Rams -9.5 Lead Four Favored Road Teams in Wild Card Round

Home-field advantage may not be significant in the upcoming NFL playoffs. In the wild card round, four out of the six matchups see road teams listed as favorites.

Road Favorites Highlight Wild Card Round

Key Matchups and Betting Lines

• Rams vs. Panthers: The Los Angeles Rams are 9.5-point favorites against the Carolina Panthers. Despite this, the Panthers defeated the Rams 31-28 in their previous encounter earlier this season.
• Packers vs. Bears: The Green Bay Packers are favored by 1.5 points as they visit the Chicago Bears. This match will mark the third meeting between these teams in the last six weeks.
• Bills vs. Jaguars: The Buffalo Bills are also 1.5-point favorites against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have struggled at home, having lost two games during the regular season.
• Eagles vs. 49ers: The Philadelphia Eagles are 3.5-point favorites when they host the San Francisco 49ers. Notably, the Eagles suffered two losses at home this season.
• Patriots vs. Chargers: The New England Patriots carry a 3.5-point advantage at home versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots finished the season with a 14-3 record, although all three of their losses came on home turf.
• Texans vs. Steelers: The Houston Texans are favored by 3 points as they face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers also had a challenging season at home, suffering three losses.

Projected Division Winners

If current betting trends persist, it appears that only two division winners—the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots—are expected to advance to the next round. The wild card matchups present intriguing scenarios as teams fight for playoff survival.