NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Round Betting
The addition of a third wild card team in each NFL conference a few years ago has just added to the excitement of the regular season. The NFL postseason is still an exclusive club compared to other sports leagues and the NFL is the only major North American sports league that uses a single-elimination format in every round of its postseason setting up the likelihood of a wild card team reaching the Super Bowl.
The upstart Washington Commanders were the only wild card to win a playoff game last season beating NFC South champion Tampa Bay, 23-20. The other games featuring wild card teams weren’t that close. The three AFC wild cards – Chargers, Steelers and Broncos – all lost by at least two touchdowns while Minnesota and Green Bay fell by double-figures in the other two NFC wild card matchups. The team formerly known as the Redskins rode its wild card victory all the way to the NFC Championship game, but a trip to the Super Bowl was nixed by Philadelphia. The Commanders thumped No. 1 seed Detroit, 45-31, in the divisional round.
As it should be the current playoff format is designed to reward division winners. If there isn’t a carrot at the end of the stick then why have divisions in the first place. And as a result we can see some strange seedings in the wild card round. In 2020 the Washington Football Team won the NFC East with a 7-9 record and was the No. 4 seed. Tampa Bay also was a four-seed in 2022 after winning the NFC South at 8-9. Both teams were routed in the wild card round.
Last season the Minnesota Vikings went 14-3 but were stuck in the same division as the 15-win Lions, thus becoming the most successful team to play a wild card game. They one-upped the 1999 Tennessee Titans, who had the most wins of any wild card team with 13. The disappointment of not winning their division and having to play a wild card game on the road was too much to overcome. The Vikings were beaten, 27-9, by the Rams.
NFL Betting Lines
2025-26 NFL Super Wild Card Weekend
Saturday January 10, 2026 (2 Games)
Sunday, January 11, 2026 (3 Games)
Monday, January 12, 2026 (1 Game)
Wild Card Round Results (2000)
| SEASON |
WINNING TEAM |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
| 2024 |
Houston Texans |
Los Angeles Chargers |
32-12 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
28-14 |
| Buffalo Bills |
Denver Broncos |
31-7 |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
Green Bay Packers |
22-10 |
| Washington Commanders |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
23-20 |
| Los Angeles Rams |
Minnesota Vikings |
27-9 |
| 2023 |
Houston Texans |
Cleveland Browns |
45-14 |
| Kansas City Chiefs |
Miami Dolphins |
26-7 |
| Green Bay Packers |
Dallas Cowboys |
48-32 |
| Detroit Lions |
Los Angeles Rams |
24-23 |
| Buffalo Bills |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
31-17 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Philadelphia Eagles |
32-9 |
| 2022 |
San Francisco 49ers |
Seattle Seahawks |
41-23 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars |
Los Angeles Chargers |
31-30 |
| Buffalo Bills |
Miami Dolphins |
34-31 |
| New York Giants |
Minnesota Vikings |
31-24 |
| Cincinnati Bengals |
Baltimore Ravens |
24-17 |
| Dallas Cowboys |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
31-14 |
| 2021 |
Los Angeles Rams |
Arizona Cardinals |
34-11 |
| Kansas City Chiefs |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
42-21 |
| San Francisco 49ers |
Dallas Cowboys |
23-17 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Philadelphia Eagles |
31-15 |
| Buffalo Bills |
New England Patriots |
47-17 |
| Cincinnati Bengals |
Las Vegas Raiders |
26-19 |
| 2020 |
Buffalo Bills |
Indianapolis Colts |
27-24 |
| Los Angeles Rams |
Seattle Seahawks |
30-20 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Washington Football Team |
31-23 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
Tennessee Titans |
20-13 |
| New Orleans Saints |
Chicago Bears |
21-9 |
| Cleveland Browns |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
48-37 |
| 2019 |
Houston Texans |
Buffalo Bills |
22-19 (OT) |
| Tennessee Titans |
New England Patriots |
20-13 |
| Minnesota Vikings |
New Orleans Saints |
26-20 (OT) |
| Seattle Seahawks |
Philadelphia Eagles |
17-9 |
| 2018 |
Indianapolis Colts |
Houston Texans |
21-7 |
| Dallas Cowboys |
Seattle Seahawks |
24-22 |
| Los Angeles Chargers |
Baltimore Ravens |
23-17 |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
Chicago Bears |
16-15 |
| 2017 |
Tennessee Titans |
Kansas City Chiefs |
22-21 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars |
Buffalo Bills |
10-3 |
| Atlanta Falcons |
Los Angeles Rams |
26-13 |
| New Orleans Saints |
Carolina Panthers |
31-26 |
| 2016 |
Houston Texans |
Oakland Raiders |
27-14 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
Miami Dolphins |
30-12 |
| Seattle Seahawks |
Detroit Lions |
26-6 |
| Green Bay Packers |
New York Giants |
38-13 |
| 2015 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
Houston Texans |
30-0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
Cincinnati Bengals |
18-16 |
| Seattle Seahawks |
Minnesota Vikings |
10-9 |
| Green Bay Packers |
Washington Redskins |
35-18 |
| 2014 |
Baltimore Ravens |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
30-17 |
| Indianapolis Colts |
Cincinnati Bengals |
26-10 |
| Carolina Panthers |
Arizona Cardinals |
27-16 |
| Dallas Cowboys |
Detroit Lions |
24-20 |
| 2013 |
Indianapolis Colts |
Kansas City Chiefs |
45-44 |
| San Diego Chargers |
Cincinnati Bengals |
27-10 |
| New Orleans Saints |
Philadelphia Eagles |
26-24 |
| San Francisco 49ers |
Green Bay Packers |
23-20 |
| 2012 |
Houston Texans |
Cincinnati Bengals |
19-13 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
Indianapolis Colts |
24-9 |
| Green Bay Packers |
Minnesota Vikings |
24-10 |
| Seattle Seahawks |
Washington Redskins |
24-14 |
| 2011 |
Houston Texans |
Cincinnati Bengals |
31-10 |
| Denver Broncos |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
29-23 |
| New Orleans Saints |
Detroit Lions |
45-28 |
| New York Giants |
Atlanta Falcons |
24-2 |
| 2010 |
New York Jets |
Indianapolis Colts |
17-16 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
Kansas City Chiefs |
30-7 |
| Seattle Seahawks |
New Orleans Saints |
41-36 |
| Green Bay Packers |
Philadelphia Eagles |
21-16 |
| 2009 |
New York Jets |
Cincinnati Bengals |
24-14 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
New England Patriots |
33-14 |
| Dallas Cowboys |
Philadelphia Eagles |
34-17 |
| Arizona Cardinals |
Green Bay Packers |
51-45 |
| 2008 |
San Diego Chargers |
Indianapolis Colts |
23-17 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
Miami Dolphins |
27-9 |
| Arizona Cardinals |
Atlanta Falcons |
30-24 |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
Minnesota Vikings |
26-14 |
| 2007 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
31-29 |
| San Diego Chargers |
Tennessee Titans |
17-6 |
| Seattle Seahawks |
Washington Redskins |
35-14 |
| New York Giants |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
24-14 |
| 2006 |
Indianapolis Colts |
Kansas City Chiefs |
23-8 |
| New England Patriots |
New York Jets |
37-16 |
| Seattle Seahawks |
Dallas Cowboys |
21-20 |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
New York Giants |
23-20 |
| 2005 |
New England Patriots |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
28-3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
Cincinnati Bengals |
31-17 |
| Washington Redskins |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
17-10 |
| Carolina Panthers |
New York Giants |
23-0 |
| 2004 |
New York Jets |
San Diego Chargers |
20-17 |
| Indianapolis Colts |
Denver Broncos |
49-24 |
| St. Louis Rams |
Seattle Seahawks |
27-20 |
| Minnesota Vikings |
Green Bay Packers |
31-17 |
| 2003 |
Tennessee Titans |
Baltimore Ravens |
20-17 |
| Indianapolis Colts |
Denver Broncos |
41-10 |
| Carolina Panthers |
Dallas Cowboys |
29-10 |
| Green Bay Packers |
Seattle Seahawks |
33-27 |
| 2002 |
New York Jets |
Indianapolis Colts |
41-0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
Cleveland Browns |
36-33 |
| Atlanta Falcons |
Green Bay Packers |
27-7 |
| San Francisco 49ers |
New York Giants |
39-38 |
| 2001 |
Oakland Raiders |
New York Jets |
38-24 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
Miami Dolphins |
20-3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
31-9 |
| Green Bay Packers |
San Francisco 49ers |
25-15 |
| 2000 |
Miami Dolphins |
Indianapolis Colts |
23-17 |
| Baltimore Ravens |
Denver Broncos |
21-3 |
| New Orleans Saints |
St. Louis Rams |
31-28 |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
21-3 |
We have seen 11 wild card teams go on to reach the Super Bowl with seven of those teams eventually winning the Lombardi Trophy. The first wild card team to reach the Super Bowl was the 1975 Dallas Cowboys. They went on the road to upset the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams before losing the first of two Super Bowls to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s.
In 1980 the Oakland Raiders were the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl beating Philadelphia, 27-10. They went 11-5 in the regular season, and they turned it on after the first five games as Jim Plunkett led the Raiders to 13 wins in the 15 games he started. The most recent wild card team to win the Super Bowl was Tampa Bay in 2020, besting Kansas City 31-9 behind Tom Brady.
The other wild card teams to reach the Super Bowl are the 1985 New England Patriots, 1992 Buffalo Bills, 1997 Denver Broncos, 1999 Tennessee Titans, 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2007 New York Giants and 2010 Green Bay Packers, and 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There has yet to be a Super Bowl featuring two wild card teams.
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