NFL Playoff Preview: Super Bowl Odds and Predictions
Written by: Danny Burke
Published: Mon Jan 05, 2026, 3:14 pm ET
Read Time: 6 minutes
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The NFL regular season has come to a close, leaving 14 teams still standing in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy.
With first-round playoff matchups now set, game lines have been released and odds for the Super Bowl and Conference Championships have been adjusted accordingly.
Let's dive into our NFL playoff preview, featuring updated Super Bowl odds and predictions.
For additional information on picks, props, moneylines, and more on today's slate, take a look at our NFL Picks Page or our NFL Odds Page.
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NFL Playoff Preview: Super Bowl Odds and Predictions
Can Jalen Hurts and the Eagles go back-to-back?
Below is a layout of the NFL playoff picture.
THE NFL PLAYOFF BRACKET IS OFFICIALLY SET 🍿 pic.twitter.com/0k0YjmbT2Y
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 5, 2026
The postseason kicks off on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, with a rematch between the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. Back in Week 13, Bryce Young and the Panthers pulled off a 31–28 upset at home. Despite that result, Carolina enters the opening round as the largest underdog on the board, catching +10 on the spread. The total is set at 46.5.
The second half of Saturday's playoff doubleheader features a rubber match between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Chicago is a slight favorite, laying -115 on the moneyline, with the total also listed at 46.5. Amazon Prime will carry the broadcast, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
Sunday brings a three-game slate, starting with the Buffalo Bills heading to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS. Trevor Lawrence and company are slight one-point home underdogs, while the total sits at 51.5.
Next up, the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers, laying 3.5 points. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Sunday Night Football features Drake Maye and the New England Patriots laying 3.5 points at home against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.
The first round concludes on Monday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Houston Texans. In what could be Aaron Rodgers' final postseason appearance, his team is catching +3.5 points in a game with a low total of 39.
Here's a look at the updated futures odds for the Super Bowl and conference championships:
Super Bowl Odds via Lucky Rebel
- Seahawks (+425)
- Rams (+450)
- Broncos (+700)
- Eagles (+900)
- Bills (+1100)
- Patriots (+1100)
- Texans (+1200)
- Jags (+1600)
- Packers (+1800)
- Bears (+2000)
- Chargers (+2000)
- 49ers (+2000)
- Steelers (+5000)
- Panthers (+20000)
NFC Championship Odds via Lucky Rebel
- Seahawks (+175)
- Rams (+275)
- Eagles (+475)
- Bears (+950)
- Packers (+1000)
- 49ers (+1200)
- Panthers (+7500)
AFC Championship Odds via Lucky Rebel
- Broncos (+240)
- Patriots (+425)
- Texans (+475)
- Bills (+525)
- Jags (+575)
- Chargers (+1400)
- Steelers (+2000)
NFL Playoff Predictions
This postseason feels as wide open as any I can remember. There's no clear superpower in either conference, and every remaining team has red flags or vulnerabilities that can be pointed to as reasons they won't win the Super Bowl.
While that makes predictions more difficult, it also creates additional value in the betting market.
To find value, you have to map out the entire playoff path, game by game. After doing that, one team stood out above the others.
That team is the Philadelphia Eagles, whom I'm targeting at +475 to win the NFC Championship.
Philadelphia draws the 49ers in the first round, and this is a particularly unfavorable matchup for San Francisco. Since Brock Purdy returned from injury in Week 11, he's been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. But as we've seen throughout the season, there's only so much Purdy and Kyle Shanahan's offense can cover up. The real issue lies on the defensive side of the ball.
Since Purdy's return, the 49ers defense ranks 24th in success rate and 19th in EPA per play. Over that same span, the Eagles defense ranks fifth in EPA per play and sixth in success rate.
As the saying goes, defense wins championships – and Philly's unit is peaking at the right time. On top of that, Saquon Barkley is gradually returning to the dominant form we saw last season. If he can set the tone early and ease the pressure, and potential turnovers, on Jalen Hurts, this offense can operate at a level similar to last year's run.
In the other matchups, I expect the Rams to handle the Panthers without much trouble. I also agree with oddsmakers in viewing Bears vs. Packers as a true toss-up.
If the Eagles, Rams and Packers all advance, the divisional round would feature Seahawks vs. Packers and Rams at Philadelphia. That's not the most ideal scenario for Philly, but I still believe they can compete. The Rams may be one of the best teams in football, but traveling across the country into a colder, hostile environment is never ideal.
The more favorable outcome would be a Bears win. In that scenario, the Eagles would get a chance at revenge in Chicago, while the Rams would head to Seattle for their own rematch.
Yes, Chicago dominated Philadelphia earlier this season and would have home-field advantage, but beating the same team twice is notoriously difficult – especially for a Bears roster with limited postseason experience. Barkley would have a major edge on the ground, and Philly's defense is significantly better and trending upward at the right time.
I'm not necessarily saying the Eagles will win the Super Bowl, or even make it that far. But at this price, and with a potentially favorable path, there's value in investing now with the assumption they handle business this weekend. If they reach the NFC Championship Game, it also sets up a strong opportunity to hedge and lock in profit if needed.
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Danny Burke is a betting analyst with a decade of sports media experience. He got his start at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sharing picks on the local ESPN affiliate. After college, he hosted shows for VSiN in Las Vegas before returning to Chicago to launch 'Rush Hour', the first daily sports betting show from an Illinois casino. He also co-hosted 'Props and Locks' on Fox32’s Bears pregame show and ran 'Bet On, Chicago' on WLS-AM 890.
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