NFL Playoffs Wild Card Best Bets (1/10/26)
Author: Dylan Lieck | January 10, 2026 | 11:00 A.M. CST
Best Bets:
Saturday Games:
LA Rams Team Total (1H) OVER 14.5
LA Rams Team Total OVER 28.5
I’ll break these both down in one short summary. This is a phenomenal spot to back this Rams offense. They are the number one ranked offense in football over the course of this season. They had one bad outing, following that brutal loss to the Seahawks where they blew a 16 point lead in the 4th quarter and gave away the number one overall seed. Even after a slow start against the Cardinals week 18, the Rams still managed to put up north of 40, and they got over both these totals. The Panthers defense isn’t bad, but they aren’t an above average unit either. Add to all of this the fact that the Rams have already seen the Panthers once this season. So, McVay has plenty of tape to work with. I think you see a very motivated Rams team in this game, looking to make a point to the rest of the league. I don’t expect this game to be close, and I don’t expect this Panthers defense to have any ability to stop Matthew Stafford and company.
Official Picks: Rams Team Total Over 28.5 | Rams Team Total Over 14.5 (1st Half)
Sunday Games:
Buffalo Bills ML (+115) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
This is simple. We’re getting Josh Allen in the playoffs against Trevor Lawerence. That’s really all that needs to be said. Yes, the Jaguars have been the better overall team over the course of the regular season. But, Trevor Lawerence has two career playoff starts. In those 2 starts he’s thrown 5 TDs, 5 picks, and completed just 60% of his passes. Josh Allen will be starting his 14th playoff game today. By the way, Allen against all QBs not named Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow in the playoffs: 7-1. His lone loss to another QB came against the Houston Texans in his first career playoff start. That was back when DeShaun Watson was an all-pro level QB. And, it was a 3 point overtime loss. Since then Allen has won 7 straight against the rest of the league. We’re backing the Bills here. It’s going to be a tight game, because this Bills team is not good enough to run away from anyone, let alone on the road. But in a tight game, give me Josh Allen every day of the week and twice on Sunday
Official Pick: Bills +115 (Moneyline)
San Francisco 49ers +6 @ Philadelphia Eagles
The 49ers should be a dog in this spot. They are dealing with some major injuries, coming off a road loss to the Seahawks in a very physical game, and they now have to go on the road to take on the defending Super Bowl champs. The issue is that they should not be this big of a dog. Even with the injuries, playing on the road, going up against the champs, this number is 2.5+ points too big. I made this 3. Moreover, this is a HUGE coaching mismatch. Kyle Shanahan is one of the best coaches in the NFL (argument can be made he’s the best). Nick Siriani is a complete product of a system. He doesn’t call plays, he doesn’t make in-game adjustments, he doesn’t command the respect of his players. He’s a figurehead. That works when you have someone competent calling plays. It doesn’t when Kevin Patullo calling plays. This Eagles offense has been anemic this entire season. They were never great throwing the ball, even in their Super Bowl run. What made them elite is that teams lined up and knew the Eagles were running the ball, and those teams still could not stop them. This year they’ve significantly regressed running the ball, while continuing to have a poor passing attack. The result is only 3 wins by double digits all season. Those 3 wins came against the Raiders, Giants, and Commanders. They have zero wins by a TD or more against a team with more than 5 wins. Now you want this team to cover nearly a TD in the playoffs? This number is just way off. I think the Niners are a live dog in this spot, and catching 6 is just a bonus. Sprinkle some on the moneyline and don’t be shocked if San Fran wins this outright.
Official Pick: 49ers +6 (-110)
Both Play Ratings: 2-Stars
