NFL Wild-Card Picks From the MMQB Staff: Bears Host Packers in Rubber Match

It’s wild-card weekend! Our staff is already looking ahead to Super Bowl LX, with our full staff playoff predictions. But you can’t make it to the big one unless you take care of business this weekend. (Well, except for the Broncos and Seahawks, who are enjoying their first-round byes.) Matt Verderame has ranked all six games—but we plan to watch all of them, so let’s get to our winners.

Our group of game pickers is unanimous on two games, both of the No. 5 seeds headed on the road: the Rams in Carolina to start off the action Saturday and the Texans in Pittsburgh on Monday night. We are split with at least two of our writers and editors picking an upset in each of the other four games. That includes being split down the middle in the Bears-Packers rematch at Soldier Field, where the two longtime NFC North rivals will meet for the third time this season. We’re also fully split on Josh Allen’s Bills traveling down to Jacksonville, and we give a slight edge to the Eagles and Patriots taking care of business at home.

Here’s who we have making picks this season:

Conor Orr, senior writer
Gilberto Manzano, staff writer
Matt Verderame, staff writer
John Pluym, managing editor
Mitch Goldich, senior editor
Clare Brennan, associate editor

All picks are straight up. Visit SI Betting for picks against the spread and much more gambling content.