The Divisional Spherical of the 2026 NFL Playoffs concludes on Sunday, Jan. 18 with the Houston Texans visiting the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams taking up the Chicago Bears. These groups didn’t meet throughout the common season. Houston is coming off a dominant win over the Steelers 30-6 whereas New England enters the Divisional Spherical after a gutsy 16-3 conquer the Chargers. Each NFC groups had extra thrilling finishes within the Wild Card spherical, with Los Angeles getting a late landing to tug previous the Panthers 34-31 and the Bears getting one late defensive cease to return again and beat the Packers 31-27.
We’ll check out each matchups on Sunday with odds from DraftKings, predictions from the SportsLine Projection Mannequin and all of the information followers and bettors must know earlier than making wagers on both contest.
Texans vs. Patriots (3 p.m. ET)
Houston was gained 10 video games in a row behind arguably the very best protection within the league. The Texans had been first in yards allowed and second in factors allowed within the common season, ending solely behind the Seahawks in that class. That they had two defensive touchdowns within the win over Pittsburgh, together with a pick-6 on what may very well be the ultimate go of Aaron Rodgers‘ profession. On the flip aspect, C.J. Stroud has been inconsistent however seems to be discovering large performs for his receivers on the good time. Woody Marks has emerged as a strong presence on the bottom, and the Texans are capable of play extra of a possession sport and management the clock given the protection they’ve.
On the flip aspect, New England ranked fourth in scoring protection throughout the common season regardless of being one of many worst models within the purple zone. The Patriots had been capable of shut down Justin Herbert and restrict the Chargers to 3 factors, however can their offense transfer the ball towards a stiff Texans protection? Drake Maye emerged as an MVP contender however one of many primary criticisms of the second-year quarterback is his inflated numbers towards weaker groups and an total softer schedule. He had an eight-game stretch close to the top of the season the place he threw six of his eight interceptions on the season, dealing with some notably harder defenses just like the Payments, Buccaneers, Falcons and Browns. How Maye fares towards Houston’s go rush and secondary will go a good distance in the direction of figuring out who wins this sport.
The SportsLine Projection Mannequin has Houston protecting the unfold as a three-point underdog in 49% of simulations and profitable outright in 45%, which brings worth as a +145 underdog. Regardless of some nice defenses, the mannequin leans to the Over on 40.5. New England is 12-5-1 ATS total, 8-3-1 ATS as a favourite and 5-2-1 ATS as a house favourite. Houston is 10-8 ATS total, 5-4 ATS as a street group and 3-3 ATS as a street underdog.
Guess on the Texans to cowl the unfold at DraftKings, the place new customers can get $300 in bonus bets if their first guess of $5 or extra wins.
Rams vs. Bears (6:30 p.m. ET)
At one point, it looked like the Rams would be the clear No. 1 seed in the NFC. L.A. proceeded to lose three of its last six games and was fortunate to play the Cardinals twice from Weeks 14-18 to get some easy wins. Matthew Stafford has his full complement of weapons with Davante Adams back, and the quarterback’s finger injury seems to be minor. The Rams needed a late touchdown to defeat the Panthers despite being a 10.5-point favorite and even though many of these players have been in cold weather, the elements have played a factor for L.A. The Rams can point to the snow last year as a large reason they lost against the Eagles in the Divisional Round, and it’s possible they have to deal with snow again in Chicago on Sunday.
The Bears have taken their fans on a wild ride in Ben Johnson’s first season at the helm, winning seven games where they had a deficit in the fourth quarter. They were down 21-3 at halftime against the Packers and down 27-16 with just over six minutes left in the game. Something seems to flip for Chicago in crunch time. Caleb Williams has made every throw in the book, especially on key downs. Colston Loveland has emerged as a go-to threat. The defense finds ways to generate pressure and led the league in takeaways despite ranking 29th in yards allowed and 23rd in points allowed. The Bears have two key injuries with guard Ozzy Trapilo and linebacker T.J. Edwards out for the season, so the Rams will look to take advantage with their pass rush and receivers. One thing Chicago didn’t do well in the Wild Card game was run the ball well despite ranking third in rushing yards per game during the regular season. If D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai can establish themselves, it’ll take some pressure off Williams and the receivers.
The SportsLine Projection Model likes Chicago to cover the 3.5-point spread in 53% of simulations and win in 46% as a +164 underdog to bring value. The model backs the Over on 48.5 as it hits in 53% of simulations. The Rams are 12-6 ATS overall, 5-4 ATS on the road and 4-3 ATS as a road favorite. The Bears are 11-7 ATS overall, 6-3 ATS at home and 2-0 ATS as a home underdog.
Bet on the Bears to win against the Rams at DraftKings.
