NFL Playoff Picture 2026 AFC, NFC Brackets, Odds, Scenarios and Picks

Trips to the AFC and NFC Championship games will be on the line Saturday and Sunday as the NFL Playoffs continue with the Divisional Round.

The top-seeded Denver Broncos will host the Buffalo Bills, while the New England Patriots host the Houston Texans on the AFC side. Over in the NFC, the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks will host the resilient San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams travel to Chicago for a frigid game against the Bears.

When can fans tune in to those games, what are the current odds for each, and who will emerge victoriously, one step closer to the Super Bowl?

Find out in this preview.

Schedule and Odds

AP Photo

Buffalo Bills (-120) at Denver Broncos (+104)

Date: Saturday, January 17

Time: 4:30 p.m.

Location: Empower Field at Mile High

TV: CBS

Streaming: Paramount+, Hulu Live TV, Fubo TV

San Francisco 49ers (+267) at Seattle Seahawks (-332)

Date: Saturday, January 17

Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

Location: Lumen Field

TV: FOX

Streaming: FOX One, Hulu Live TV, Fubo TV

Houston Texans (+130) at New England Patriots (-155)

Date: Sunday, January 18

Time: 3:00 p.m. EST

Location: Gillette Stadium

TV: ESPN

Streaming: ESPN app

Los Angeles Rams (-192) at Chicago Bears (+160)

Date: Sunday, January 18

Time: 6:30 p.m. EST

Location: Soldier Field

TV: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Consensus odds via Action Network

AFC Divisional Round Predictions

AP Photo

Bills over Broncos

The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the league, won 11 games by one score or less, and are the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Oh, and they are playing in Denver, where elevation makes it tough to play for even the most high-powered offenses, such as the Bills' fourth-ranked unit.

Add to that the rash of injuries at the wide receiver position that has left Josh Allen with only three healthy wide receivers (Keon Coleman, Brandin Cooks, and Khalil Shakir) and you have plenty of reason to doubt that the Bills can knock off the home team and return to the AFC Championship Game.

Except, the Bills have Allen, a do-everything, defending league MVP who is a rare player who can take over the game and will his team to victory. He has had his playoff struggles, sure, but with rival quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson out of the way, it is now or never for Allen and the Bills.

Look for Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid to play a big role in the middle of the field and red zone.

Texans over Patriots

The New England Patriots had their best season since Tom Brady was leading the huddle and Bill Belichick was patrolling the sidelines, finishing with three losses and MVP consideration for second-year quarterback Drake Maye in head coach Mike Vrabel's first year as head coach.

They perform well in all three phases of the game, can throw and run the ball, and have the look of a Super Bowl contender.

The Texans, though, are the stingiest defense in the league and proved it in their Wild Card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, who they limited to 175 total yards and six points.

Led by Derek Stingley Jr., Houston's defense is a championship-level one, a group that has fueled the team to nine straight victories entering the postseason.

There are questions about CJ Stroud's ability to lead his team offensively, but the run game has picked up the slack when necessary, with Woody Marks topping 112 yards on the ground.

The Pats look like a better team on paper and tape, but there is something to be said about superior defenses in playoff football. The Texans win here and advance to the franchise's first AFC Championship appearance.

NFC Divisional Round Predictions

AP Photo

Seattle Seahawks over San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have been one of the great Cinderella stories in NFL history this season. They have overcome injuries to all-stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner on the defensive side of the ball and second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the offense, and a deteriorating relationship with wide out Brandon Aiyuk.

They rode outstanding play from back-up quarterback Mac Jones to a 5-3 record and upset the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia in the Wild Card.

The Seattle Seahawks, though, are a different breed than this year's Eagles.

They excel in all three phases, with an elite defense that limited those same 49ers to three points in their Week 18 game. Sam Darnold has his issues with turning the ball over, and can be pressured into taking unnecessary sacks, but the firepower the Seahawks have on the ground and through the air is likely too much for the 49ers to overcome.

Los Angeles Rams over Chicago Bears

The discussion all week has been about the Rams' ability to travel to Chicago, play in the cold, and overcome the late-game magic of the Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams.

Except, the Rams played in the cold and snow against Philadelphia in last year's divisional round and were the only team to come close to beating the eventual Super Bowl champions.

The 2025 Bears are not the last year's Eagles.

They also have the fourth-worst defense in the league, allowing 361.8 yards and 24.4 points per game. That is not a favorable match-up against a team with the league's best offense (394.6 yards, 30.5 points per game) and a quarterback who has been the best in the game this season.

The snow will slow both teams down, but the Rams and Matthew Stafford will outlast the Bears and advance to the NFC Championship.