Overview
- The NFL finalized the schedule: Bills at Broncos (Sat, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+), 49ers at Seahawks (Sat, 8 p.m., FOX), Texans at Patriots (Sun, 3 p.m., ABC/ESPN), Rams at Bears (Sun, 6:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock).
- Key injuries cloud the next round, including 49ers TE George Kittle (torn Achilles), Bills WR Gabe Davis (torn ACL), Bears LT Ozzy Trapilo and LB T.J. Edwards (season-ending), with Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez and Texans WR Nico Collins in concussion protocol questions.
- Futures shifted after the weekend, with DraftKings shortening New England’s Super Bowl price and lengthening San Francisco’s, while Seattle and Los Angeles now sit near the top of the board.
- Sportsbooks report the public cashed on popular underdogs during the wild-card round as several sharp-backed sides lost, contributing to bookmaker losses on outcomes like the Bills and 49ers.
- Lines and projections lean to the rested top seeds: Seahawks are around -7.5 vs. the 49ers; Broncos moved from pick’em toward slight favorites vs. the Bills, with some models making Denver -3.5; Patriots are about -3 vs. Houston and the Rams roughly -3.5 vs. Chicago.