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The 2026 NFL Playoffs continue this weekend with the Divisional Round, which kicks off Saturday when the Buffalo Bills visit the Denver Broncos, the AFC's top seed. Later Saturday, the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks host the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC showdown. Sunday sees the Houston Texans visiting the New England Patriots in the AFC and the NFC's Chicago Bears hosting the Los Angeles Rams. With only four games to choose from to build money line parlays, you'll really want to see what SportsLine expert Jeff Hochman has to say as he has locked in his picks for his three-team play for the NFL Divisional Playoffs.

NFL three-team money line parlay strategy

Betting parlays during the NFL playoffs feels like a completely different game than the regular season. Oddsmakers tighten things up, every team is throwing their best punch and the pressure can make even the most reliable squads act out of character.

Just look at Wild Card Weekend: Favorites split straight up and went 2-4 against the spread. All regular season long, favorites cashed just 66.5% of the time, which is a pretty big drop-off from last year's 71.8% mark. Now, with the Divisional Round here, I'm rolling out a three-team money line parlay based on the picks I trust most.

NFL Divisional Playoffs money line favorites parlay

Seattle Seahawks over San Francisco 49ers

After the 49ers' hard-fought Wild Card win in Philly and Seattle's first-round bye, these NFC West rivals get another shot at each other. Both teams have won once on the other's field, but San Francisco's road win came when the team was much healthier. The Seahawks roll into the playoffs with a seven-game win streak, and, honestly, there's nowhere they'd rather play than Lumen Field. That place is deafening -- if you've ever been, you know. And when it's the playoffs, it's on a whole different level.

The 49ers are coming off a bruising win in Philly and now have to fly back across the country for a Saturday night game. That kind of travel wears on a team, especially with only a few days to recover. Seattle, meanwhile, is rested and waiting. Mike Macdonald knows how to make life hard for Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey -- just look at what happened last time. Holding a Kyle Shanahan offense to three points and under 180 yards isn't luck; Seattle just matches up really well. Additionally, the Seahawks' special teams rank second in DVOA with an elite kicker (Jason Myers: 28-33 FG this season).

I just really love Seattle's stop unit, and the proof is in the pudding. The Seahawks possess a historically elite pass defense, ranking first in yards per pass allowed at 6.0 (vs. 49ers' 6.9). More critically, they rank first in third down defense conversion at 32.0% (vs. 49ers allowing 39.4%), and first in run defense at 3.7 yards per carry (vs. 49ers' 4.3). The Seahawks' overall defensive DVOA of -24.2% ranks first in the NFL, creating a defensive advantage that compounds against an injured 49ers squad missing several key players, including their emotional leader, George Kittle. My model loves the Seahawks in this spot, with a spread near -10 or a money line close to -475. I've got a lot of respect for the 49ers' coaching staff -- they always have their team ready. But with how Seattle is playing right now, I can't pass up the Seahawks at this number.

New England Patriots over Houston Texans

Let's call it what it was: the Texans beat the Steelers on Monday night because Pittsburgh's offense was a mess. Arthur Smith's play-calling was unimaginative -- no motion, no screens, barely any misdirection, and not even a draw play to slow down Houston's relentless pass rush. The Texans' defense deserves credit, but the Steelers made it way too easy. You'd think they'd try something creative to help Jaylen Warren break through, but there was nothing.

Switching gears, that kind of collapse isn't happening to Drake Maye. He's leading the league in QBR at 77.1, and he's shown time and again that he can handle pressure late in games. Plus, the Patriots' coaching staff is among the best at making in-game adjustments -- they won't fall into the same traps as Pittsburgh. Expect New England to come in with a focused, well-crafted plan to challenge this Texans defense, which has been outstanding all season.

The Texans are playing their second consecutive road playoff game after a physical Monday night win in Pittsburgh. Short rest, travel and a shift from the AFC North to the biting cold of New England put them at a significant physiological disadvantage compared to the Patriots' defense, which was on the field for only 59 plays in their win over the Chargers. Houston's offensive line finished the season ranked 30th in pass-block win rate. While C.J. Stroud is elusive, he cannot scramble forever. The Patriots' front seven, which has been the engine of this 14-win team, should be able to consistently collapse the pocket, forcing Stroud into hurried throws or sacks.

With Texans star WR Nico Collins dealing with a concussion sustained Monday, the Texans' vertical threat is compromised. This allows the Patriots to crowd the box, shut down the run and dare the Texans to beat them with secondary options. Stroud has struggled in freezing conditions, with five fumbles (two of which were lost). The Texans are a talented young team, but they are walking into a buzzsaw. I think the Patriots' offense will do just enough to get the victory.

Los Angeles Rams over Chicago Bears

Here's a data point that not many people are talking about: The Bears and Packers beat the heck out of each other in that Wild Card game. Between them, they ran 147 plays -- 77 for Chicago and 70 for Green Bay. Most NFL games don't even come close to that, usually landing somewhere around 120 or 130. Defenses were hustling nonstop, and the offenses were battling for every yard, just trying to make something happen. The Bears' defense had its hands full chasing Jordan Love all night, and the offense was digging out of a big hole. All that effort, both physical and mental, is tough to shake off -- especially this late in the season. The Rams? They played a close one against Carolina, but it wasn't nearly as draining or emotional as what went down in Chicago.

Jared Verse and Byron Young have been a problem for offenses all year. The Rams' young edge rushers play with a ton of energy and have a knack for getting into the backfield. After last week's marathon game, you have to wonder if the Bears' offensive line will have enough left in the tank to keep up. If Chicago falls behind early, Verse and Young can turn it up even more, and the Bears could be in real trouble.

The Rams possess one of the most efficient offenses in NFL history. Their 31.2% DVOA ranks first in the league, while Matthew Stafford's elite passer rating of 109.2 will take advantage of Chicago's poor pass defense (7.2 yards per attempt allowed, 28th in the NFL). The Bears' defensive DVOA sits at 25th, creating a structural mismatch. Stafford has been lights-out in the red zone, turning 64.2% of those chances into touchdowns. On top of that, the Rams are 11 spots better than the Bears in opponent passer rating, which just adds to the mismatch.

The Bears have struggled to stop the run all season, giving up 5 yards a carry -- near the bottom of the league. The Rams are averaging 4.6 yards per run. With the weather expected to be freezing, that running game could be a huge difference-maker. When it gets cold, it's all about which team can run the ball. The Rams have the advantage there, no question. As for the Bears, they live and die by chaos -- big plays, turnovers, wild momentum swings. Sure, they forced a ton of takeaways this year, but their defense still gave up plenty of points (23rd). The Rams own the 10th-ranked scoring defense. I'm taking the Rams to win this one. They've handled a much tougher schedule -- second-hardest in the league compared to Chicago's 21st -- and that experience really counts in the Divisional Round.