The 2024 regular season came to a close on Sunday, and with it, the playoff picture has crystallized. Just 14 teams are left standing, and we now have Wild Card Weekend to look forward to as we take our first steps into the postseason.
The opening slate of the playoffs does contain some fascinating matchups, including an AFC North showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, along with a showdown between Sean McVay and the Rams vs. Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings.
As we turn our attention to the playoffs and the pursuit of landing in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, let's get our first glimpse of the odds for this slate and see who the oddsmakers believe will be one step closer to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Wild Card Weekend early odds
All NFL odds via SportsLine Consensus
| Game | Early line | Early total | Early moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
Chargers -3 | 43.5 | Chargers -159, Texans +134 | |
Steelers at Ravens (Saturday) | Ravens -9.5 | 45.5 | Steelers +394, Ravens -529 |
Bills -8.5 | 47.5 | Broncos +365, Bills -478 | |
Eagles -4.5 | 46.5 | Packers +192, Eagles -232 | |
Buccaneers -3 | 50.5 | Commanders +153, Buccaneers -183 | |
Vikings at Rams (Monday) | Vikings -2.5 | 47.5 | Vikings -133, Rams +112 |
Notable movement, trends
Chargers at Texans (Saturday, 4:30 p.m., CBS, Paramount+)
Out of the gate, we get a rather noteworthy line as the Houston Texans are currently situated as home underdogs to the Los Angeles Chargers, catching a field goal. This 3-point spread has held since the open, and it will be intriguing to see how it shifts throughout the week, but it's not unwarranted. The Texans went 3-4-1 ATS at home this season, while the Chargers were a piping 7-2 ATS on the road. That includes a 5-1 ATS record as a road favorite. One thing that could be of note in this matchup is that the Texans finished the season with a point differential of zero. That is the lowest of all playoff teams in the AFC, including Los Angeles.
Steelers at Ravens (Saturday, 8 p.m., Prime Video)
Baltimore opened as an 8.5-point favorite in this AFC North matchup, and that has increased to Ravens -9.5 as we come out of the weekend. Pittsburgh has stumbled into the postseason, losing four straight to close out the regular season. That includes a 34-17 blowout loss to these Ravens back in Week 16. With that in mind, they'll need to flip a switch in a hurry to keep upset hopes alive. The Steelers were among the top teams to bet on during the regular season, but their 11-6 ATS record was mostly built as the home team. On the road, Pittsburgh went 5-4 ATS. Meanwhile, Baltimore went 4-3-1 ATS at home this season and boasts an average margin of victory of 12.3 points.
Broncos at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS, Paramount+)
Buffalo has jumped out as an 8.5-point favorite over the Broncos after the line initially opened at Bills -7.5. Denver was effectively in a one-sided playoff game in Week 18 against the Chiefs (who were resting starters) as they needed to win to get into the postseason, which they did with relative ease. While the Broncos played their starters, the Bills largely rested theirs, which could push the advantage in this game even more in their favor. Buffalo was a perfect 8-0 straight-up at home this season and were 5-3 ATS with an average margin of victory of 16.6 points. Meanwhile, Denver was strong on the road throughout the year, coming into this game with a 6-3 ATS record away from Mile High.
Packers at Eagles (Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Fox, fubo)
The Philadelphia Eagles opened as a 3.5-point favorite in this playoff opener, and the line continues to move in their direction. As of Monday morning, the line has shifted to Eagles -4.5. While Philadelphia is looked at as one of the sleeping giants in these playoffs, they have struggled a bit at covering at Lincoln Financial Field. At home, the Eagles went 4-4 ATS during the regular season. Meanwhile, the Packers were 4-3 ATS on the road.
Commanders at Buccaneers (Sunday, 8 p.m., NBC, fubo)
The Washington Commanders could be a live dog in this matchup in Tampa Bay. After the line opened at Buccaneers -3.5, the hook has come off Tampa Bay as they are now laying just the field goal. The Bucs had to rally from a 10-point halftime deficit against the Saints to come away with the Week 18 win that clinched them the NFC South title. Meanwhile, the Commanders defeated the Cowboys but elected to rest Jayden Daniels for half the game. Washington wasn't among the top teams to back on the road this season, as they went 3-4-1 away from Northwest Stadium. As for the Bucs, they went 5-4 ATS at Raymond James Stadium this year.
Vikings at Rams (Monday, 8 p.m., ESPN, ABC, fubo)
We get a student vs. the master matchup between Kevin O'Connell and Sean McVay on Monday night. Of course, O'Connell was McVay's offensive coordinator before he took the job as the Vikings head coach, so these two coaches are quite familiar with one another. They squared off the first time earlier this season, with the Rams coming out on top at SoFi Stadium. Despite that prior success, Minnesota is favored by 2.5, which is up from the Vikings -2 line at the open. The Rams went 4-5 ATS at home this season, while Minnesota was 4-3-1 ATS on the road.