Wild Card Weekend odds, lookahead: Bears, Packers renew rivalry; Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence square off
Here's a look at the opening round of the NFL playoffs
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9 min read
The dust has settled on the 2025 regular season, and we now have a definitive look at the playoff picture. There are only 14 teams left standing as we begin our stampede to Levi's Stadium, the home of Super Bowl LX. Of course, the action kicks off with Wild Card Weekend, which will get underway on Saturday when the Carolina Panthers host the Los Angeles Rams.
For the Broncos and Seahawks, they get to rest up as these games unfold after earning the No. 1 seed in their respective conference and the first-round bye that comes with it. As for the rest of the playoff pool, they'll begin throwing haymakers in short order, so it's best to get caught up to speed on what we're about to watch.
Below, we'll take our first glimpse of this opening round of the NFL playoffs, which will include the opening odds and key storylines for each matchup.
2026 NFL playoff schedule and bracket: Dates, times, and TV for every round from wild card to Super Bowl
John Breech
All NFL odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
AFC Wild-Card Weekend lookahead
*The Denver Broncos are the No. 1 seed and have a first-round bye.
Buffalo Bills (6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3)
Sunday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. ET (CBS, stream on Paramount+)
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
| Bills -1.5 | 52.5 | Bills -118, Jaguars -102 |
This is the third playoff meeting between these franchises, with the Jaguars currently sitting with a 2-0 record in the series. The first contest came back during the 1996 Wild Card Round in what proved to be Jim Kelly's final playoff game. The more recent showdown was back during the 2017 season on Wild Card Weekend in what was a low-scoring 10-3 win by the Jags.
This time around, we're expecting to see a lot more scoring with the total sitting at 52.5 for a game that features two of the most prolific quarterbacks in the NFL at the moment. Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen have combined for 77 total touchdowns this season, which is tied for the second most in a Wild Card QB matchup all-time.
For Buffalo, they are looking to finally break through with a Super Bowl appearance. Given that there is no Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow this postseason, the path looked like it was going to be easier for Josh Allen and Co., but they fell behind in the AFC East. That means they'll need to overcome playing on the road to get to the big game. Allen, who has the most playoff wins (7) without a Super Bowl appearance by any quarterback all-time, is 0-4 on the road in his playoff career.
Looking at the Jaguars, they've enjoyed a stellar turnaround en route to an AFC South championship in Year 1 of Liam Coen. The first-year head coach has helped Lawrence reach his full potential as the quarterback, who just broke a franchise record with 38 total touchdowns this season. Over his last six games, Lawrence has totaled 19 touchdowns and recorded just one turnover, so he seems to be hitting his stride at the right time.
Jacksonville went 7-1 at EverBank Stadium this season with a league-best 15.8 average margin of victory. When paired with Allen's shaky playoff road record, it is a bit surprising to see the Bills favored.
Los Angeles Chargers (7) at New England Patriots (2)
Sunday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. ET (NBC, stream on fubo)
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
Patriots -3.5 | 46.5 | Chargers +160, Patriots -192 |
This will be the fifth playoff meeting between these two franchises and the first since the 2018 divisional round. New England is 3-1 in this series, so L.A. will look to cut into that this time around.
The Patriots are coming off a remarkable turnaround, notching a 14-3 season and winning the AFC East after going 4-13 in 2024. That is tied for the best year-over-year win increase (+10) in NFL history. The arrival of Mike Vrabel as head coach and the ascension of Drake Maye into an MVP favorite are key factors in this leap. Maye became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to lead the NFL in completion percentage and yards per attempt. On top of those developments, New England has also faced an easier road than most in 2025, playing the easiest strength of schedule since the 1999 Rams. That element has cast some doubt into how real New England is as a playoff threat, but we'll find out in short order.
As for the Chargers, they've reached playoff for the second consecutive year under head coach Jim Harbaugh. They got here despite dealing with some major injuries along the way, most notably with the losses of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt at offensive tackle. That has led to Justin Herbert being under siege throughout the year, but the veteran quarterback has largely played well in spite of that. He will be the central figure to watch in this game as he has some playoff demons he'd like to slay. Herbert is 0-2 in his career in the playoffs, which includes a loss last postseason where he tossed four interceptions. He has the second-most passing yards in his first six seasons all-time and is widely viewed as one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league. Until he starts winning in the playoffs, however, his stature will be limited.
Houston Texans (5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4)
Monday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, stream on fubo)
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
| Texans -3 | 39.5 | Texans -180, Steelers +150 |
The Houston Texans may be coming into these playoffs as a wild-card team, but they have the makings of a club that can do serious damage. That's evident in the fact that they are road favorites during Wild Card Weekend when they roll into Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. If they were to pull off this upset, it would be a historic moment for the franchise. Currently, Houston is 0-5 all-time on the road in the playoffs and is the only team in the NFL to never win a road playoff game.
This version of the Texans, however, may have what it takes. They have a defense that is arguably the best in the NFL and came into Week 18 allowing the fewest points per game and fewest total yards. Pair that with C.J. Stroud rounding into form down the stretch, and Houston is frisky this postseason.
While the Texans are one of the up-and-coming teams in the conference, it's a different story for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have been going through a "Last Dance" of sorts with Aaron Rodgers, who is possibly in the midst of his final season in the NFL. The club narrowly escaped their winner-take-all matchup in Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens thanks to kicker Tyler Loop missing the game-winning field goal, but Rodgers putting together a vintage performance shouldn't be overlooked either. In the fourth quarter, he completed 11 of his 14 passes for 133 yards and what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. Does the 42-year-old veteran have a few more of those performances in the chamber before possibly hanging it up?
NFC Wild Card Weekend lookahead
*The Seattle Seahawks are the No. 1 seed and have a first-round bye.
Los Angeles Rams (5) at Carolina Panthers (4)
Saturday, Jan. 10 at 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox, stream on fubo)
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
| Rams -10 | 46.5 | Rams -550, Panthers +410 |
This will be the second playoff meeting between these two franchises, with the first coming back in the 2003 divisional round. Carolina won that game, 29-23, in overtime with a Jake Delhomme 69-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith Sr. While that's the playoff history, the current version of these teams have history of their own. They met back in Week 13 and the Panthers pulled off one of the more surprising upsets of the season, defeating L.A., 31-28. It was an uncharacteristically sloppy game from Matthew Stafford, who had three turnovers in the loss.
L.A. comes into the playoffs after a 12-5 campaign, which helped them finish second in the NFC West. Despite that poor showing against these Panthers earlier this year, Stafford did put together an MVP-caliber season. He threw for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. As Stafford as continued to age line fine wine, his defense is one of the more up-and-coming units in the league. That combination of a quarterback playing at an MVP level and a spry defense is why L.A. has the second-shortest odds to win the Super Bowl, despite being a wild card team.
Carolina, on the other hand, has limped into the playoffs. They "won" the NFC South despite losing to the Buccaneers in their regular-season finale in Week 18. Because of that defeat, they needed to rely on the Falcons to defeat the Saints to trigger a three-way tiebreaker that fell their way to claim the division. The Panthers are just the seventh team in NFL history to reach the playoffs with a losing record. Their -69 point differential is the third-worst by a division champion since 1970, which is why they are a sizable home underdog to open the playoffs.
Green Bay Packers (7) at Chicago Bears (2)
Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
| Packers -1.5 | 45.5 | Packers -112, Bears -108 |
For a rivalry that has seen a total of 212 prior matchups (including playoffs), it's a little surprising that this is just the third time they've squared off in the postseason. As you might imagine, they're currently split 1-1 in the playoff series, and the winner each went on to win a championship. The last playoff matchup between these rivals was the 2010 NFC Championship, which Green Bay won en route to a Super Bowl title.
This season, these NFC North rivals split the season series, and both matchups came down to the wire. Back in Week 14, Caleb Williams threw an interception in the end zone with less than 30 seconds left in regulation to give Green Bay the 28-21 win. However, Williams redeemed himself just a few weeks later in Week 16, throwing a game-winning 46-yard touchdown to D.J. Moore in overtime to defeat the Packers. That contest saw Chicago make an improbable rally from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. So, if this matchup is anything like those two earlier clashes, we're in for another remarkable chapter in this rivalry.
San Francisco 49ers (6) at Philadelphia Eagles (3)
Sunday, Jan. 11 at 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox, stream on fubo)
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|
| Eagles -4.5 | 44.5 | 49ers +190, Eagles -230 |
The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions. If they do, they'd become the first NFC team to do so since the 1992-93 Dallas Cowboys. Philly comes into these playoffs not as much of a juggernaut offensively as they were a year ago. This time around, they've been a bit clunky on that side of the ball, which raises some concerns about their ability to hoist a second-consecutive Lombardi Trophy. That said, they are one of the few teams in the tournament with a championship pedigree and boast a defense that can shut down any offense when it's firing on all cylinders.
As for the 49ers, they were in the thick of the race for the No. 1 seed up until this week when they fell to the Seahawks. San Francisco has been dealing with a wide array of injuries this season, losing the likes of Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for the year. More recently, they were without left tackle Trent Williams and wideout Ricky Pearsall for the regular season finale, which saw the offense post just three points. That was a stark difference from how they'd performed in the six games prior, where they averaged 35.7 points per game and 373.2 yards of total offense. They'll need to get back to that level of production to put the pressure on Philly's offense and confidently head into Lincoln Financial Field with hopes of pulling off the upset.
