NFL Playoff Schedule: Bracket and Odds for Next Weekend’s Matches
After the Washington Commanders secured a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday evening, the 2025 NFL playoff bracket and schedule are now clearly laid out.
The Commanders are the lowest-seeded team left in the playoffs. BetMGM listed them and the AFC South champion Houston Texans as three-point underdogs heading into Wild Card Weekend. Now, both teams are set to play against the top seeds in their respective conferences on Saturday.
Experts predict that tonight’s wild card matchup may also hinge on just a field goal. The last team to enter the divisional round will be determined in Glendale, Arizona, where the NFL relocated the game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings due to wildfires in California. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Understanding the NFL Playoff Format
Following this weekend’s games, the win-loss records of the remaining four teams in each conference will shape the divisional championships:
â—¾ The No. 1 seed will host the lowest remaining seed.
â—¾ The next highest seed will host the other winner from the wild-card weekend.
Betting Odds for NFL Divisional Games
BetMGM has released the initial betting lines for next weekend’s games. A plus sign before the number indicates the amount a bettor wins from a $100 wager, while a minus sign denotes how much a bettor needs to wager to win $100.
AFC Divisional Game Odds
Houston Texans (+340) at Kansas City Chiefs (-450), who are favored by 8 points
Baltimore Ravens (-105) at Buffalo Bills (-115), who are favored by 1 point
NFC Divisional Game Odds
Washington Commanders (+400) at Detroit Lions (-550), who are favored by 8.5 points
Top Offenses and Defenses of the 2024 NFL Season
The Chiefs concluded the regular season with the best record in the league, although they had the smallest scoring margin among the top playoff contenders. They outscored their opponents by just 59 points. Their disappointing 38-0 loss at the end of the season also played a part, especially when compared to the NFC-best Detroit Lions. Both the Lions and the Bills surpassed 500 points this season, a feat only matched by the Dallas Cowboys in 2023.
In his first season back in the NFL, head coach Jim Harbaugh transformed the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense, reducing their “points allowed” to 301—almost 100 points less than in 2023, making them the leaders in that category. The five-seed Chargers faced a defeat against the Texans in their first game of Wild Card Weekend. Interestingly, the 10-7 Texans scored the exact number of points they allowed this season.
