<p>The NFL postseason runs from January through Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Here's how to approach betting each round.</p> <p>The NFL playoffs feature 14 teams, seven from each conference. Four division winners take seeds one through four based on their regular season record, while three wild card teams fill seeds five through seven.</p> <p>Only the top seed in each conference gets a first-round bye. That's a significant advantage and worth factoring into any futures positions.</p> <p>The format has been this way since 2020, replacing the old 12-team structure where two teams from each conference sat out Wild Card weekend.</p> <p>Single elimination applies throughout. One loss and you're done, which creates volatility that regular season betting simply doesn't offer.</p> <p>The NFL also reseeds after each round, meaning the lowest remaining seed always travels to play the highest remaining seed. No fixed bracket here.</p> <p>For 2026, the schedule runs Wild Card (January 10-12), Divisional Round (January 17-18), Conference Championships (January 25), and Super Bowl LX (February 8). Aussie punters should note kickoff times typically land on Monday mornings AEDT.</p> <p>Check the latest<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/superbowl"> Super Bowl betting odds</a> once the Conference Championships wrap up to see how the market shapes the final matchup.</p> <p>If you're sorting out your Monday morning plans, our guide on<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nfl/news/how-to-watch-the-super-bowl-in-australia"> How to watch the Super Bowl in Australia</a> has the broadcast details covered.</p> <h2>Betting Markets for NFL Playoffs</h2> <p>Playoff markets mirror the regular season but with sharper lines and heavier limits. Bookies know the public loads up on postseason action, so finding soft numbers gets harder.</p> <h3>Spread Betting</h3> <p>Point spreads remain the most popular market. You're betting on the margin of victory rather than the outright winner. A team favoured at -3.5 needs to win by four or more points for the bet to land.</p> <p>Playoff spreads tend to be tighter than regular season games. You'll see more games lined at three points or fewer, reflecting the quality gap narrowing when only the best teams remain.</p> <h3>Moneyline</h3> <p>Straight up winner, no spread involved. Moneyline odds reflect the implied probability of each team winning. A $2.50 underdog has roughly a 40% implied chance, while a $1.40 favourite sits around 71%.</p> <p>Moneylines become more attractive in the playoffs when you genuinely believe an underdog can win but aren't confident they'll cover a spread.</p> <h3>Totals (Over/Under)</h3> <p>Betting on combined points scored by both teams. Playoff totals often trend lower than regular season equivalents. Defences tighten, game plans narrow, and coaches play more conservatively with everything on the line.</p> <p>Weather matters more too. Late January games in cold-weather stadiums can crater scoring expectations.</p> <h3>Player Props</h3> <p>Individual player performance markets cover passing yards, rushing yards, receptions, touchdowns, and more. Playoff props carry lower limits than regular season because the sample size for opponent-specific preparation is small.</p> <p>Star players tend to see elevated usage in elimination games. Targets concentrate on top receivers, and coaches lean heavily on their best playmakers.</p> <h3>Futures and Outright Markets</h3> <p>Conference winner and Super Bowl champion markets run throughout the playoffs. Prices adjust after each game, so timing matters.</p> <p>Live futures during Wild Card weekend offer value if you've identified a team whose price hasn't fully adjusted to their performance. A convincing Wild Card win can shorten a team's Super Bowl odds significantly by Divisional Round.</p> <h2>What Changes from Regular Season to Playoffs</h2> <p>Playoff football plays differently. Teams have spent all season studying opponents, and coaching staffs game-plan with far more precision than a standard Week 12 matchup allows.</p> <p>Tempo often slows. Teams run more, control the clock, and limit possessions. This suppresses scoring and benefits unders in totals markets. The data backs this up year after year.</p> <p>Home field matters more than the regular season suggests. Road teams face hostile crowds in stadiums specifically designed to amplify noise.</p> <p>Communication becomes harder, false starts increase, and momentum swings hit differently when 70,000 fans are involved.</p> <p>Injuries carry amplified weight. There's no next week to rest a banged-up quarterback. Teams either play their wounded stars or go home. Monitor injury reports closely, especially for skill position players and pass rushers.</p> <p>The bye week advantage for top seeds is real. Extra rest, extra preparation time, and the certainty of playing at home. First-round byes have historically correlated with deep playoff runs.</p> <h3>Betting the Wild Card Round</h3> <p>Six games across three days, with matchups pitting seeds two through four against seeds five through seven in each conference. The talent gap is widest here. You'll occasionally see spreads push past a touchdown, which is rare later in the playoffs.</p> <p>Look for travel fatigue. A West Coast wild card team flying east for a 1 p.m. local kickoff faces a body clock disadvantage. It's not massive, but it's real.</p> <p>Home teams have historically covered at a solid clip in Wild Card games. The combination of better seeding (which reflects a better regular season record) and home field creates compounding advantages.</p> <h3>Betting the Divisional Round</h3> <p>Four games, and now the top seeds enter the tournament. These teams haven't played in two weeks. Some come out sharp. Others look rusty.</p> <p>The bye week narrative cuts both ways. Rest helps, but rhythm matters in football. Watch for top seeds that limped into the playoffs versus wild card teams riding momentum from convincing first-round wins.</p> <p>Divisional Round games tend to be closer than Wild Card matchups. The remaining eight teams have all earned their spot, and the gap between seeds narrows.</p> <h3>Conference Championships</h3> <p>Two games decide who plays in the Super Bowl. These are typically the best betting games of the entire postseason. Four quality teams, two weeks of preparation for each coaching staff, and everything at stake.</p> <p>Spreads rarely exceed a field goal. Finding value requires digging into matchup specifics: offensive line play, secondary depth, third-down efficiency, red zone conversion rates.</p> <p>Weather can be a factor if the higher seed plays in a cold-weather stadium. Late January in Buffalo or Green Bay creates conditions that favour certain playing styles.</p> <h3>Super Bowl Betting</h3> <p>Super Bowl LX takes place February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, which translates to 10:30 a.m. AEDT on Monday morning for Australian punters.</p> <p>The two-week gap between Conference Championships and the Super Bowl gives markets time to settle. Early lines often move significantly as money comes in and injury situations clarify.</p> <p>Prop markets explode for the Super Bowl. You can bet on everything from the coin toss result to individual player performances to the length of the national anthem. Most of these are entertainment bets with poor expected value, but some player props offer genuine edges if you've done the work.</p> <p>The<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/sports-novelties/super-bowl-novelties"> Super Bowl Novelties betting odds</a> cover everything from Gatorade colour to halftime show song choices if you want to get creative with your bets.</p> <p>The Super Bowl tends to be a lower-scoring, tighter contest than regular season matchups between the same teams would suggest. Defences have two weeks to prepare, and coaches save their best schemes for the biggest stage.</p> <h2>NFL Playoffs Betting FAQs</h2> <h3>When do the 2026 NFL Playoffs start?</h3> <p>Wild Card weekend runs January 10-12, 2026, with six games across three days.</p> <h3>What time is Super Bowl LX in Australia?</h3> <p>Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. ET on February 8, which translates to Monday, February 9 at 10:30 a.m. AEDT.</p> <h3>Where is Super Bowl LX being played?</h3> <p>Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It's the home of the San Francisco 49ers and previously hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016.</p> <h3>How many teams make the NFL Playoffs?</h3> <p>Fourteen teams qualify: seven from each conference, including four division winners and three wild cards.</p> <h3>Do NFL Playoffs use overtime?</h3> <p>Yes. Playoff overtime rules guarantee both teams at least one possession, even if the first team scores a touchdown. Games continue until there's a winner.</p>