NFL: NFC Playoff Scenarios for Week 15

by

Dec 15, 2022

With a win tonight (8:15 p.m. ET/Prime Video) at the Seattle Seahawks (7-6), the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) can be the first team to clinch their division this season. It’s an easy win, and they’re NFC West champs.

Can they do it on the road against a team fighting for their postseason lives? San Fran is a 3-point favorite and -175 on the moneyline against a Seattle team that is half a game out of the final Wild-Card spot in the NFC.

A win would mark San Francisco’s second-straight postseason, and at -2000, they are the odds-on favorite to capture the NFC West for the first time since 2019.

Their NFC odds shortened from +450 to +300 from last week to this week, making them the second-favorite in the conference with Super Bowl odds of +750 (+1100 last week), fourth on the totem pole despite their question marks at quarterback. 

Right behind the Niners in terms of Super Bowl and NFC odds are the Dallas Cowboys (10-3), who are also a win away from punching their postseason ticket. Dallas is +800 (+650 last week) to hoist the Lombardi Trophy with +320 odds to win the conference.

Despite the aforementioned line movement, their odds of going OVER 12.5 wins (opened at 10.5) have shortened from +120 to +100.

The Cowboys are a 4-point favorite (-200) at the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-8). If they lose, they can still secure a spot in the playoffs with a loss by the Seattle Seahawks and a loss by either the Washington Commanders or the Detroit Lions. We won’t bore you with the “if Dallas ties” scenarios.

The Boys have won four-straight games, and since Dak Prescott’s return in Week 7, Dallas leads the NFL with 35.7 points per game. Can they keep that streak going with three of their final four games on the road?

The Cowboys are within two games of the Philadelphia Eagles (12-1) in the NFC East, the only team in the NFL who has already clinched a postseason berth

While the Eagles can’t win their division this week, the Minnesota Vikings (10-3) can if they beat the Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1) on Saturday (1:00 p.m. ET/NFL Network). The last time the heavy division favorites (-10000) won the NFC North was in 2017.

Favored by four points (-200 moneyline), the Vikings have won nine games by one score. Only two teams have won more one-score games in a season in NFL history. Rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell will inevitably make it seven straight years a first-year headman makes the postseason.

Minnesota can also lock up the NFC North if the Detroit Lions lose at the New York Jets on Sunday.

Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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