2026 NFL Wild Card Weekend Kicks Off Saturday
The 2026 NFL playoffs are officially underway, with six teams competing in the Wild Card round beginning today. The opening matchup features the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Rams visiting the fourth-seeded Carolina Panthers at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, followed by the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers traveling to the second-seeded Chicago Bears at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Wild Card Weekend continues through Monday, with the complete NFL football schedule featuring high-stakes matchups across both conferences. Sunday’s slate includes the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, the Philadelphia Eagles facing the San Francisco 49ers at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, and the New England Patriots battling the Los Angeles Chargers at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The Houston Texans travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on Monday night at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.
Key Storylines This Weekend
The Texans and Jaguars are entering the playoffs on impressive win streaks of nine and eight games respectively, positioning them as potential Cinderella stories. Meanwhile, Green Bay’s four-game losing streak has put the Packers in underdog status despite their strong seeding. The Rams are getting star receiver Davante Adams back from a hamstring injury for his first appearance in nearly a month.
Complete NFL Playoff Games Schedule
- Saturday, January 10: Rams at Panthers (4:30 p.m. ET), Packers at Bears (8 p.m. ET)
- Sunday, January 11: Bills at Jaguars (1 p.m. ET), 49ers at Eagles (4:30 p.m. ET), Chargers at Patriots (8 p.m. ET)
- Monday, January 12: Texans at Steelers (8:15 p.m. ET)
- Divisional Round: January 17-18
- Championship Games: January 25
- Super Bowl LX: February 8 at Levi’s Stadium (6:30 p.m. ET on NBC)
Playoff Odds and Betting Lines
The Los Angeles Rams are favored by 10 points over Carolina, the largest spread of the weekend. Green Bay sits as a 1.5-point favorite against Chicago in a matchup where the teams split their regular season contests. The Jacksonville Jaguars have flipped to slight favorites against Buffalo at -1.5, while the Eagles are favored by 6 points over San Francisco. The Chargers are 3.5-point underdogs in New England, and Houston is favored by 3 against Pittsburgh in the closing wild card game.
This NFL playoffs schedule represents the start of a grueling journey for 12 teams chasing the championship. The format ensures every game matters, with no second chances in the single-elimination tournament that will determine who advances through the divisional round, conference championships, and ultimately to the Super Bowl.
