NFL Wild Card Weekend 2026 Betting Preview: Odds, Predictions, and Best Bets

The 2026 NFL Wild Card odds suggest we’ll mostly have close games, with one major exception. The LA Rams are big favorites against the Carolina Panthers, but it should be tight everywhere else.

In this article, I explore the odds for every matchup, highlight key details, and share my NFL Wild Card predictions and best bets. I also use them for our free Beat the Geek contest. It comes with a $10k prize pool in Bitcoin, so feel free to join me there!

NFL Wild Card 2026 Odds and Predictions (Snapshot)

Here are the latest NFL Wild Card Weekend odds, courtesy of Lucky Rebel:

The top NFL betting sites expect a close battle in five of the six games. The largest point spread in them is -5.5 on the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Los Angeles Rams are the outlier at -10.5 points. At this number, the Rams are the largest road favorites in NFL playoff history.

If you are interested in my complete analysis of each game, continue reading below for my NFL Wild Card betting picks. Moreover, for updated odds at Lucky Rebel, navigate to Sports > Football > NFL > Upcoming Events.

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Rams vs. Panthers Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

The Rams are projected to make easy work of the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. Regarded as one of the top favorites throughout the season, the Rams wound up in the Wild Card round after losing critical matchups against the Seattle Seahawks and then the Atlanta Falcons in two of their final three regular-season games.

It isn’t how they envisioned the regular season ending, but they got back on track with a 37–20 blowout over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18. This is a rematch of the Rams-Panthers meeting on November 30, when the Panthers upset the visitors in a 31-28 final. Panthers’ QB Bryce Young threw three touchdowns in one of the best performances of his career.

Can he do it twice? It will be difficult to duplicate that effort, but the Panthers are going to need it to win. Young heads into the postseason with 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions on 63.6% passing. He’s an inconsistent passer, and his performance level can vary greatly from week to week.

The way I see it, the Rams’ defense will be prepared to contain Young after he torched them for three touchdowns.

More importantly, I don’t anticipate Young keeping pace with Rams’ QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford is coming off the best season of his career, and I don’t expect him to slow down in the playoffs.

The Rams’ quarterback passed for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, and eight interceptions on 65% completions to make him a finalist for MVP. The offense ranked first in the NFL, averaging 394.6 yards and 30.5 points per game.

The Panthers finished 15^th against the pass, and it’s going to be a tough matchup with WR Davante Adams back on the field. They’ll have to blanket WR Puka Nacua, which allows Adams to get open.

The Panthers were hot and cold at 8-9 this season, and I don’t expect the Rams to let them get hot. In short, lay the big number for your 2026 NFL Wild Card best bets.

Packers vs. Bears Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

The Chicago Bears are small home underdogs against NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers. It’s one of the tightest matchups on the 2026 NFL Wild Card Weekend board, with Chicago holding just under a 50% implied probability of winning. Green Bay is limping into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak.

The Packers have been without QB Jordan Love since a 22-16 overtime loss to the Bears on December 20. Love has been dealing with concussion symptoms since then, but he’s been cleared to return for this Wild Card matchup. Given how poorly the Packers have played recently, getting Love back under center is essential.

The question is, how quickly can Green Bay flip the switch and get the season back on track? It may be difficult for everything to come together immediately.

Meanwhile, the Bears won seven of their last ten games to clinch the NFC North title. They closed the regular season with a 42-38 loss to the 49ers, and a 19-16 loss to the Lions, but with the division already wrapped up, there wasn’t much urgency.

The Packers were mediocre on the road this season, finishing 4-4 away from Lambeau Field. While they were solid at home, I don’t have the same confidence in them at Soldier Field. Their defense has taken a significant hit outside Green Bay, allowing just 272.1 yards per game at home but 347.1 on the road. Similarly, they gave up 17.9 points per game at home versus 24.1 away.

Bears’ QB Caleb Williams should be poised for a strong performance in his first NFL playoff appearance. In his first year under head coach Ben Johnson, Williams threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

His mobility adds another dimension, as he ran for 388 yards and three scores. With Williams under center, the Bears averaged 369.2 yards per game, the sixth-best mark in the league.

Also note that the Packers are only 3-6-0 against the spread (ATS) on the road and 1-5 ATS following a loss this season. The Bears, by contrast, are 5-3-0 ATS at Soldier Field. It’s asking a lot for Green Bay to suddenly snap back into form in Love’s first start in weeks.

Back the Bears to cover the short number as one of the best NFL Wild Card picks on the board.

Bills vs. Jaguars Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

In a season filled with breakout campaigns, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been the biggest surprise. They flipped their record from 4-13 to 13-4 in one year as QB Trevor Lawrence silenced more than a few critics.

Backed by a surging defense, the Jaguars have been strong on both sides of the ball. They enter the postseason blazing hot on an eight-game winning streak, with six of those wins coming by double digits.

Lawrence threw for 4,007 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in a major bounce-back season. He also showcased his mobility, adding 359 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The Jaguars finished the regular season averaging 27.9 points per game with Lawrence driving the offense.

Many football fans don’t realize how dominant Jacksonville’s defense has been this season, but I trust their consistency more than Buffalo’s. I’m not confident in the Bills’ defense slowing down the Jaguars, especially their dual-threat rushing attack with Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr.

The Bills rank 28^th against the run, allowing 136.2 rushing yards per game. While they’ve been strong against the pass, if Jacksonville softens them up on the ground, which I believe they can, expect Lawrence to start connecting on big plays over the top against the secondary.

Meanwhile, I’m not convinced the Bills can establish a running game, which is paramount to their offensive success.

Jacksonville ranks first in the league, giving up just 85.6 rushing yards per game. Overall, they’ve been a lights-out defensive unit at home, allowing only 280.8 yards per matchup. I like this disciplined Jaguars’ defense to pressure Josh Allen and disrupt Buffalo in the opening round.

The Jaguars are 7-1-0 ATS at home and 3-1-0 ATS as an underdog in 2025-26. Conversely, the Bills are just 6-9-0 ATS as a betting favorite. Jacksonville is being underestimated, and I like the value on the Jaguars +1 to cover for my NFL Wild Card Weekend predictions.

49ers vs. Eagles Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

In what could be one of the most entertaining Wild Card matchups, the Philadelphia Eagles enter as the second-biggest favorites of the weekend. At -255, the Eagles carry a 71.83% implied chance to take care of business and win outright at home.

The Eagles cruised to an NFC East title without much competition. Their 11-6 record came after an up-and-down regular season, but the defending Super Bowl champions may be getting hot at the right time. On the other side, the 49ers fell short in a 13-3 loss to the Seahawks in Week 18, costing them the NFC West crown.

Still, it was a strong second-half surge for San Francisco after the division initially looked like a two-team race between the Rams and Seahawks. The 49ers went 6-1 over their final seven games to climb back into the divisional hunt, but their offense finally stalled against a tough Seattle defense.

Injuries are a concern for the 49ers, but the offense is expected to be close to full strength against the Eagles. Pro Bowl LT Trent Williams and WR Ricky Pearsall both missed the Seahawks game, though there’s optimism they’ll be ready for the postseason. Williams is the key in this matchup, making his potential return especially significant.

49ers’ RB Christian McCaffrey is at his best when Williams is on the field. McCaffrey is coming off one of the best regular seasons in his career. He rushed for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns, while hauling in 102 receptions for 924 yards with seven receiving scores. With McCaffrey, Williams, and QB Brock Purdy healthy, the offense should be in good hands.

The Eagles’ defense is far from elite, unlike last year’s team. They are 13th in the NFL, allowing 314.2 yards per matchup. The run defense was spotty at best, with 124.4 rushing yards allowed per game, good for 22nd in the league. That could be the difference with McCaffrey in the backfield.

San Francisco thrived on the road, posting a 7-2-0 ATS record away this season. The Eagles went just 4-4-0 ATS at Lincoln Financial Field. Additionally, the 49ers were 7-3-1 ATS against teams outside the NFC West. In a game likely decided by a field goal, backing the 49ers offers value at +5.5 for your best 2026 NFL Wild Card picks!

Chargers vs. Patriots Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

In Mike Vrabel’s first season as the Patriots’ head coach, he has turned the franchise back into a contender. Coming off a 14-3 campaign, New England is a 3.5-point home favorite against the Chargers.

While this could have been a toss-up on paper, I’m concerned the Chargers won’t be able to overcome their offensive line issues.

Los Angeles has serious problems up front that are likely to be exposed in this matchup. The Chargers rank dead last in Pass Block Win Rate (54.4%) and next-to-last in Run Block Win Rate (69%). They also allow the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL.

QB Justin Herbert has been sacked at the second-highest rate in the league, going down 3.5 times per game. Meanwhile, the Patriots rank in the top 10 in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game. They’re sixth against the run, giving up just 101.7 rushing yards per game, and ninth against the pass at 193.5 passing yards allowed.

The Chargers’ defense is stout as well, also ranking in the top 10. However, New England’s offense is in a much better place with Drake Maye under center and a strong offensive line. Maye is neck-and-neck with Matthew Stafford in the MVP race, and his case is just as compelling.

The second-year quarterback has thrown for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing 72% of his passes. He’s tough to bring down and slippery in the pocket. Overall, the Patriots’ offense ranks third in the NFL with 379.4 yards per game and second in scoring at 28.5 points per contest.

With the Chargers’ offensive line concerns and Maye under center for the Patriots, consider laying -3.5 points for your 2026 NFL Wild Card best bets.

Texans vs. Steelers Odds, Prediction, and Betting Pick

The Houston Texans travel to Pennsylvania to open the postseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As one of the hottest teams in the league, the Texans are a trendy Super Bowl pick right now. They’re riding a nine-game winning streak and haven’t lost since November 2 against the Denver Broncos.

At 12-5, the Texans missed out on the AFC South crown to the Jaguars, but they enter the playoffs with plenty of momentum. Conversely, the Steelers won a wild game to edge out the Ravens in the season finale and claim the AFC North title. It took a missed Ravens’ field goal as time expired for the Steelers to clinch a spot in the Wild Card round.

Led by veteran QB Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers won four of their last five games to earn the right to host the Texans in Pittsburgh. That’s significant for Pittsburgh, as it is a very different team at home than on the road, going 6-3 at home, compared to 4-4 away.

At home, the Steelers posted a 5-3 ATS mark, versus just 3-5 ATS on the road. Meanwhile, the Texans were mediocre away from home with a 4-4 ATS record this season. However, their defense has traveled well: they rank second in the league with just 279.1 yards allowed per game.

Not much separates the Texans and Steelers in terms of points scored. The margin is razor thin, with the Texans averaging 23.8 points per game and the Steelers, 23.4, during the regular season. That figure drops to 19.8 points per game on the road for Houston.

Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin is 24-9-3 ATS as a home underdog, and after surviving against the Ravens, his squad should be ready for another tight matchup. I’m not sure if they’ll pull off the upset, but +3 offers strong NFL Wild Card betting value.

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