NFC Divisional Round Predictions: Early NFL Playoff Picks

Early Picks So Far
Straight Up: 2-1 
ATS: 2-1
Point Total: 2-1

Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears

Saturday, January 17 or Sunday, January 18, 2026
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Time and TV coming
Chicago (12-6), Los Angeles (13-5)

First Thought Instant Analysis: Start with this. We know the Bears won't come out like a house of fire, because that's not how they roll. But at the moment, there's no one in football who you'd rather have in the final five minutes than Caleb Williams. 

Now let's go with the clichés.

Williams might not be ready yet, and Matthew Stafford has been through everything - even though Williams seems to be handling himself like a grizzled veteran when it matters.

The LA guys who play indoors won't be able to handle the elements - before the exact date and time are announced, it should likely be around 15ish degrees and awful - even though Stafford and Davante Adams have logged more time in NFC North weather than just about anyone on the Bears.

It'll be cold, Caleb will miss about 40% of his passes, Stafford will be unflappable early on, and heaven help us all if the Bears put a not-healthy Kyler Gordon on Puka Nacua. 

The Rams are way better than the Bears, the performance against Carolina is a wake-up call, and ...

Yeah, the weather will matter.

Lost in the Green Bay game was how the Bears have absolutely zero puck luck. There were three key Packer fumbles that could've gone either way, but were recovered by the visiting team.

Chicago will get the takeaways to pull this off.

First Thought No Research Prediction
Chicago 30, LA Rams 27
Early Line No-Look Guess
Los Angeles -5, o/u: 48.5
Actual Line
Coming

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Saturday, January 17 or Sunday, January 18, 2026
Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
Time and TV coming
San Francisco 49ers (13-5), Seattle Seahawks (14-3)

First Thought Instant Analysis: Of course these two had to meet again.

San Francisco was healthy the first time these two met in Week 1, and won. San Francisco wasn't healthy the second time these two met in Week 18, and lost. 

After each game, the losing side came away confident.

Can Sam Darnold really and truly be up to the moment after last year's meltdown loss to the Rams when he was with the Vikings?

Seattle has gone to the Super Bowl the three times it was the NFC's No. 1 seed. San Francisco has yet to miss out on the NFC Championship when it's been in the playoffs under Kyle Shanahan. 

Something has to give.

It'll be Sam Darnold in a rough performance, but the Seattle defense will pick up the slack in another brutally intense battle that will be far more entertaining than the final score.

First Thought No Research Prediction
Seattle 20, San Francisco 16
Early Line No-Look Guess
Seattle -5.5, o/u: 38.5
Actual LineCOMING