The NFL regular season has ended, and the playoffs are just days away. The first part of the playoffs is the Wild Card Round, which features 12 teams fighting for a spot in the Divisional Round.
The 6 games will span from Saturday to Monday and are bound to bring some excitement. Let’s wrap up the regular season and dive into Wild Card Weekend with a preview and best bet for each game.
Bet On The NFL
Week 17 Headlines
Wrapping Up The Regular Season
A lot happened in Week 18. We crowned division winners, set the 2025 Draft order, and plenty of players hit lucrative contract incentives. Although we didn’t see as many starters as usual, it was still a very exciting week that ended with a highly-anticipated Divisional matchup between the Vikings and Lions for the NFC North.
With a record like 14-3, you would think you would get a bye into the next round, but not the Vikings! Overall, it was another successful regular season with plenty to be excited about in the playoffs.
NFL Wild Card Round Preview
There is a lot to look forward to in Wild Card Weekend. Twelve teams will battle for a chance in the next round, and playoff football feels different. Plus, two rookie quarterbacks have made it to the playoffs! Here’s a preview of all six matchups with a best bet for each game.
Los Angeles Chargers vs Houston Texans
Jim Harbaugh has led the Chargers to the playoffs in his first year as head coach. Los Angeles finished 11-6 and second in the AFC West, but good enough to earn a spot in the Wild Card Round. The trio of QB Justin Herbert, RB J.K. Dobbins and WR Ladd McConkey have been the heart and soul of the offense, and the Chargers come into this game having scored 34, 40 and 34 points in their last three games.
The Chargers will face the Texans, who avoided a third straight loss by beating the Titans in Week 18. A 10-7 record was good enough to win the AFC South, but it’s hard to ignore Houston’s second-half struggles.
QB C.J. Stroud has taken a step back from his stellar rookie campaign, and the Texans' receiving corps has been battered with injuries lately. Nico Collins remains, but he’s become the clear-cut target for Stroud. If the Chargers can limit Collins in the secondary and keep Joe Mixon’s impact to a minimum, it won’t be easy for the Texans to move the ball downfield. Take the younger and hungrier team in Houston.
OUR PICK: CHARGERS -2.5 (-115)
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens
The Steelers and Ravens will face off for the third time this season as part of Wild Card Weekend. In the first matchup, the Steelers upset the Ravens 18-16. But Baltimore got revenge in the second meeting with a 34-17 win. Although the season series is 1-1, there is a reason the Ravens have been listed as 9.5-point favorites this weekend.
Pittsburgh closed the regular season on a four-game losing streak with losses to the Ravens, Eagles, Chiefs and Bengals. Russell Wilson has regressed immensely since his hot start, and the Steelers have proven that they can’t play with the best of the best.
On the opposite side, the Ravens won their final four games of the season over the Giants, Steelers, Texans, and Browns. Baltimore got stronger as the season went on, and the duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry remains hard to beat. Plus, the highly-criticized Ravens defense improved a lot over the final course of the season as they allowed only 14, 17, 2 and 10 points in their final four contests. Back Baltimore to beat the Steelers once again.
Our Pick: Ravens -9.5 (-110)
Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills
A rookie quarterback against an MVP candidate is just one of the reasons for the Bills being 8.5-point favorites over the Broncos on Sunday afternoon. With that said, I think the Broncos will be able to keep the score competitive. Bo Nix has been the perfect quarterback for the Broncos offense this season and led the Broncos to five wins in their final seven games. Plus, Denver finished the season scoring 38, 29, 41, 31, 27, 24 and 38 points in that seven-game span. An elite offensive line with a veteran-looking quarterback has been the key to Denver’s offensive success.
The Bills were one of two teams that did not lose at home in the regular season. Playing in winter conditions has become a major advantage for the Bills in recent years. The offense runs through Josh Allen, who has James Cook in the backfield and Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid as his main targets.
The main issue for Buffalo has been their secondary. That’s something Nix can take advantage of to keep the Broncos in the game. I think the Bills win this game, but the Broncos cover the big spread.
OUR PICK: BRONCOS +8.5 (-110)
Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles will be very well rested for Sunday’s matchup since Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were all absent from Philly’s Week 18 game. When healthy, the Eagles have been extremely difficult to beat. That’s because their offense averaged over 27 points in the regular season while their defense allowed the second-fewest points per game in the league. Their elite offense and defense have made them a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Green Bay finished 11-6 and in third place behind the Lions and Vikings in the NFC North.
Jordan Love took a huge step forward in his development, and Josh Jacobs became a magnet for the end zone in the second half of the season. With that said, the Packers failed to show up when they needed to. Five of their six losses were by the Eagles, Vikings and Lions. Back the more solid team and take the Eagles to cover the spread.
OUR PICK: EAGLES -4.5 (-110)
Washington Commanders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It was supposed to be another rebuilding year for the Commanders, but QB Jayden Daniels made them a playoff team in his rookie season. Washington finished 12-5 in the regular season, and the main reason for the success on offense can be attributed to Daniels, Brian Robinson and Terry McLaurin. It’s been an incredible turnaround season for the Washington franchise, but I’m not sure their defense is ready for Baker Mayfield and the high-powered Bucs offense.
Tampa Bay closed out the regular season with six wins in their final seven games. Plus, it’s hard to forget they beat the Lions and Eagles earlier in the season. Mayfield has proven to be a top-10 quarterback in the league and is surrounded by WR Mike Evans, RB Rachaad White, RB Bucky Irving and TE Cade Otton. The Bucs finished the season averaging the fourth most points per game, and I think that will be too much for the Commanders defense.
OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS -3 (-110)
Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams
Minnesota’s biggest game of the year was their final one of the regular season. They had a matchup with the Lions to determine the winner of the NFC North and which team would get the bye to the Divisional Round. Unfortunately for the Vikings, the lights were brighter than expected, and they scored just 9 points in their 22-point loss. Sam Darnold was missing receivers left and right, and that worried me for the future.
The Rams finished the year 10-7, but they were a completely different team in the second half. Getting Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua on the field at the same time created an extremely dangerous offense that won six of their final eight games of the season. With QB Matthew Stafford under center, Puka and Kupp as the targets, and Kyren Williams in the backfield, the Rams offense might be the best of all 12 teams in the Wild Card Round. I’ll take the point with L.A. as underdogs.
OUR PICK: RAMS +1.5 (-110)
