NFL Wild Card Round Lookahead – Jacksonville Jaguars vs Buffalo Bills Opening Odds, Early Picks & Predictions

It’s nearly time for the first round of the 2025-26 NFL playoffs. After the 18-week regular season came to an end on Sunday night, the stage is set for 14 teams to battle it out for a chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy when it’s all said and done.

In this article, we will take a look at the early odds for the AFC Wild Card round confrontation between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills. Jacksonville gets a home game as the champions of the AFC South after going on an 8-game win streak to close out the regular season.

The Bills, on the other hand, have had an up-and-down sort of season, but reigning MVP Josh Allen and running back James Cook have shouldered much of the responsibility. Having said that, let us take a look at the early betting leans based on the opening lines and the information we currently have.

Don’t call it a comeback. Or do, we don’t care.@trevorlawrence | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/JF4sSqmjqw
— z – Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 5, 2026

What are the opening odds for the Jaguars vs Bills?

The table below gives the opening odds for the Jaguars vs Bills matchup as per FanDuel.

	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Jacksonville Jaguars	+1.5 (-114)	-102	O 51.5 (-114)
Buffalo Bills	-1.5 (-106)	-116	U 51.5 (-106)

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The opening odds for the Jaguars vs Bills Wild Card round matchup show that Buffalo is the slight favorite to win the game.

Early picks & predictions for Jaguars vs Bills

Here are our early picks for the Wild Card game between the Jaguars and the Bills.

Early spread lean: Buffalo Bills -1.5 (-106)
Early total lean: Under 51.5 (-106)
Early player prop: Travis Etienne Over 15.5 rush attempts (+110)

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Early leans & betting predictions

Early spread lean: Buffalo Bills -1.5

The Jaguars vs Bills promises to be a high-quality matchup as both teams have played excellent football over the regular season. Despite the fact that the Jaguars have the better record, they had an easier end to the season against weaker teams such as the Colts, Jets, and Titans.

The Bills have been battle-tested and have pulled off wins against the Patriots, Steelers, and Buccaneers recently, while losing a close 1-point game to the defending Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Both teams are similarly matched on offense, scoring around 28 points per game. The scoring defense of both teams is also evenly matched, with the Jaguars holding a slender advantage by allowing just a shade under 20 points, while the Bills are allowing 21.5 points per game. Jacksonville may hold the home-field advantage, but Buffalo has more postseason experience.

Early total lean: Under 51.5

Offensively, both the Jaguars and the Bills tend to put up around 28 points per game, but both teams also possess quality scoring defenses. This game has all the makings of being a close encounter, but with the teams allowing just around 20 points per game, the under 51.5 total points looks to be a better bet.

Early player prop: Travis Etienne Over 15.5 rush attempts

The Jaguars and Bills are polar opposites when it comes to pass and run defense. On the one hand, the Jaguars boast the best run defense, while their pass defense is below average.

On the other hand, the Bills have the best pass defense, while they are bottom 5 against the run. The Jaguars may look to run the ball more against the Bills, allowing Travis Etienne more touches in the backfield. The Jaguars’ primary rusher has 15 or more carries in three of the last five games.

James Cook III finishes the 2025 season as the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,621 rushing yards.

Cook is the first Bill to lead the NFL in rushing since O.J. Simpson in 1976. pic.twitter.com/MUPBmvva6e
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) January 5, 2026

Trends to Monitor

Here are some of the key trends to monitor for the Jaguars Wild Card game against the Bills.

The Jaguars are 7-1 ATS at home
Jacksonville is 3-1 ATS as underdogs at home
Bills hold a +/- ATS of +2.1
Buffalo is 4-4 ATS on the spread

Early prediction summary

In summary, based on the information available at the moment, our early lean is in favor of the Bills to cover the spread (-1.5), while we are tending to the under on the 51.5 point total due to the quality of both defenses. As for the player prop, Travis Etienne to have over 15.5 rush attempts is our pick based on the Bills’ elite pass defense as compared to their below-average run defense.

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How to watch Jaguars vs Bills

The details for the Jaguars vs Bills AFC Wild Card round game are as follows.

Game Details	Information
Date	Sunday, January 11, 2026
Kickoff	1:00 p.m. ET
Location	EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
TV	CBS
Streaming	Paramount+

What time is Jaguars vs Bills?

The Jaguars vs Bills Wild Card round will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 11.

Where is the Jaguars vs Bills game being played?

The AFC Wild Card game between the Jaguars and the Bills will take place at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.

How can I watch Jaguars vs Bills on TV and live stream?

The Jacksonville Jaguars vs Buffalo Bills playoff matchup will be telecast by CBS with live streaming available on Paramount+.

The above odds are sourced from FanDuel. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!

Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!