NFL Parlays & Picks: Best Bets for Wild Card Playoffs (2026)

We’re rolling into a loaded NFL Wild Card round with six matchups on tap across Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The Broncos and Seahawks will rest after clinching the respective No. 1 seed in their conference, while all other 12 playoff teams prepare for the Wild Card Playoffs.

My NFL Parlays & Picks: Best Bets for Week 18 (2025) settled 1-1. Overall, my picks went 3-1, with the lone loss on the San Francisco 49ers moneyline during a 13-3 home loss to Seattle. The winning parlay had longer odds at +278, with the Broncos and Chargers easily going under 39.5 during Denver’s 19-3 win. Pittsburgh’s clutch second-half rally led to the Steelers covering +3.0 dramatically, clinching a home playoff game against the Houston Texans on Monday night.

I’ve found four of my favorite bets to place in the 2026 NFL Wild Card Playoffs. These will be combined into two early-week parlays at plus odds. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more NFL betting analysis and free picks.

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NFL Early Week Parlays: Wild Card Playoffs

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Parlay 1 (+111)

Leg 1: Los Angeles Rams Moneyline (-620)

Los Angeles returns to Charlotte to get revenge against the Carolina Panthers in an NFC Wild Card matchup. The Rams lost 31-28 in Week 13, blowing three different leads and committing three turnovers on offense.

The Panthers’ NFC South crown came despite losing to Tampa Bay in Week 18. QB Bryce Young has had some big moments this season, however, the Rams’ defense is going to be prepared to bring pressure and shut down Rico Dowdle as a ball carrier.

Los Angeles has held three of its past five opponents under 80 total rushing yards. Carolina relies on the run game to be effective to set up Young with play-action pass attempts downfield. It’s going to be tough sledding for the Panthers’ passing attack.

Carolina has not recorded more than 285 total yards of offense since a Week 14 bye. That won’t be enough to keep pace with Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua. The NFL MVP betting favorite draws a tough matchup against the Panthers’ secondary, but their porous run defense will keep Kyren Williams at the forefront of Sean McVay’s offense.

-10.5 is too many points to lay in a playoff game on the road. We’re going to bet the Rams as a -620 moneyline favorite in a game where they likely win comfortably by mitigating turnovers and keeping the offense ahead of schedule on the ground.

Leg 2: Chicago Bears +1.5 (-122)

The third matchup between the Packers and Bears sets up an exciting NFC North showdown at Soldier Field on Saturday night. The Bears are one of the best ATS teams in the NFL at 10-7, beating Green Bay via Chicago’s signature late-game comeback with a 22-16 overtime win at home in Week 16.

Caleb Williams has thrived in first-year head coach Ben Johnson’s offense. The former No. 1 overall draft pick has been a dynamic playmaker with his arm and legs, while the Bears’ offense has scored 24 or more points in four of its past seven games.

Green Bay will get QB Jordan Love back from a shoulder injury for this road playoff game against Chicago. The Bears’ defense forced a turnover, while the offense played a clean game to come away with a narrow win in Week 16. Williams and the Bears had an opportunity at the end of their first matchup to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field, but he failed to find an open receiver.

The Packers’ injuries far outweigh the Bears’ injury report. Green Bay will be missing two offensive linemen, WR Dontayvion Wicks, and a linebacker. Two other offensive linemen are questionable.

Ben Johnson is a better offensive play-caller than Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Plus, Green Bay doesn’t have star edge rusher Micah Parsons available to pressure Williams off the edge. Chicago is one of the best defenses at forcing turnovers, while the Bears’ offense has only committed one turnover in its previous four outings.

In case there’s a last-second field goal made by Green Bay, let’s grab +1.5 with Chicago as a slight home underdog in this prime-time divisional tilt on Saturday night.

Parlay 2 (+290)

Leg 1: Jacksonville Jaguars Moneyline (+100)

One of the most intriguing matchups is an AFC Wild Card matchup between the Bills and the Jaguars. This is the first game of Sunday’s triple-header, with Jacksonville a marginal home underdog at +1.5.

The Jaguars are red-hot, winning eight straight games, including nine of their previous 10, since a Week 8 bye. First-year head coach Liam Coen has transformed Jacksonville into a legitimate dark horse contender to win the Super Bowl.

Trevor Lawrence has also ascended due to Coen’s role in calling the offense. A strong run game helps keep the Jaguars balanced, while wideouts Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington, alongside tight end Brenton Strange and RB Travis Etienne, have formed a strong nucleus of skilled players to target.

Defensively, Jacksonville is being slept on. The Jaguars are among the best run defenses in the league, which poses a huge problem for a run-centric Buffalo offense that revolves around RB James Cook.

Josh Allen has lost multiple road games this season. His decision-making can collapse under pressure, especially if the opposing defense can contain him in the pocket. The Jaguars are allowing 3.9 YPC, second-best in the NFL, while forcing 31 turnovers, second-most behind the Bears.

Buffalo prefers not to play from behind. However, the Bills’ run defense has been a liability in most big games this season. Jacksonville can grind the clock and finish possessions with a score, forcing the Bills into a negative game script, where we’ve seen Allen make plenty of miscues.

The wrong team is favored in this game. Let’s bet on the Jaguars to win outright on the moneyline at even odds to extend their Cinderella run into the AFC Divisional round.

Leg 2: San Francisco 49ers +3.5 (-105)

An NFC rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles adds another chapter to its legacy during Sunday’s second Wild Card game. The Eagles are laying -3.5 as home favorites with a 46.5 point total.

Up until Week 18, the 49ers’ offense was among the best units in the league. San Francisco got clamped by Seattle, losing 13-3 at home, costing them the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Now, the 49ers head to Lincoln Financial Field, with star players RB Christian McCaffrey and TE George Kittle ready to play in this hostile environment. San Francisco is 1-2 SU against the Eagles in their last three head-to-head matchups.

Brock Purdy has been dealing as a passer for the 49ers. The signal-caller is great at extending plays with his legs and faces an Eagles run defense allowing 120 or more rushing yards to the Bills and Commanders in back-to-back games.

McCaffrey will be the X-factor in this matchup. He’s an all-purpose player with explosive ability as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Kittle’s presence also helps, especially in the run game, drawing an easier assignment compared to the Seahawks’ stout run defense.

We’re getting +3.5 on San Francisco. We’ve seen Jalen Hurts and the Eagles build an early lead, only to squander it or nearly lose in the final seconds of multiple games this season. I expect a similar outcome in this game, with the 49ers potentially pulling off an upset on the road.

Even though we got burned by the 49ers in Week 18, let’s bet on San Francisco +3.5 against a weak Eagles run defense. Yes, the 49ers’ defense also has flaws like Philadelphia’s, but head coach Kyle Shanahan is a much better offensive play-caller in comparison to Eagles OC Kevin Patullo.

Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.