The NFL has reached the playoffs for the 2025/26 season, and we open with a huge Wild Card round game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.
The reigning champions have had a decent season up to this point, and come into this game on the back of a 11-6 campaign, while the visitors put together a 12-5 record themselves, and both teams will be confident of a victory after ending the season strongly.
We’ll break down the matchup to provide you with our best free NFL betting picks, to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
Check out the best 2026 NFL playoffs odds here.
The Eagles began the defence of the Super Bowl crown back in September with an exciting 24-20 win over the Dalls Cowboys despite losing Jalen Carter after just six seconds, and then followed that up with yet another win over the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch in week 2, with a 20-17 victory.
Week 3 saw some difficulties against the Los Angeles Rams but after going into half-time 26-7 down, the team put together a sensational 26-0 run in the second half, which included a last-second touchdown after a blocked field goal, to win 33-26. A 31-25 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week saw the team move to 4-0.
However, their 100% record was brought to an end in week 5 against the Denver Broncos, as the team collapsed in the final quarter and fell to a 21-17 loss. The team then fell to a second consecutive defeat against the New York Giants, before bouncing back with wins in each of their next four games against the Minnesota Vikings (28-22), New York Giants (38-20), Green Bay Packers (10-7) and Detroit Lions (16-9)
Philadelphia fell into rotten form following that and lost each of their next three games against the Cowboys (24-21), Chicago Bears (24-15), and the Los Angeles Chargers in an overtime 19-22 defeat. The team snapped that losing streak with a 31-0 shutout win against the Las Vegas Raiders, before two more wins over the Washington Commanders (29-18) and Buffalo Bills (13-12) secured their post-season spot.
Their final game of the season saw another defeat added to their record, as the Commanders came away with an impressive 24-17 win, but Philadelphia already had their eyes on this playoff game.
After a difficult season in 2024, the 49ers have improved drastically this year, opening their campaign with three consecutive victories. First, they earned a 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, before a 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints and 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
But San Francisco suffered their first defeat of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, before a 26-23 overtime win over the LA Rams got them back to winning ways in the following week. But the 49ers then went 2-3 in their next five, as they alternated wins and losses against the Buccaneers (19-30), Atlanta Falcons (20-10), Houston Texans (15-26), New York Giants (34-24), and Rams again (26-42).
But after some inconsistent form, the team found their way into an excellent run, winning each of their next six games to secure a playoff spot.
The team defeated the Cardinals once again, earning a 41-22 victory, before wins over the Carolina Panthers (20-9) and Cleveland Browns (26-8) took them to 9-4 before a bye week. But they returned from their break with more wins, defeating the Tennessee Titans (37-24), Indianapolis Colts (48-27) and Chicago Bears (42-38).
Like Philadelphia, the team were beaten on the final day of the regular season, losing to the Seahawks, but they already had one eye on the playoffs.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
Despite defeats on the final day, both teams won’t be thinking too much about their performances in those games when preparing for this one.
The Philadelphia Eagles rested starters in Week 18, while the San Francisco 49ers handed over the number one seed after defeat to Seattle, but it was clear their minds were elsewhere. But they now face a tougher match-up for their style of play, which will make progression even more difficult.
The 49ers have struggled against top-level defenses this season. Four of their five defeats came against teams in the top seven in defensive DVOA, and Philadelphia currently rank number six. Philly also have the fifth-best ranked defense in the NFL when it comes to points-allowed, having averages just 19.1 points against them during the regular season. San Francisco haven’t been the best defensively, ranking 27th for defensive DVOA.
Philadelphia will be hopeful of welcoming back Lane Johnson from a foot injury too, and that would be a big boost to their offensive weapons, which makes the spread look very appealing.
Eight of their 11 wins this season saw the 3.5 spread ticked off, and when you consider that this team knows exactly what it takes to go all the way in the post-season, there is great value at -130 for this to come in, so take it while you can.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
Read Daniel's ProfileAsk Daniel about this guide:
