BCS games this week have evoked thoughts of just how awesome a playoff would be. The NFL will reinforce that idea when it assumes center stage on Saturday and Sunday for its postseason. Will the expected Denver-Seattle Super Bowl matchup come to fruition, or will an upstart crash the party?

Odds provided by Sportsbook.ag.

AFC Championship

Denver Broncos (-150) – A bye is big for Denver, and not just because it ultimately means home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Wes Welker is recovering from concussion, and the Broncos need all hands on deck with guys like Ryan Clady and Von Miller already out for the season.

New England Patriots (+350) – It’s not entirely Peyton Manning’s fault that he boasts only one Super Bowl ring to Tom Brady’s three (see last year). One other difference between the two is that while Manning has a great supporting cast right now, Brady has been a one-man show almost throughout this season.

Cincinnati Bengals (+650) – An AFC Super Bowl representative outside of Denver or New England would be a borderline stunner. Cincinnati took advantage of a lackluster AFC North, but winning the entire conference is a whole different beast. At least the Bengals get to start at home.

Indianapolis Colts (+1200) – This has simply not been the same team since Reggie Wayne suffered a torn ACL in a Week 7 upset of Denver. The Colts have won three in a row, but they have still lost three of their last seven games. Which mercurial Indy defense will show up in the playoffs?

NFC Championship

Seattle Seahawks (-110) – Home-field advantage is the key for the Seahawks, and they have it. They rarely lose in Seattle, but a shocking Week 16 setback at the hands of Arizona shows it is not out of the realm of possibility. Still, bet against Seattle at home at your own risk.

San Francisco 49ers (+450) – No matter that the 49ers have to be road warriors after losing out in the NFC West to Seattle. They clearly have the talent to make a return trip to the Super Bowl, and it has been on display of late. San Francisco has won six in a row heading into the playoffs.

Carolina Panthers (+500) – Carolina’s turnaround from 7-9 to 12-4 was extreme, but their in-season recovery was even more significant. The Panthers were 1-3 and on the verge of firing Ron Rivera; now they are NFC South champions and have a first-round bye.

Green Bay Packers (+950) – Remember the 2010 season, when the Packers just snuck into the playoffs? Yep, Aaron Rodgers took them all the way. He saved them again with Week 17 heroics in his first game back from a collarbone injury, and now Green Bay has a new lease on life.

John Wooden Award

Jabari Parker (+250) – Duke is in fine form at 10-2, with losses only to then-No. 4 Kansas and current No. 1 Arizona. The Blue Devils are being led by Parker, a freshman who is averaging 21.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.

Marcus Smart (+350) – Where would 11-1 Oklahoma State be without Smart? Not 11-1; that’s for sure. The sophomore shooting guard leads his team in points (17.4), assists (4.1), and steals (2.3) per game. The Cowboys’ only setback has come against Memphis, whom they had blown out by 21 points just 12 days earlier.

Russ Smith (+600) – If the senior point guard can hold Louisville together, he will be in serious discussion for the Wooden Award. The Cardinals dismissed Chane Behanan, and they are dealing with another injury to Kevin Ware. Smith leads the team in points (17.4) and assists (5.2) per outing.

Andrew Wiggins (+650) – Wiggins has not exactly taken the college basketball world by storm, but he has by no means been a disappointment. The freshman phenom is putting up 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. At 8-3, Kansas has to pick up the pace.

Hyundai Tournament of Champions

Adam Scott (+500) – Scott is kicking off the season with everyone else in Hawaii but then skipping the west-coast swing, which includes the Match Play Championship. Coming off his best year on tour, the Aussie’s entire focus right now should be on Hawaii.

Matt Kuchar (+700) – Speaking of best years on tour, Kuchar registers at No. 7 in the world—five spots behind Scott. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket does not win a ton, but he is seemingly on the leaderboard week in and week out.

Dustin Johnson (+800) – Don’t let the fact that Johnson is engaged to Paulina Gretzky overshadow his prowess on the links. The big hitter has not been completely on fire of late, but he scored a win in early November at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions before finishing 18th at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge.

Webb Simpson (+1000) – The offseason came at a bad time for Simpson, but he should still have momentum in hand because golf’s “offseason” really means just a few weeks off. Simpson triumphed at the TPC Summerlin in October, finished seventh at the McGladrey Classic, and came in fifth at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge.

Read more articles by Ricky Dimon