NFL playoff picks, odds, predictions: Best bets from our team of experts for Wild Card Weekend
The road to Super Bowl LX begins now. After 18 weeks of regular season action, only 14 teams dream of winning a Lombardi Trophy, and 12 of them will begin their playoffs during Wild Card Weekend. As the No. 1 seeds in the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos sit back and enjoy their first-round byes, the rest of the playoff pool will start throwing haymakers in hopes that they can reach Santa Clara for a chance at a title.
As we do every week throughout the season, we’ve rounded up the best gaming picks and content from CBS Sports and SportsLine in one place. This way, you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts plus additional content for every game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, our staff’s best bets, survivor picks and more. Ready? Let’s go.
All NFL Odds via DraftKings Sports Betting.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox (Broadcast: Fubo — try for free)
Panthers +10: “Being one of the worst playoff teams has actually worked out pretty well for these bad teams over the course of NFL history. The only three playoff teams with a worse point differential than the Panthers have ALL WON THEIR OPENING GAME, including the 2010 Seahawks, who beat the Saints in the infamous Beast Quake game. Of the four previous division winners who entered the playoffs with a losing record, two of them won in the wild-card round, including the ” – CBS Sports NFL writer John Breech explains why Carolina is covering the Rams on Saturday. To see all of his Wild Card Weekend picks, Click here.
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Rams +10.5: “A massive spread, but the Rams have a few things to prove here. Back-to-back losses in Weeks 16 and 17 earned them a wild card, which of course means their road to the Super Bowl is a little tougher. Next up, it’s a revenge game for the Rams, as they were upset by the Panthers in Carolina in Week 13. … Despite their playoff berth, it’s not like the Panthers are on the right track. They fell to Tampa Bay” – CBS Sports NFL writer Jordan Dajani explains why Los Angeles covers the massive spread, 31-20. To see his other choices, Click here.
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Packers -1.5: “This week, the Bears’ ability to run the football will be even more important because you don’t want to put Caleb Williams in a situation where he has to carry the offense. I’m not saying Williams can’t do it, but I’m saying almost every quarterback who makes his first career playoff start tends to struggle and Williams is making his first career playoff start. Last year, Bo Nix and Sam Darnold were both making their first career playoff starts in the wild card round and both quarterbacks were eliminated. The Packers would have pulled off the season sweep if not for a miraculous comeback by the Bears in Week 16 and while Green Bay didn’t get the win then, I think they pulled off the win here, becoming just the second seventh seed to earn a win. ” – CBS Sports NFL writer John Breech explains why Green Bay is beating Chicago. To see all of his Wild Card Weekend picks, Click here.
Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on CBS (stream on Paramount+)
Jaguars +1.5: ” [Josh] Allen is 0-4 on the road in his postseason career, while [Sean] McDermott is 0-5. As an organization, the Bills’ last road playoff victory was in the 1992 AFC Championship in Miami against the Dolphins. Meanwhile, the Jags are solid at EverBank Stadium, finishing the regular season with a 7-1 record at home. As for the bottom line of this game, I think the Jaguars are well equipped to attack Buffalo’s biggest weakness. The Bills gave up 5.1 yards per carry this season, which was the third-worst mark in the entire NFL. Jacksonville has shown its willingness to run the football when given the opportunity, so this could be a good day on the field for Travis Etienne. Buffalo becomes a surprising one-and-done. ” – CBS Sports NFL writer Tyler Sullivan explains why he likes the Jaguars to pull off the upset over Buffalo. To see all of his picks for Wild Card Weekend, Click here.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox (Broadcast: Fubo — try for free)
Eagles -5.5: “The Eagles come in with a dominant defense, while the 49ers have a good offense. This is the matchup that will decide the game. The 49ers defense has struggled all year, while the Eagles offense has struggled as well. Something has to give. I think the Eagles offense will go for it here against the 49ers defense. Expect a big game from Saquon Barkley. On the other side, I expect the Eagles to limit Brock Purdy and the 49ers attack. The Eagles get a little on offense and move on to the next round – CBS Sports Senior NFL Analyst Pete Prisco explains why Philly is winning and covering the Niners. Click here.
49ers +4.5: “The Niners were red hot before getting shut down in the final week of the season by the Seahawks. They should get Trent Williams and maybe Ricky Pearsall back for this game, which should help them move the ball better against Philly’s defense than against Seattle. HOWEVER. San Francisco is still incredibly hurt on both sides of the ball, but especially on defense. I know the Eagles may be the most untrustworthy offense in the league, but I like that they’re able to do something about it. San Francisco unit that allowed offenses to move the ball consistently even before losing Tatum Bethune (along with Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and more) for the season I don’t really feel comfortable rooting for a team that can look so listless, so often, but that’s why I’m picking the Eagles to win and not cover – CBS Sports NFL writer Jared Dubin explains how he sees this game going. playoff between Philly and San Francisco. To see the rest of his picks, Click here.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots
Sunday, 8 p.m. ET on NBC
Looking to add DFS training to your Wild Card weekend? Allow SportsLine’s Mike McClue to help you formulate the best possible lineup for this “Sunday Night Football” matchup between the Chargers and Patriots. McClue is a legendary professional DFS player with over $2 million in career winnings. All who follow him are at the top. Now, McClue has set his sights on this playoff game and identified some key players you need to include in your lineups. To see who they are, go watch SportsLine.
Patriots +3.5: “I have a lot of other questions regarding Justin Herbert’s ability to advance in the playoffs. The Chargers QB is 0-2 in his postseason career, and they have had some pretty damning losses. The first saw Herbert and the Chargers take a 27-0 lead against the Jaguars in the 2022 playoffs. The second came last year when he threw four interceptions in a loss to Houston after throwing just three picks on the whole regular season until Herbert shows me something different, I’m going to make it disappear.” – CBS Sports NFL writer Tyler Sullivan explains why he likes New England to win and covers Sunday night. To see all of his picks for Wild Card Weekend, Click here.
Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN (Broadcast: Fubo — try for free)
We’re wrapping up the first round of the NFL playoffs in Pittsburgh and no one is more qualified to help you end the weekend on a high note than RJ White. The SportsLine expert is on a 37-20-1 (+1455) run over his last 58 picks involving the Steelers. Now, he’s revealed his best bet for this Monday night showdown against Houston. We can tell you he’s leaning over the total of 39.5, but to see his official selection for this match, you’ll have to go to SportsLine.
Steelers +3: “The Texans have one of the best defenses in the league and that may be a problem for a Steelers offense that is just OK. Aaron Rodgers has plenty of playoff experience, which matters. He also gets DK Metcalf back in this one, which is important. The Steelers offensive line has also been good lately. The Texans offense has been better during a nine-game winning streak, but that will depend on Houston’s offensive line against the front This is a problem. Expect the Steelers to force CJ Stroud into mistakes as Pittsburgh advances behind its defensive front in a playoff upset – CBS Sports Senior NFL Analyst Pete Prisco explains why Pittsburgh upsets Houston as a home underdog. Click here.
