NFC Wild Card Cheat Sheet, Odds, Trends

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

13 minute read

The road to the NFC Championship will begin next weekend in the Wild Card Round as six teams will look to advance to the NFL Divisional Playoff Round.

Seeds two through four are the division winners while five, six and seven are the Wild Card teams.

After losing in the NFC Championship last season, the Green Bay Packers own home-field advantage in the NFC as they are the top seed at 13-3.

NFC Playoff Bracket and Matchups

• 1 Seed - Green Bay (First Round Bye)
• 2 New Orleans vs. 7 Chicago
• 3 Seattle vs. 6 L.A. Rams
• 4 Washington vs. 5 Tampa Bay

Odds to Win NFC Championship

• Green Bay Packers +160
• New Orleans Saints +275
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +450
• Seattle Seahawks +450
• Los Angeles Rams +1200
• Chicago Bears +3300
• Washington Football Team +3300

Odds per (Subject to Change)

Matchup - Chicago vs. New Orleans

• Date: Sunday, January 10
• Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
• Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
• TV-Time: CBS, 4:40 p.m. ET

Opening Line: Saints -9.5, Total 48

Chicago Road Record: 5-3 SU, 5-3 ATS, 5-3 O/U
New Orleans Home Record: 6-2 SU, 4-4 ATS, 6-2 O/U

Head-to-Head

The Saints edged the Bears at Soldier Field in Week 8 in overtime, 26-23. Chicago managed a cover as 5.5-point home underdogs, while the total sailed 'over' 41 points. Saints' quarterback Drew Brees threw for 280 yards in the victory, as New Orleans kicked four field goals and scored two touchdowns.

Playoff Notes

This marks the first time in three playoff meetings between these two teams that the game will take place in New Orleans. The Bears beat the Saints in the Wild Card round in 1990, while eliminating New Orleans to capture the 2006 NFC championship, 39-14.

New Orleans is in the playoffs for the fourth straight season, while winning each of its last three Wild Card contests. Chicago is making its second postseason appearance since 2011, as the Bears were squeezed by the Eagles in the Wild Card round in 2018 by a 16-15 count.

Matchup - L.A. Rams vs. Seattle

• Date: Saturday January 9
• Venue: Lumen Field
• Location: Seattle, Washington
• TV-Time: FOX, 4:40 p.m. ET

Opening Line: Seahawks -5, Total 43

Los Angeles Road Record: 4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS, 4-4 O/U
Seattle Home Record: 7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS, 3-5 O/U

Head-to-Head

These two NFC West rivals split a pair of meetings with the home team winning each time. The Rams knocked off the Seahawks in Week 10 at SoFi Stadium, 23-16 as three-point favorites, while staying 'under' the total of 55.

Seattle picked up revenge in Week 16 with a 20-9 triumph over Los Angeles as 1.5-point favorites to win the division title.

Playoff Notes

Seattle is in the playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons, as the Seahawks have won their postseason opener in six of their past seven opportunities. In the only other postseason matchup between these clubs, the Rams eliminated the Seahawks, 27-20 in the 2004 Wild Card round.

The Rams are making their third postseason appearance in the past four seasons under head coach Sean McVay, as Los Angeles advanced all the way to the Super Bowl in 2018 before falling short against New England, 13-3. In the only road postseason contest under McVay, the Rams edged the Saints in overtime, 26-23 of the 2018 NFC Championship.

Matchup - Tampa Bay vs. Washington

• Date: Saturday January 9
• Venue: FedEx Field
• Location: Landover, Maryland
• TV-Time: NBC, 8:15 p.m. ET

Opening Line: Buccaneers -7.5, Total 46.5

Tampa Bay Road Record: 6-2 SU, 4-4 ATS, 5-3 O/U
Washington Home Record: 3-5 SU, 4-4 ATS, 2-6 O/U

Head-to-Head

Tampa Bay and Washington did not hook up this season, as the Football Team beat the Buccaneers, 16-3 as 3.5-point road underdogs in their previous matchup in 2018. Alex Smith led Washington past Tampa Bay that day, but obviously Tom Brady was not with the Bucs at the time. Brady torched Washington in 2018 as a member of the Patriots in a 33-7 rout at FedEx Field as 15.5-point favorites, while throwing three touchdown passes.

Playoff Notes

For the 18th time in his career, Brady has made the playoffs, while taking the Patriots to the Super Bowl in four of the past six seasons. Last season ended with a dud in a 20-13 home loss to the Titans in the Wild Card round, as this is the first time in Brady's career that his team is beginning the playoffs on the road.

The Buccaneers ended a long playoff drought by qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2007. Tampa Bay last won a playoff game in 2002, which happened to be in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Raiders.

Washington has lost four consecutive playoff games dating back to 2005, when it actually beat Tampa Bay in the Wild Card round, 17-10. In 2012 and 2015, Washington won the NFC East title but ended up losing its first playoff contest by falling to Seattle and Green Bay, respectively, each by double-digits.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff