England Patriots.