NFL Wild Card Playoffs Preview: Breaking Down Saturday's Two-Game Slate

NFL Wild Card Weekend is here and the playoffs are officially underway. There are six games in this opening round, with the top two seeds in each conference getting a bye while everyone else fights to survive.

We’ve got two games on Saturday, three games on Sunday, and one game on Monday, and by the end of it, nearly half the postseason field will be gone. That’s what makes this weekend so fun, one bad quarter and your season is over, one big swing and you’re suddenly a real threat.

With that said, here is everything you need to know about Saturday’s slate as you scroll through.

Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers

🏟️ Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

⏰ Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET

🏈 Odds: Rams -10.5 (via BetMGM)

This one is really interesting because the Rams come in as the more proven roster, but Carolina gets the home crowd and has been playing like a group that believes it belongs. The Rams are going to be shorthanded on the offensive line, which is a big deal in a playoff game where one leaky interior spot can blow up your entire offensive rhythm.

The good news for LA is that Davante Adams is expected back after missing time, which changes the math for defenses when you already have Puka Nacua on the other side. That's why they're significant favorites despite being the lower seed and on the road today.

For Carolina, the main thing to watch is also the offensive line's health, with guards Robert Hunt and Chandler Zavala listed as questionable as they try to work back. That's significant for the Panthers because if they can protect and run the ball, it keeps the Rams from getting comfortable and turns this into a real four-quarter problem. Carolina has legitimate weapons in the backfield, and if the game slows down and becomes more of a grind, it could work in the Panthers' favor as major underdogs.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

🏟️ Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

⏰ Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. ET

🏈 Odds: Packers -1.5 (via bet365)

If you like cold-weather chaos and hate clean, pretty football, this one has your name all over it. It’s Bears-Packers, it’s Soldier Field and conditions could play a role, so it wouldn’t be surprising if this becomes a field position and mistakes game instead of a pure shootout between these two division rivals.

Chicago is missing several defensive pieces, so the Bears are going to need some younger guys to hold up when Green Bay starts leaning on them. On Green Bay’s side, they’ve got a cluster of questionable guys, including Malik Willis, who has been playing as Jordan Love's backup and will be important to have if anything happens to him again today. As such, pay attention to who’s actually active, as that can affect how aggressive they are on offense and how flexible they are defensively.

The simple swing factor in this game is whether the Packers can stay patient and avoid giving Chicago short fields, because rivalry playoff games usually come down to one or two snaps that flip the entire night. Special teams will certainly play a role in this one.

That’s the Saturday slate, with one afternoon game that feels like it could come down to trench health and a couple of explosive plays, and one night game that has all the ingredients for a sloppy, physical rivalry classic. By Sunday morning, the pressure ramps up even more because the loser’s season is already done, and the winner is one step closer to a run nobody will forget.

All Odds as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Jan. 9