NFL wild-card playoff picks straight up and against spread: Rams or Vikings in Monday finale?

The NFL’s second season launches this weekend with a six-pack of games spread over three days, kickoff occurring Saturday afternoon with the Los Angeles Chargers visiting Houston in what’s become the Texans’ traditional 4:30 p.m. ET postseason slot. That night, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will meet at M&T Bank Stadium for what will be a decisive rubber match for the 2024 chapter of their longstanding rivalry. (Ravens by 10? Really?)

Sunday will feature the postseason debuts of two rookie quarterbacks, Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels both in the role of road dogs. Nix’s Denver Broncos will attempt to upset the Bills in Buffalo in the day’s first game, while Daniels’ Washington Commanders, who lost at Tampa in the season’s opening weekend, get a rematch against the Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football.” In between, the Philadelphia Eagles host the Green Bay Packers in another repeat of a Week 1 matchup.

The final contest will occur in the final Monday night game of the 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings slight favorites to beat the NFC West champion LA Rams on the road – though it’s largely a neutral site game after California’s wildfires forced a move to Arizona.

The picks are in from our panel of USA TODAY Sports NFL experts:

(Odds provided by BetMGM)