It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Well, I guess the NFL Playoffs aren’t exactly what that song is referring to, but it should be. Especially when we’re dealing with the Wild Card round, as we get six amazing football games spread across three days of action. It’s a glorious thing.
Who will win those games and get one step closer to Super Bowl glory? The team at DraftKings Network has some thoughts. Check out our picks for every matchup of Wild Card weekend.
2025 NFL Playoff Predictions
Wild Card Round
Garion Thorne, Senior Content Associate
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers over No. 4 Houston Texans
The most interesting game in the AFC is Saturday’s tilt between the Chargers and the Texans. I’m not 100% sure what to make of Los Angeles’ defense and its wild home/road splits, but it is worth noting how well that unit has traveled this season. The Chargers are surrendering just 13.9 points per game and 4.8 yards per opponent play away from SoFi Stadium — both representing the best mark in the league. Meanwhile, the Texans’ injury-plagued offense hasn’t looked even slightly above-average since mid-November. I’ll side with Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh getting the job done in this one.
NFC
No. 7 Green Bay Packers over No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles
No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over No. 6 Washington Commanders
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings over No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
The NFC feels wide open to me. I wouldn’t be shocked if any of the favorites lost, including the two-seeded Eagles. Maybe I’m allowing myself to get too swept up in what the Packers were able to accomplish as a seven-seed last year — and not factoring in Christian Watson’s injury enough — but it feels like there’s not that much separating these two squads. It’s a notion that’s backed up by DVOA, where Green Bay ranks third in the NFL, ahead of Philadelphia in fifth. I’m also wary of Jalen Hurts’ health and timing. The QB hasn’t played a snap since Week 16 and he’s only thrown for 250 yards once dating all the way back to Week 7. The Packers run defense is elite. If they can funnel the Eagles away from Saquon Barkley, they’ll have a great shot for the upset.
Hunter Skoczylas, Senior Content Associate
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers over No. 4 Houston Texans
Buffalo’s pass-catchers lack separation skills, and its run game will likely struggle against Denver’s top defense. But Josh Allen exists and he’s going head-to-head with a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix in the postseason. The Broncos have not won a road playoff game since 1997.
As much as I want to pick the Steelers to upset Lamar Jackson, who tends to choke in the postseason, I can’t see it happening. Russell Wilson can work some magic but so can Lamar, who is far more magical. The addition of Derrick Henry will add more playoff experience, too.
Los Angeles has the edge in the quarterback department and C.J. Stroud has limited offensive weapons against one of the most consistent secondaries in the league. Justin Herbert has been balling and has a real NFL coach this postseason instead of Brandon Staley.
NFC
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles over No. 7 Green Bay Packers
No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over No. 6 Washington Commanders
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams over No. 5 Minnesota Vikings
This very much depends on the health of Jalen Hurts, who is still in concussion protocol. That said, the Eagles are the better team and can likely lean on Saquon Barkley to get the job done. Green Bay’s defense is strong but injured and Love’s weapons may not be good enough to create separation against Philadelphia’s elite secondary.
The Commanders are very intriguing, but the Buccaneers have the offensive weapons to take full advantage of their defensive weaknesses. Bucky Irving and Rachaad White should have it easy, and Mike Evans will likely have his way with their defensive backs. As good as Jayden Daniels has been, it’s hard to trust a rookie in his first playoff start.
It’s possible that Minnesota’s defense single-handedly wins this game, but when it comes down to Matthew Stafford or Sam Darnold in the postseason, I’m taking Stafford. Darnold had quite the disaster class in a must-win game for the NFC North division and the No. 1 seed against Detroit last week. That was basically a playoff game and I’m willing to bet Darnold sees some ghosts again.
Blake Krass, Staff Writer
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 4 Houston Texans over No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers
In terms of seeding, I am going with the chalk in the AFC. Although, the Texans are home underdogs to the Chargers. So, according to the betting odds, I am taking the upset there. The Texans have been decimated by injuries this season and they have struggled down the stretch, but they will be ready for this game. Houston has been much better at home with C.J. Stroud, with a record of 12-5 in Houston compared to 8-9 away from home. That record includes his home playoff win last season.
The Bills and Ravens are flat-out much better than their opponents. Bo Nix should struggle on the road in his first playoff start and won’t be able to outscore Josh Allen. The Ravens are on a completely different level than the Steelers at the moment. They should put up a lot of points and their improved defense can stop Russell Wilson with ease.
NFC
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles over No. 7 Green Bay Packers
No. 6 Washington Commanders over No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams over No. 5 Minnesota Vikings
There seems to still be some mystery around Jalen Hurts’ status as he moves through concussion protocol but I would be shocked if he isn’t on the field for this game. If he is, the Eagles just have too much firepower for Green Bay. In two career home playoff games, Jalen Hurts is 2-0 with the Eagles averaging 34.5 PPG. Jordan Love is a dangerous adversary but the Packers are banged up on offense and shouldn’t be able to keep up with Philadelphia.
Per the betting odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, I am taking two upsets in the other two NFC games. The Commanders have a top-five offense in football and Jayden Daniels has been a top-five quarterback this season. This should be a shootout, but ultimately, Daniels has shown the ability to win close games all season and should do so against Tampa Bay.
The Rams handed the Vikings one of their three losses earlier this season and I think they have their number. Kevin O’Connell worked under Sean McVay and McVay knows all of his tricks. The Minnesota offense has really struggled in the end zone the past few weeks and McVay should help his defensive coaches prepare to keep those struggles going. Matthew Stafford has much more playoff experience than Sam Darnold and Darnold is more likely to make a key mistake to lose the game for his team.
Meghan Townsley, Senior Content Associate
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers over No. 4 Houston Texans
Jim Harbaugh. Is that enough of an answer? Okay, Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert? The Chargers offense has notched 34+ points in three straight and now faces a Houston defense ranking 27th in the red zone and 14th in points per game (21.9). C.J. Stroud is operating behind a struggling offensive line and hasn’t produced the same magic we witnessed in his rookie season. Give me Ladd McConkey and the bolts.
It’s safe to say this edition of Mike Tomlin’s Steelers is different from the one Lamar Jackson faced in his 18-16 loss in November. Pittsburgh is limping in off a four-game losing streak, while Baltimore has won their last four. The Ravens have been clicking on all cylinders, finally, with the defense not allowing 20 points in five straight games and the offense putting up 31+ points in four straight. Jackson must put aside his previous postseason struggles and continue his MVP-level play to march closer to the Bowl game—oh, and Derrick Henry helps a bit.
Denver hits the road to face an MVP contender and a Buffalo Bills squad that has put up 24+ points in 10 straight games (before their backups suited up in Week 18). The Bills have given up the fewest sacks on the year but now face the team that led the league in sacks—immovable object vs. unstoppable force? Denvers’ front line is daunting, but Allen has been productive against the blitz and can beat it with his legs as well as his arm, adding 12 rushing TDs to his total tally in 2024. Buffalo is just too good right now.
NFC
No. 7 Green Bay Packers over No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles
No. 6 Washington Commanders over No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings over No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
Minnesota needs to shake off their Week 18 routing by the Lions and focus on winning one game at a time. We saw Sam Darnold crumble under pressure, but Brian Flores’ defense paired with Kevin O’Connell’s strong offensive mind gives the Vikings the edge over the Rams. Both teams consist of top-tier wideouts—Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, of course—but L.A. enters the playoffs as the lowest-scoring offense. It’s a Sam Darnold bounce-back game.
The Commanders have already exceeded expectations and enter a matchup against a Tampa Bay team that has won six of their last seven games. It’s a battle of top-scoring offenses—WAS as the No. 5 scoring offense, and TB as the No. 4—but I like the momentum rookie Jayden Daniels is riding in on. The former No. 2 overall pick has thrown 2+ touchdowns in his last five full games, facing a mid-tier Buccaneers defense that gave up a 96.6 rating to QBs on the season. I like Washington, but don’t count out playoff Baker Mayfield.
We’re running back a Week 1 matchup between the Eagles and Packers with a refined Green Bay defense against—possibly—Kenny Pickett. Jalen Hurts has yet to clear concussion protocol, meaning Pickett could face a defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest yards after the catch, just 12 completions of 20+ yards, and, ball hawk Xavier McKinney. This will be a tough battle on both sides, but Jordan Love taking care of the ball against a stingy Eagles’ secondary and linebacker core will be the difference between a trip to Cancún or a continuation in the playoffs.
Dan Johnson, Staff Writer/Editor
AFC
No. 7 Denver Broncos over No. 2 Buffalo Bills
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers over No. 4 Houston Texans
I feel like the one lock of this entire weekend is how thoroughly the Chargers will roll the Texans. Those are teams on two different trajectories right now. The Chargers’ identity is fully-formed and on-the-rise; the Texans are still searching for who they are in C.J. Stroud’s sophomore year. Momentum is its own reward. No one’s got it better than the Herbaughs (sic). Ravens roll Steelers. And let’s take the Broncos over the Bills. Someone’s gotta get upset big, right? Denver’s defense travels. They’d be the only team I’m confident can shock the world this weekend.
NFC
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles over No. 7 Green Bay Packers
No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over No. 6 Washington Commanders
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings over No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
I miss so terribly when I’d have the courage here to pick my Rams. But Stafford’s EPA/play over the last four games is, quite frankly, atrocious: He ranks 26th in the league among qualified quarterbacks. I say to myself: But, Dan, what if he just plays an average game against the Vikings, who your defense already sized up and smothered in Week 8? But then I hear Dan Campbell’s “See you in two weeks!” to Kevin O’Connell, and remember it’s DC’s world, and we’re just living in it. Eagles over Packers (if, for nothing else, take the team with fewer special teams issues as a matter of principle!). Jayden Daniels is awesome, but this is a Bucs team that looks like the Chargers of the NFC. This winter, I’m rooting on the side of football guys becoming electric football teams.
Bryan Armetta, Staff Writer/Editor
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers over No. 4 Houston Texans
Even though I’m confident in Buffalo advancing, expect Denver to put together a solid gameplan. Defense travels, and the Broncos have one of the game’s best cornerbacks in Patrick Surtain; that could force the Bills to lean on Josh Allen and James Cook in the run game.
At first glance, a nearly ten-point spread in favor of the Ravens feels high for a rivalry game. However, the Steelers have looked absolutely rudderless over the past month, scoring less than 20 points in each of their previous four games. Pittsburgh’s annual Wild Card Weekend exit has become a new NFL tradition.
Saturday’s matinee could get ugly, as Los Angeles’ top scoring defense (17.7 PPG) faces off with a Houston group giving up the sixth-fewest yards (315.0 YPG). Much like the Steelers, it’s difficult to trust the Texans given how bad they’ve looked recently. Give me Justin Herbert and the Bolts in a physical affair.
NFC
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles over No. 7 Green Bay Packers
No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over No. 6 Washington Commanders
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams over No. 5 Minnesota Vikings
The Eagles are simply a bigger, badder version of the Packers: Better run game, better wideouts and stronger play on the offensive and defensive lines. Jordan Love’s heroics might keep this game close, but a big Saquon run to bleed out the clock sends Philly to the next round.
Elsewhere in the NFC, I’m not quite sold on the Commanders. As impressive as Jayden Daniels has been, his team squeaked out one-score wins against the Giants (twice), Saints, Bears and Kenny Pickett-led Eagles. I don’t expect that good fortune to continue on the road against a more experienced Tampa Bay squad.
The Rams, as one of just two teams to beat the Vikings this season, pose problems in the passing game with the two-headed duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Factor in a battle at quarterback between Matt Stafford, a Super Bowl champion, and Sam Darnold, making his first postseason start, and things get dicey for Minnesota. In what might be the game of the weekend, I think Sean McVay gets it done again.
Griffin Wong, Staff Writer
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers over No. 4 Houston Texans
The AFC Wild Card Round is pretty simple, as there are three elite teams in the conference and then a whole lot of question marks. Bo Nix has had a phenomenal rookie season, but a rookie isn’t going to march into Highmark Stadium and win against a Bills team that has the presumptive MVP. Likewise, the Steelers have looked like a mess in the last five weeks, while Lamar Jackson just put up one of the best regular seasons in league history. As for the Texans, the losses of Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell are going to be too much to overcome, and Justin Herbert is playing with confidence.
NFC
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles over No. 7 Green Bay Packers
No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over No. 6 Washington Commanders
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams over No. 5 Minnesota Vikings
The shock pick here is the Rams over Minnesota, but the Vikings haven’t been super convincing to me. They’re just 4-3 against teams with winning records, including a loss to Los Angeles, and the Rams have won nine of their last 11 games in which they weren’t resting players. Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield is playing the best quarterback of his career in Tampa Bay and while Jayden Daniels is amazing, experience will win out. In Philadelphia, Christian Watson’s injury will hurt the Packers more than they expect.
Alex Hunter, Staff Writer
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers over No. 4 Houston Texans
Unfortunately, I don’t expect any upsets in the AFC during Wild Card Weekend. The Ravens and Bills are far superior teams than their opponents, and they both should take care of business easily. Chargers vs. Texans is a more even matchup, but Los Angeles should win this contest, as Houston is the worst team to make the postseason. C.J. Stroud has taken a massive step backwards this season after his stellar rookie campaign and the Texans offense as a whole should struggle mightily without Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell against a Chargers’ defense that closed the season in strong form. Including embarrassing losses to the Jets and Titans, Houston lost their five of their final nine games of the regular season, while Los Angeles finished with three straight wins by an average of 18 points.
NFC
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles over No. 7 Green Bay Packers
No. 6 Washington Commanders over No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams over No. 5 Minnesota Vikings
While the Packers are no match for the Eagles and Philadelphia should run away with an easy win, these other two matchups are very interesting. First, I have the Commanders pulling off the upset over the Buccaneers. Washington having Mike Evans’ arch nemesis Marshon Lattimore to slow down the receiver is a huge concern for Tampa Bay and Jayden Daniels should be comfortable in his playoff debut against the Buccaneers’ zone heavy defense. It should be a high scoring and tight affair, but the Commanders should come out on top.
Lastly, after getting exposed by the Lions’ depleted defense in Week 18, I expect Sam Darnold to struggle in his playoff debut against the Rams in Los Angeles. The Vikings offense was 6.0 PPG worse on the road this season, and when these two clubs met in Los Angeles in Week 8, the Rams defeated Minnesota by 10 points. After sitting their starters in Week 18, the Rams are well rested, and the savvy Matthew Stafford should carry Los Angeles to a vintage playoff win on its home turf.
Zach Thompson, Staff Writer
AFC
No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Denver Broncos
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens over No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 4 Houston Texans over No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers
I’d love to pick the Broncos, who I’ve ridden with for much of the season, but I just can’t quite see Bo Nix leading them to an upset win on the road in Buffalo. I think it’ll be a closer game than expected and ultimately the next step of growth for Nix, but Josh Allen is too good to lose at home in the first round.
We just saw Ravens-Steelers, and I can’t back Russ and the Steelers on the road after the way they backed into the playoffs. Especially compared to the Ravens, who come in riding plenty of momentum after smashing the Texans and Browns.
Speaking of the Texans, they’re in the most interesting game of the week, as they host the Chargers. As injury-depleted as they are at WR and as uninspiring as their offense has been the last quarter of the season, they were my early-season dark horse to take the AFC. C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins with a heaping helping of Joe Mixon should be enough to get them past the Chargers. Yes, I think all three home teams win in the AFC, even though the Texans feels like a mild upset.
NFC
No. 7 Green Bay Packers over No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles
No. 6 Washington Commanders over No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings over No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
Hope you enjoyed the chalk of the AFC, because I think things will get wild in the NFC with all three road teams moving on. Last year, the Packers went on the road and smashed the Cowboys, and the Eagles are banged up enough that I think they can go on the road again and pull off another upset in the Wild Card Round.
I’ve been on Jayden Daniels and the Commanders all the way, and I think they’ll get the road win over the Bucs, who didn’t inspire much confidence last week by barely edging out the Saints. The Bucs beat the Commanders 37-20 back in Week 1, but I think the Commanders have improved enough since then to avenge that loss in Tampa on Sunday night.
The last game of the week is also a rematch as the Vikings visit the Rams again. L.A. won in the regular season, but the Rams’ offense has struggled down the stretch, and I see the Vikings bouncing back after taking a tough loss to the Lions last week and moving another step closer to a potential rematch. Look out for the NFC North, winter is coming!
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