Will Lamar Jackson Be Back for Sunday’s Huge NFL Showdown?
- 29 Dec 2025
- Gambling News
With all but two slots secured, the NFL playoff picture is considerably clearer this morning.
Next Sunday night, the Baltimore Ravens (8-8) and Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) will meet for the final AFC playoff berth. The victor will guarantee a No. 4 spot in the playoffs and the AFC North championship. That game's loser is eliminated from the playoffs.
Due to his suspension, wide receiver DK Metcalf will not be playing for the Steelers. Due to a back ailment, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was unable to play in Saturday's game against the Green Bay Packers, and it is uncertain if he will be able to play on Sunday. The Ravens are the moneyline favorites according to early week lines. The Ravens are -180 and the Steelers are +150 at DraftKings. There, the spread is Steelers +3.5 (-115) and Ravens -3.5 (-105). The Ravens are -172 and the Steelers are +144 on the moneyline at FanDuel.
“I’m told, right now, it’s a shade under 50/50 as to whether he’ll [Jackson] be available for the showdown next weekend in Pittsburgh,” said ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio on NBC’s “Football Night in America.”
SNF Battle for Every Marble
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) are on the bubble in the NFC, while the Carolina Panthers (8-8) are still vying for the final postseason spot. Carolina will play the Bucs at Tampa on Saturday. The Panthers are +132 on the moneyline, while the Bucs, the FanDuel betting favorite, are -156.
The rise in popularity of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who is performing at an MVP level, is one of the NFC's major storylines for bettors. With three throwing and two rushing touchdowns, Purdy scored five points in Sunday night's 42-38 shootout victory over the Chicago Bears.
With home-field advantage throughout, San Francisco welcomes the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night with everything on the line: the NFC West division title and the top seed in the NFC playoffs. At the ideal moment, Purdy has stepped up his game.
At -112 on the DraftKings moneyline as of Monday morning, the Seahawks are marginal favorites. It's -108 for the 49ers.
The Bucs have a 54.2% chance of making the playoffs, while the Panthers have a 45.8% chance, per ESPN's postseason projections. The Ravens have a 57.8% chance of making the playoffs in the AFC, while the Steelers have a 42.2% chance.
NFL Betting: Best Games for Punters on Sunday
“We had a mixed bag of results on the day, with certain underdogs coming through in the morning, including the Dolphins and Browns winning outright,” said Joey Feazel, head of football at Caesars Sportsbook. “Customers were the beneficiaries of Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense, who clearly have not quit on the year like some teams that are out of contention.
"In the late afternoon, the customers were all over the Giants in the race for the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, and it was evident that the Raiders wanted that pick much more. The Eagles/Bills game gathered a decent amount of Over money, so the low-scoring affair was good for the book.”
Texans vs. Chargers, Bengals vs. Cardinals, Patriots vs. Jets, and Giants vs. Raiders were the most popular games for Caesars Sportsbook bettors. The Buccaneers vs. Dolphins, Browns vs. Steelers, Ravens vs. Packers, Lions vs. Vikings, and Bills vs. Eagles games were the best ones for the books.
