NFL Playoff Picture: Who’s in if the Postseason Started Today?
We have to soak in every minute of football action we can. After 18 weeks, the NFL regular season is over, and most teams are left licking their wounds. However, the 14 teams left standing dial things up a notch, competing for glory and the chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Here’s what the playoff brackets would look like if the postseason started today.
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NFC
| Division Leaders (odds to win the division) | Wild Card Teams (odds to make the playoffs) |
| No. 1 – Philadelphia Eagles (-1100) | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – San Francisco 49ers (-3000) | No. 7 – Minnesota Vikings (-122) |
| No. 3 – Detroit Lions (-700) | No. 6 – Seattle Seahawks (+116) |
| No. 4 – Atlanta Falcons (+100) | No. 5 – Dallas Cowboys (-10000) |
More NFC: Jalen Hurt MVP Odds | NFC South Playoff Picture
There was minimal movement in the NFC playoff picture; however, you wouldn’t know it from the violent swings in playoff pricing. Of course, the Philadelphia Eagles remain the toast of the league, leading the conference with an impressive 10-1 record. Oddly enough, their price to win the division was one of the more static lines as the Dallas Cowboys are breathing down their necks in case they slip up. As it stands, Philadelphia is well on its way to securing a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
On the opposite end of the standings, the Minnesota Vikings are teetering on falling out of the postseason picture. The Joshua Dobbs magic has worn off as he threw four picks in Monday night’s loss to the lowly Chicago Bears. Minnesota’s odds of making the playoffs fell over 100 points, from -230 to -122. Even if they sneak in, it’s unlikely they put up a fight against a heavyweight San Francisco 49ers side, who leapfrogged the Detroit Lions.
Even after the disappointing loss on Thanksgiving, the Lions are clinging to the third seed in the NFC, albeit from a slightly more tenuous position. Detroit’s odds to win the division took a hit, falling to -700 heading into Week 13. Similarly, the team they could potentially host faces longer odds to make the playoffs. The Seattle Seahawks have fallen to +116 to secure a postseason berth. Losers of two in a row and a gauntlet of games against the Cowboys, Niners, and Eagles coming up doesn’t bode well for the Seahawks.
The only notable adjustment in the seeding on this half of the bracket comes in the NFC South. The Atlanta Falcons fended off a surge from the New Orleans Saints, hanging on to defeat their division rivals on Sunday. The Falcons will host their first playoff game since 2016 if they can maintain their position. If they do, it’s a virtual certainty that it would come against the fifth-seeded Cowboys.
AFC
| Division Leaders (odds to win the division) | Wild Card Teams (odds to make the playoffs) |
| No. 1 – Baltimore Ravens (-300) | First-Round Bye |
| No. 2 – Kansas City Chiefs (-4000) | No. 7 – Indianapolis Colts (+118) |
| No. 3 – Jacksonville Jaguars (-100) | No. 6 – Cleveland Browns (Unavailable) |
| No. 4 – Miami Dolphins (-1100) | No. 5 – Pittsburgh Steelers (-245) |
More AFC: Week 13 Fantasy Stud | Super Bowl Power Rankings
We are in the stretch run now, and division favorites are priced as such in the futures market. All four leaders saw their prices improve dramatically this weekend, as all four teams walked away from Thanksgiving weekend victorious. The slightest price adjustment belongs to the Baltimore Ravens, who are still positioned in the top spot but have to fend off an upstart Pittsburgh Steelers squad in the AFC North.
Speaking of Pittsburgh, a coaching change appears to be all that was needed to spur its offense into gear. The Steelers put up a season-best 421 yards, out-gaining their opponent in a game for the first time this season and moving up two spots in the standings. Still, that might not be enough to keep pace with the Miami Dolphins in their first-round matchup. The Dolphins remain one of the top offensive teams in the league and are locked into the fourth seed in the AFC.
The Cleveland Browns were knocked down one spot this week after getting humbled by the scorching Denver Broncos. Dorian Thompson-Robinson couldn’t compete with the Broncos’ fierce defense or altitude, completing less than 50% of his passes for just 134 yards. Browns fans will be hoping that’s not a sign of things to come, as five teams beneath them in the standings are within striking distance. For now, they’re facing the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars in Round 1.
There was a more substantive change in the AFC South playoff picture. Gone are the Houston Texans, who dropped a nail-biting 24-21 loss to the Jags, falling out of the playoff bracket. They were replaced by a familiar foe, the Indianapolis Colts, seemingly coming out of nowhere to secure a potential postseason berth. Indy plays three of its next four on the road, though, testing its resolve to hang onto its hard-earned playoff spot.
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