With three weeks remaining in the regular season, half of the league’s fan bases are looking ahead to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the other half are elbow deep in mock drafts and Tankathon to see the draft order following each game’s conclusion.
Seven teams have secured playoff spots: The Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) and Buffalo Bills (10-3) have clinched the AFC West and AFC East divisions, respectively. The Houston Texans (9-5) have won the AFC South and the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) have guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings (12-2) joined the Detroit Lions (12-1) and Philadelphia Eagles (11-2) after Week 15. With seven spots claimed, seven playoff spots remain to be filled over the season’s final three weeks.
The Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) will host the Denver Broncos (9-5) to kick off ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 16. The outcome will provide more clarity for the playoff picture as we near the postseason on the gridiron.
Either your team is fighting to make it or battling to stay healthy enough for when they get there. The NFL season often comes down to a battle of attrition, and some teams, such as the San Francisco 49ers, are losing that fight in 2024. Like the standings, the playoff odds are taking shape. Here’s how the sportsbooks see each team’s chances of playing in the 2024 playoffs.
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NFL playoff picture by odds
All odds courtesy of BetMGM and DraftKings, Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Arizona Cardinals to make playoffs: Yes +550 (implied chance 15.4%), No -800 (implied chance 88.9%)
Atlanta Falcons: Yes +240 (29.4%), No -300 (75%)
Baltimore Ravens: Yes -10000 (99%)
Cincinnati Bengals: Yes +700 (12.5%), No -1100 (91.7%)
Dallas Cowboys: Yes +15000 (0.7%), No -10000 (99%)
Denver Broncos: Yes -1200 (92.3%), No +750 (11.8%)
Green Bay Packers: Yes -10000 (99%)
Indianapolis Colts: Yes +700 (12.5%), No -1100 (91.7%)
Los Angeles Chargers: Yes -1100 (61.5%), No +700 (12.5%)
Los Angeles Rams: Yes -160 (61.5%), No +135 (42.6%)
Miami Dolphins: Yes +1100 (8.3%), No -2500 (96.2%)
New Orleans Saints: Yes +25000 (0.4%)
San Francisco 49ers: Yes +15000 (0.7%)
Seattle Seahawks: Yes -120 (54.5%), No +100 (50%)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Yes -1200 (92.3%), No +750 (11.8%)
Washington Commanders: Yes -650 (86.7%), No +450 (18.2%)
AFC teams clinched playoff berth in 2024
Buffalo Bills: Clinched AFC East title
Houston Texans: Clinched AFC South title
Kansas City Chiefs: Clinched AFC West title
Pittsburgh Steelers: Clinched playoff berth
NFC teams clinched playoff berth in 2024
Detroit Lions: Clinched playoff berth
Minnesota Vikings: Clinched playoff berth
Philadelphia Eagles: Clinched playoff berth
NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2024
New York Giants
Las Vegas Raiders
New England Patriots
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns
New York Jets
Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers
Noteworthy NFL playoff odds
While seven teams have clinched playoff spots, nine teams have been eliminated.
Of the seven playoff spots in each conference, four in the NFC and three AFC are waiting to be claimed. The NFC has 10 teams still in contention for those five spots and the AFC has six.
If you’re looking at the list of teams and wondering which ones are in the best spots to secure a playoff spot, look no further than the Falcons (7-7) in the NFC. Atlanta spent the first half of the season as the favorite to win the NFC South, but it has plenty of work to get back into the playoff picture.
The Falcons have an opportunity to capitalize on an easier schedule down the stretch that could vault them into the final NFC wild-card spot. Atlanta is given (+240) odds or an implied 40% chance to make the playoffs. It just knocked off the Raiders and its final three games are against the Giants, Commanders and Panthers. Washington (9-5) holds the seventh spot in the NFC playoff picture, potentially setting up the Week 17 clash as a clinching scenario. Kirk Cousins has been benched, so the Falcons will turn to rookie Michael Penix Jr. There’s a chance he can ignite the struggling offense down the stretch.
The AFC is more compact, with six teams alive for the final three spots. The Bengals (6-8) are a team to watch, and they check in at +700 to make the playoffs or an implied 12.5% chance. The Bengals need to win out as they are the last team alive in the AFC playoff hunt. The Bengals are one of the NFL’s most interesting teams in 2024. Their top-flight offense is firing on all cylinders behind an MVP-caliber season from Joe Burrow, but their defense has been an atrocity. The Bengals have scored the fifth-most points per game (28.5) but have allowed the second-most (27.6). They’ve won two in a row against the Cowboys and Titans. Their final three opponents are the Browns, Broncos and Steelers. The final AFC playoff spot will likely come down to Week 18 and the Steelers could rest their starters.
The Broncos hold the No. 6 seed in the AFC spot but face potential problems in the season’s final three weeks with the Chargers, Bengals and Chiefs looming.
Back to the NFC, Tampa Bay is getting healthy with Mike Evans back and is pushing for a fourth consecutive NFC South title. The Buccaneers are in a good position to win the division with their final three games against the Cowboys, Panthers and Saints.
Meanwhile, the NFC West is the most tightly packed division in the league. All four teams are alive and within two games of each other. The surging Rams hold the current tiebreaker over the Seahawks, and Seattle has matchups with the Packers and Vikings on deck before a Week 18 clash with Los Angeles that could decide the division crown.
