NFL Playoffs explained, schedule, bracket and 2024 Super Bowl LVIII odds

The NFL regular season is consigned to the history books so it’s time for playoff football as the Divisional Round takes place January 20 through 21.

Below, Planet Sport takes a look at the playoff format, schedule, bracket and latest betting odds.
 

Schedule

We now know our final four. The Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers will slug it out in the Championship games for a place in the Super Bowl.

Click on a highlighted game to read our free betting preview.

 

Championship Round

AFC: Chiefs (3) @ Ravens (1) - Sunday 28 Jan, 3 pm EST / 8 pm GMT

NFC: Lions (3) @ 49ers (1) - Sunday 28 Jan, 6:30 pm EST / 11:30 pm GMT

 

Divisional Round

AFC: Texans (4) 10-34 Ravens (1)

AFC: Chiefs (3) 27-24 Bills (2)

NFC: Buccaneers (4) 23-31 Lions (3)

NFC: Packers (7) 21-24  49ers (1)

 

Wild Card Round

AFC: Browns (5) 14 - 45 Texans (4)

AFC: Dolphins (6) 7 - 26 Chiefs (3)

NFC: Packers (7) 48-32 Cowboys (2)

NFC: Rams (6) 23-24 Lions (3)

AFC: Steelers (7) 17-31 Bills (2)

NFC: Eagles (5) 9-32 Buccaneers (4)
 

 

Superbowl winner odds

 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers made it as far as the Conference Championship last season where they were rudely eliminated by the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-7.

They’re a well-balanced group and, most importantly, a healthy one. Their playoff experience can help them make a deeper run this year.

 

 

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are given such a good chance of winning the Superbowl because they know what it takes to win big games.

They went 7-1 against winning teams this season and although they have a poor record in the playoffs, this is a battle-hardened group with an elite quarterback.

 

 

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs offence has had a rough time of it this year and the fear factor we previously saw has gone a little, but this is still a good team with experience of making a playoff run.

Playoff football can be about the smallest of margins and when you’ve got the second-best defence in the NFL, you’re always in games.

 

 

Detroit Lions

There's no doubt the Lions are the rank outsiders now, but they've shown their defensive capabilities to come through two tough matchups in the Wild Card and Divisional rounds.

You have to go back to 1957 for the last time this ball club won two games in the same postseason and they've never reached the Super Bowl, but these players are full of confidence and believe anything is possible.