The NFL regular season has thrown up plenty of surprises in the 2025 campaign and so there cannot be too many raised eyebrows when it comes to the final fourteen teams who are taking part in the post-season.
Of course there are some big favourites that have been eliminated before the Playoffs have begun, but that won't be written in the history books when a Super Bowl Winner is decided in early February.
Pressure is on those that are still playing in January and that is because they may feel this is a small window that has opened up for success before some of the stronger teams bounce back next season. That especially feels the case for those involved in the AFC side of the Bracket, although whoever comes through is expected to be the Super Bowl underdog with the NFC teams looking stronger one through seven.
However, in saying all that, there have been so many surprising results from week to week this season that you cannot dismiss a few more happening over the next three weeks before the Super Bowl is actually set for San Francisco.
Picking a favourite is difficult, but the way my Bracket worked out saw the Denver Broncos facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game.
That could change very quickly and this has been the worst season for a number of seasons for the NFL Picks, which perhaps makes my predictions look all the weaker immediately anyway.
The Wild Card Round is played between Saturday and Monday and all of the selections are in this thread below.
For games where a selection has yet to be made, those will be added in the next several hours as Wild Card Weekend kicks off in Carolina and concludes in Pittsburgh over the next few days.
Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers Pick: After the San Francisco 49ers were beaten on Saturday in Week 18, an opportunity arrived for the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) to move into the Number 5 Seed in the NFC. That would mean beginning the post-season at the home of the NFC South Winners rather than facing the Philadelphia Eagles or Chicago Bears and a blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals saw the Rams move up into this Seeding position.
It was also important to snap a two game losing run before the Playoffs, although the Carolina Panthers (8-9) will ultimately have been thankful for one of those Rams losses.
If Los Angeles had beaten Atlanta in Week 17, the Carolina loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have meant elimination for the Panthers and the Buccaneers hosting this Wild Card Game. They still needed the Falcons to win out against the New Orleans Saints to finally begin to think ahead to the post-season for the first time in almost a decade, but Carolina have made it and will believe this represents a 'new season.
They have to think that way after the Panthers closed the regular season with three losses in four games, including consecutive defeats.
One of those losses was to the Seattle Seahawks as Carolina were beaten by 17 points in the last game of the regular season, but the Panthers should not be intimidated by facing the Los Angeles Rams considering they upset this opponent in the regular season in November.
It was a day when one of the leading contenders for the regular season MVP, Matthew Stafford, was responsible for three turnovers and that was a decisive factor in what turned out to be a 3 point loss right in this Stadium. The Rams were 9.5 point favourites on that day, but the spread has actually moved another point in their favour despite the defeat and that is a number that will be very tough to cover.
Over the course of the season, the Rams have played well Defensively, but they struggled to find the right balance on this side of the ball in the loss to Carolina.
The key to beating the Panthers is stopping the run, but the Los Angeles Defensive Line have finished the season looking vulnerable and that is something that the home team are going to be wanting to expose. With a Quarter Back lacking Playoff experience, the Panthers will want to control the clock and tempo of this game, while also making sure Bryce Young is not feeling too much pressure trying to convert from third and long spots.
There has been plenty to like from Bryce Young this season after looking like a bust, but the young Quarter Back has still been inconsistent, while the Los Angeles pass rush will be looking to unleash if they can force the Panthers behind the chains. Being able to do that should help slow this opponent down, but the key is at the Line of Scrimmage and finding a way to clamp down on the rush.
Bryce Young did throw 3 Touchdowns without an Interception in the upset of the Rams earlier this season, but it may be tough to replicate that now that the Rams Secondary will be more ready to deal with what this Quarter Back can throw at them.
The Rams also have to expect veteran Quarter Back Matthew Stafford to have a much cleaner game all around and there will be a real feeling that Los Angeles can find plenty of balance on this side of the ball.
Running the ball will just make sure the passing lanes remain open, although it is clear that the Rams will go as far as Matthew Stafford can take them.
Importantly key players are returning for the Playoff push with Davante Adams back to give Stafford another big option in the passing game and that will aid the Rams who have to respect how the Carolina Panthers Secondary were playing to close out the season. They limited Baker Mayfield (twice) and Sam Darnold in the passing game in the last three games, but Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are another big test and this is a team that have been very good at throwing the ball all season.
The Rams also have the experience edge and it should be noted that first appearances in the Playoffs for Quarter Backs have been hugely challenging- those that have been set as the underdog, like Bryce Young, are just 14-22-1 against the spread in this spot, while those Quarter Backs are also just 23-43-1 against the spread when facing an opponent with a Quarter Back that has played in the post-season previously.
Last season the Texans showed that a Head Coach/Quarter Back combination who are both making first appearances in the Playoffs in those current roles can overcome the recent trend as they were able to upset the Los Angeles Chargers, but the Texans were more talented than this Carolina team have looked.
At the same time, you cannot ignore some recent big trends that make it less appealing to back the Rams here- road teams that have won at least 11 regular season games were just 1-3 against the spread in the Playoffs twelve months ago, while underdogs have been very productive in recent NFC Wild Card Games.
Road favourites are just 8-13-1 against the spread in the Wild Card Games played since 2008, which is hard to ignore, while hosts have been in very good form in the Saturday Wild Card Games in recent years with this being a 'short week'.
You would still expect the Rams to find a way to win here, but it does make asking them to cover a bit more of a question, especially with the line where it is.
However, Los Angeles do look the right side and outright winners have tended to cover far more often than not in recent Wild Card Games.
Conditions could be difficult for the Los Angeles Rams with the chance of there being rain and wind, but they should still have too much for a Panthers team that backed their way into the post-season. Add in the motivation to make up for the road loss in the regular season and it should be a clear thinking Los Angeles team arriving in Charlotte for this opening Wild Card Game and the Rams can win well.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears Pick: Rivalry games will always come with extra attention, but a Divisional rivalry taking place in the post-season will go down in folklore for whichever team is able to come out on top.
The home team have won the last five times a Divisional rivalry has been played in a Wild Card Game, but the Chicago Bears (11-6) and Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) split two regular season games and will have a lot of respect for what the other brings to the field.
There is plenty of familiarity coming out of the fact that the Bears and Packers are meeting for the third time in six weeks and second time in four weeks at Soldier Field.
Both teams would have loved to have had more momentum- the Bears finished with the Number 2 Seed in the NFC, but have lost two in a row, while the Green Bay Packers have lost four in a row. Key players have not played for a while with Quarter Back Jordan Love taking snaps for Green Bay for the first time since being knocked out of the last game here at Soldier Field, while the starters were resting in Week 18 to make sure they can overcome all ailments ahead of this Wild Card Game.
The Bears were beaten in Week 18 right here by the Detroit Lions, but earned the Number 2 Seed after the Philadelphia Eagles were beaten on the same day and that means they have this tough looking Wild Card Game to open on their return to the post-season.
It has been a really good first season as Head Coach for Ben Johnson, while he will use his experience Coaching with the Detroit Lions in recent years to help his young group come together. The Offensive game plan has certainly worked for Quarter Back Caleb Williams in his second season in the NFL, but he is making his first start in the post-season and has to overcome some serious trends going against him.
Much like Bryce Young earlier in the day, Caleb Williams will know Quarter Backs making the first Playoff start are just 15-23 against the spread in those outing and a really poor 23-43-1 against the spread when facing an opponent with a Quarter Back that has Playoff experience.
It looks like Chicago will be going into this one as the underdog so Williams will also have to overcome the 14-22-1 record against the spread that those 'rookie' Playoff Quarter Backs have faced.
His performances on the field have to give the Chicago Bears a huge amount of confidence and they will also note that Caleb Williams is going to be facing a banged up Green Bay Defensive unit that have shown plenty of signs of having worn down.
This season the Bears made a real effort to give the Quarter Back time and he is playing behind an Offensive Line that have given him Caleb Williams time when he has dropped back to throw. That is helped by the ability Williams has in scrambling away from pressure and still keeping his eyes down the field, while the Chicago Offensive Line have been very happy when it comes to run blocking and this is an area where they should be able to pummel an injury hit Green Bay Defensive Line.
A tandem at Running Back should mean Chicago can keep legs fresh as they look to make sure Caleb Williams is kept in third and manageable spots, and from there it will be a chance for Williams to shine.
Rome Odunze looks like he will be suiting up to offer up more downfield threat and the Bears will be confident they can have Offensive successes with a balanced play-calling day. Of course they should watch out for Trevon Diggs who the Green Bay Packers have been able to sign after he was cut at the end of the season by the Dallas Cowboys, but there will be a confidence in Chicago that the home town team can produce on this side of the ball.
The tougher test may actually be when the Green Bay Packers have the ball.
In the last few weeks there had been some improvement shown by the Chicago Defensive unit as injuries began to clear up, but they were struggling to get off the field in the last couple of defeats.
Now they have to take on the Green Bay Packers team that will have Jordan Love at Quarter Back and a number of the key Offensive starters hoping to be much healthier with a couple of weeks of rest under the feet. Jordan Love had 234 passing yards with 3 Touchdown passes in the first game against the Bears and the Quarter Back had begun in decent shape in the game here at Soldier Field before being knocked out of the game with concussion.
Josh Jacobs should be feeling much better having had a number of injury issues at the close of the regular season and he is going to be an important figure for the Green Bay Packers- they should be able to use the Offensive Line to establish the run and that is going to be important for this team to make sure they strike a balance on this side of the ball that makes it tough to stop them.
It should also mean Jordan Love has enough time to move the ball down the field before the Chicago pass rush can get to him and there are plenty of skill players that can step up for the road team.
In his absence it has been tough for the Packers to throw the ball with the same consistency as when they have Love at Quarter Back, but the expectation is that the Chicago Secondary is going to have some problems getting on top of all of the Receivers that can be targeted.
Recent seasons have seen the underdog put together strong returns in the Wild Card Round, while road favourites have a poor record.
The Number 2 Seed has also been dominant in the Wild Card Round since the expansion of the NFL Playoff, while the Chicago Bears have won the most recent regular season meeting between these NFC North rivals.
However, you cannot ignore how many things had to go in the Bears favour at Soldier Field to earn the victory, including recovering an onside kick and seeing the Packers turn the ball over when driving in Overtime.
There really wasn't much between the teams in the regular season, but Jordan Love's Playoff experience may end up making the difference.
We should see plenty of points assuming the weather conditions do not worsen significantly, although it will be cold as expected in January Chicago weather.
Once all is said and done, the Green Bay Packers may be the team who can avoid those late game mistakes that cost them three weeks ago and they may just be able to force a mistake from a first time Playoff Quarter Back and come out on top in this good looking Wild Card Game.
Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars Pick: The NFL Playoffs look incredibly competitive this season and you could feasibly make a case for any of the fourteen teams to win the Super Bowl next month.
The AFC Playoff picture has been opened up by the elimination of the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, two teams that would have entered the season amongst the favourites to win it all.
One of the 'favourites' that will still be playing Football in January is the Buffalo Bills (12-5), but they failed to win the AFC East and that means the team has to head out on the road for at least the Wild Card Round. The Bills finished as the Number 6 Seed and they are a very narrow favourite to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) who won the AFC South in the first season under Head Coach Liam Coen.
After another inconsistent start to the season, the Jaguars won the last eight regular season games, which means they have the second longest winning streak in the NFL ahead of the Wild Card Round. The real credit has to be that the Jaguars have won those games under the pressure of being chased by the Houston Texans, who won nine games in a row, and that should mean Jacksonville are very much battle-hardened as they return to the post-season.
Head Coaches that are Coaching in the Playoffs for the first time are 10-6 against the spread in recent times under this situation and that should give Jacksonville belief, although it should be noted that they are facing a very experienced Buffalo team that have been so very close to reaching a Super Bowl.
However, the Bills will be disappointed that they have not quite been able to get over the line, while the standout statistic here is that Buffalo have not won any of the last nine road Playoff Games going back to 1992.
Quarter Back Josh Allen is absolutely the key to any success in January and February 2026 and he kept his streak of starts going when taking one snap in Week 18. However, Allen has been dealing with a foot issue and there is no doubt that the Buffalo Bills will need the Quarter Back to use his legs if they are going to find a way to win this Wild Card Game.
Running the ball in general is going to be key as Jacksonville will be hosting in unfamiliar conditions- instead of the warm weather that has been around, there is a forecast that this will be played in rainy conditions and that may mean teams are trying to pound the rock.
The Bills Offensive Line will be confident in being able to establish the run, although that will be very dependent on Josh Allen being able to scramble down the field. By having some of the Linebackers focusing on the Quarter Back, James Cook will end up having more spaces to exploit, but if Allen shows he is not quite at full health, the Jaguars may just believe the Defensive Line can force the Quarter Back to show off his passing ability.
Jacksonville have not really been able to pressure the Quarter Back, but the Secondary have played well and they should be confident that third and long spots will be difficult for the Bills to convert. Stopping Josh Allen completely is unlikely, but the Jaguars can feel they have won if the Quarter Back is not able to run as effectively as usual and has to rely on some of the Receivers to step up.
It is the injuries on the Buffalo Defensive unit that could be the real issue in this game and they may struggle to deal with what has become a balanced and effective Jacksonville Offensive unit.
Trevor Lawrence has played well and is capable of running the ball when needed, and it is a game in which the Jaguars Offensive Line can force spaces up front to keep the team in front of the chains. For much of the season, the Bills have been banged up and unable to stop the run with any consistency and the Jaguars are not going to shy away from pounding the ball against the Bills and making sure their own Quarter Back is kept in positive field position.
The arrival of Jakobi Meyers has been really important for the Jaguars and allowed Trevor Lawrence to display the passing that had encouraged this team to take him as the Number 1 Pick in the Draft.
To be fair to the Bills Secondary, they have produced decent numbers this season, but some of that is down to the issues they have had up front in stopping the run. Recent outings have been against teams that have not thrown the ball nearly as well as Trevor Lawrence has been during this eight game winning run.
There are plenty of recent general Wild Card Game trends that favour the Buffalo Bills, while the experience factor cannot be dismissed.
Oddsmakers are clearly anticipating a close game and it would be a surprise if that is not the case.
Josh Allen's health is a real concern for the Buffalo Bills, while there is also pressure on the team knowing that the likes of Kansas City and Baltimore are not going to stand in the way. That can be a hindrance at times and the Jacksonville Jaguars look balanced Offensively, which could end up proving to be the big difference between the teams on the day.
San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles Pick: There is a belief that you want to be playing your best Football in January and so it was a surprise to see so many of the NFC Playoff teams losing in Week 18.
Both of these teams were beaten, although the San Francisco 49ers (12-5) will most certainly be feeling the pain more than most.
They went into a home game in Week 18 with a chance to not only win the NFC West, but a win would also have meant a Bye as the Number 1 Seed in the Playoff. Instead the 49ers slipped below the Los Angeles Rams and that means having to travel across the country and take on the defending Champions on their home turf.
It has been far from a vintage season for the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6), but they did comfortably win the NFC East and losing in Week 18 is not something that overly concerned the Coaching staff. You have to believe that facing the Green Bay Packers rather than either of the NFC West Wild Card teams was something that the Eagles actively tried to avoid by sitting the starters in Week 18 and they certainly will believe they match up best with the injury hit 49ers.
Take nothing away from the season that the 49ers have produced, but they were not exactly given the most taxing of schedules and San Francisco struggled mightily against the Seattle Seahawks last week.
One of the big injuries late in the season has been suffered by Trent Williams and there is no doubt that the San Francisco Offensive Line is not nearly as strong without him. Perhaps Williams will try and suit up, but he could be limited and the 49ers may not get too much change out of this Philadelphia Defensive Line that have played the run pretty well all season.
Christian McCaffrey can still be a factor having maintained good health, but the Running Back may be a big threat leaking out of the backfield and offering Quarter Back Brock Purdy a security blanket.
Brock Purdy was receiving plenty of plaudits for some of his late season play, but the entire Offensive unit struggled against the Seahawks in Week 18 and this Philadelphia Defense has been the strength of the defending Champions.
Without a strong running game to back him, Brock Purdy is going to be put under pressure by this Eagles pass rush and throwing against this Secondary from third and long will be asking a lot without the kind of Receivers San Francisco have had in recent seasons.
Those years would have also been at a time when the 49ers could rely on the Defensive unit to keep them in games, but to say they have been banged on this side of the ball would be a huge understatement.
Over the last couple of weeks, the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks have given the Philadelphia Eagles the blueprint they need on the Offensive side of the ball- both teams have run the ball very well behind the Offensive Line and the Eagles and Saquon Barkley should be able to pick up from where those teams left off.
No one will suggest Barkley has been nearly as strong as last season, but the Eagles ended the regular season running the ball with more confidence and also have Quarter Back Jalen Hurts who is capable of moving the chains with his legs too.
This should make things pretty comfortable for Hurts when he does drop back to throw the ball downfield.
The 49ers Secondary has been exposed by the lack of a pass rush up front and Jalen Hurts will have plenty of time to target the likes of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, while Dallas Goedert continues to make big plays when needed.
It has been an inconsistent season for the Eagles Offense, but this looks a 'get right' opportunity.
Number 3 Seeds have not been the best teams to back in recent Wild Card seasons, while NFC underdogs have been thriving against the spread.
This has to be noted, but in the last 34 Playoff Games involving a Road team that has more regular season wins than the host, the Home team have a 22-11-1 record against the spread.
Hosts are also 16-8 against the spread in the last four seasons of Wild Card action and this looks like a game in which the Philadelphia Eagles should be the stronger team by some margin on both sides of the ball. As long as the Offensive unit have a semi-decent outing, they should have too much for an injury hit visiting team that have overachieved this season.
Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots Pick:
MY PICKS: Los Angeles Rams - 9.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Green Bay Packers - 1.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Jacksonville Jaguars @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Philadelphia Eagles - 6 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Week 18: 3-4, - 1.51 Units (7 Units Staked, - 21.57% Yield)
Week 17: 5-6, - 1.45 Units (11 Units Staked, - 13.18% Yield)
Week 16: 3-5, - 2.28 Units (8 Units Staked, - 28.50% Yield)
Week 15: 3-2, + 0.73 Units (5 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)
Week 14: 0-1, - 1 Unit (1 Unit Staked, - 100% Yield)
Week 13: 3-4, - 1.50 Units (7 Units Staked, - 21.43% Yield)
Week 12: 1-5, - 4.17 Units (6 Units Staked, - 69.50% Yield)
Week 11: 2-4, - 2.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.17% Yield)
Week 10: 3-3, - 0.34 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.67% Yield)
Week 9: 2-2, - 0.18 Units (4 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)
Week 8: 4-3, + 0.52 Units (7 Units Staked, + 7.43% Yield)
Week 7: 3-2, + 0.69 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.80% Yield)
Week 6: 3-4, - 1.09 Units (7 Units Staked, - 15.57% Yield)
Week 5: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)
Week 4: 2-3, - 1.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 22.80% Yield)
Week 3: 5-3, + 1.56 Units (8 Units Staked, + 19.50% Yield)
Week 2: 3-2, + 0.67 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.40% Yield)
Week 1: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)
2025 Season: 48-58, - 15.05 Units (106 Units Staked, - 14.20% Yield)
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