Playoff Preview: Wild Card Weekend Brings Six Postseason Matchups

The NFL regular season came to a close on Sunday with the playoffs’ 14 participating teams now decided. Wild Card Weekend kicks off on Saturday with two games, followed by a triple-header on Sunday, and then one last game on Monday night.

The weekend’s action was highlighted by a win-or-go-home game Sunday night between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. After a defensive battle for much of the game, both offenses came alive with 27 points scored in the fourth quarter of what was a playoff-like atmosphere in Pittsburgh.

The Ravens had a chance to win, but kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds to hand the Steelers a 26-24 victory and the AFC North title. The Steelers (10-7) now host the Houston Texans (12-5) on Monday night and the Ravens (8-9) are left out of the postseason.

Quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers were both solid, with several big pass plays down the stretch. The 42-year-old Rodgers was especially pleased to be heading back to the playoffs after a bit of an up-and-down season.

“We haven’t made it easy on ourselves, really all season, I guess,” he said afterward. “But I’m proud of our guys. I’m proud of the way that we responded multiple times after they took a lead. It just takes a little belief at this point in the season.”

Looking Ahead

Two teams will have byes in the first week of the playoffs. The Denver Broncos(14-3) earned the No. 1 spot in the AFC and will have a bye in the first round. The Seattle Seahawks (14-3) earned a bye in the NFC.

No doubt NFL betting will be heating up as the postseason gets underway. As of Monday, the Seahawks (+390), Rams (+440), and Broncos (+650) were the favorites to win the Super Bowl, according to FanDuel.

The 2025 champion Philadelphia Eagles checked in at +850 and may be an undervalued option. Here’s a look at this weekend’s playoff matchups and betting odds for each game.

NFC Matchups

• L.A. Rams (-10.5) at Carolina Panthers (O/U 46.5) – Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
• Green Bay Packers (-1.5) at Chicago Bears (O/U 45.5) – Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
• San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) (O/U 45.5) – Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET

AFC Matchups

• Buffalo Bills (-1.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (O/U 51.5) – Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
• L.A. Chargers at New England Patriots (-3.5) (O/U 46.5) – Sunday, 8 p.m. ET
• Houston Texans (-3.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (O/U 39.5) – Monday, 8 p.m. ET