NFL Playoff Pool: Every Game From Wild Card Weekend to the Super Bowl
The NFL playoffs are 13 games over four weekends: six Wild Card games, four in the Divisional Round, the two conference championships, and the Super Bowl. That's short enough that everyone stays engaged, and every game matters.
A playoff pool is the easiest pick'em to run. There's no 18-week grind and no one falls hopelessly behind by October. Players pick each round once its matchups are set, and the standings update live as games finish.
📅 When it opens: NFL playoff pools open here in January, as soon as the Wild Card matchups are set. Until then, run a weekly NFL pick'em and carry the same group straight into the playoffs.
Free up to 10 players · players join with a link, no app or account · we never touch the pot
How an NFL playoff pool works
- 1
Wild Card weekend: 6 games
Seven teams make it from each conference, and the top seed in each gets a bye. The other twelve play six games over one long weekend, usually Saturday through Monday night.
- 2
Divisional Round: 4 games
The six Wild Card winners join the two top seeds. Picks for this round open once the Wild Card results set the matchups.
- 3
Conference championships: 2 games
The AFC and NFC title games are played on the same Sunday. Win one, and you're in the Super Bowl.
- 4
The Super Bowl
One game decides the pool, usually two weeks after the conference championships. Total points in the Super Bowl is the classic tiebreaker.
Ways to run your playoff pool
Pick the format that fits your group.
Round-by-round pick'em
Pick the winner of every playoff game as each round is set. One point per correct pick, and most correct picks wins.
Set this up →Later rounds worth more
Double the points each round: 1 point per Wild Card win, 2 per Divisional, 4 per conference title game, and 8 for the Super Bowl. Close races stay alive until the final game.
Against the spread
Playoff matchups are tight, and many favorites win by less than the line. Grading picks against the opening spread makes every game a real decision.
Set this up →Super Bowl squares
Want something for the whole office, including people who don't follow football? Squares is pure luck, with a winner every quarter.
Set this up →
Why playoff picks are different
Regular-season picks reward knowing which teams are good. In January, almost every team is good, and the edges get smaller.
- •Byes matter: top seeds rest a week, then play at home in the Divisional Round. Rested home favorites win more often than their regular-season record suggests.
- •Weather and travel: a dome team playing outdoors in January is a real factor in Wild Card and Divisional games.
- •Quarterback play decides close games: in a one-and-done game, the team with the steadier quarterback is often the safer pick.
- •Spreads tighten: playoff lines are usually smaller than regular-season lines, so against-the-spread pools get harder, not easier.
House rules to settle before Wild Card weekend
Playoff pools run for a month, so agree on the edge cases up front and post them as your pool's house rules:
- •Is every round worth the same, or do later rounds count more?
- •The tiebreaker: total points in the Super Bowl is the standard.
- •Late joiners: can someone who joins after Wild Card weekend still play the later rounds?
- •The buy-in and payout split, and when you'll collect and pay out.
Why run your playoff pool here
Rounds fill in themselves
Matchups appear as each round is set, so you never rebuild a bracket by hand or chase a new spreadsheet every week.
Each game locks at kickoff
No single deadline for the whole weekend. Players can pick Saturday's games Saturday morning and Sunday's on Sunday.
Keep your season group
Already running a weekly NFL pick'em? Your players are already here, so starting the playoff pool is one tap.
Reminders before every round
Players get a nudge before games they haven't picked, so nobody misses a round.
Phones first
Players pick from anywhere, with no app to download and no account to create.
Free for small groups
Free for up to 10 players. Bigger office pool? Unlimited is $49 a year.
We never touch the pot
Playoff pools often have a buy-in and a bigger payout than a weekly pool. You set the buy-in and the split, collect it yourself by Venmo, Zelle, or cash, and pay the winners. Pick'em Builder shows the pot and who's paid, and never holds a dollar.
Pricing
Free for pools up to 10 players — every format, live scoring, full standings. Bigger group? Unlimited is $49/year (about $4 a month) or $5/month, for as many players and pools as you want. Players always join free.
Questions
- When can I set up an NFL playoff pool?
- Playoff pools open here once the Wild Card matchups are set at the end of the regular season in January. You can start a weekly NFL pick'em today and move the same group into the playoff pool.
- How many games are in an NFL playoff pool?
- Thirteen: six Wild Card games, four Divisional Round games, two conference championships and the Super Bowl.
- Can players join after the playoffs start?
- Yes. Each game locks at its own kickoff, so a late joiner can still pick every game that hasn't started. Your house rules decide whether that's allowed.
- What's the best tiebreaker for a playoff pool?
- Total points scored in the Super Bowl. It's the last game, so the tiebreaker stays live until the very end.
- Is it free?
- Free for pools up to 10 players. Larger groups can go Unlimited for $49 a year or $5 a month. Players always join free.
Related guides
Four weekends, thirteen games, one champion.
Start a weekly NFL pick'em with your group now, and the playoff pool is one tap away in January.
Start an NFL pick'em now — free