You can’t really hear it enough: The NFL postseason is on the horizon.
While there are three games left in the season, it’s important to note that it’s crunch time in terms of playoff positioning.
Which teams are definitely getting in? Which are definitely not? And which are in the middle?
Let’s check out the playoff odds for every team at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Dec. 15, separated into six separate categories.
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THE SHOO-INS
Broncos: Playoff berth clinched
Rams: Playoff berth clinched
Patriots: Odds off board
Bills: Odds off board
Eagles: Odds off board
Seahawks: Odds off board
What to know: It would take some pretty epic collapses for these teams to not make it to the postseason. The Rams and Broncos are the first two teams to clinch playoff berths, while odds are off the board for the Patriots, Bills, Eagles and Seahawks.
THE ALMOST SHOO-INS
49ers: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Jaguars: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Texans: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
Chargers: -2500 (bet $10 to win $10.40 total)
What to know: This group is shoo-ins, but not absolute shoo-ins. The 49ers (10-4) are only a game back of the Rams (11-3) and Seahawks (11-3) , and either L.A. or Seattle will lose when the two face off on Thursday. The Jags (10-4) are in good shape to win the AFC South after Indy’s recent collapse, but the Texans (9-5) are only a game back. Those two teams split their season series. As for the Chargers (10-4), they are fifth in the playoff standings, two games behind Denver (12-2) in the AFC West. Those two will face off on the final weekend of the season, and the Chargers already own one win over the Broncos.
THE SHOULD-BE-GOODS
Packers: -800 (bet $10 to win $11.25 total)
Buccaneers: -360 (bet $10 to win $12.78 total)
Bears: -350 (bet $10 to win $12.86 total)
What to know: Here is where things get interesting. Each of these teams is favored to make the postseason, but that could quickly swing the other way. The Packers (9-4-1) fell at Denver in Week 15. The bigger issue, however, is that their defensive superstar, Micah Parsons, tore his ACL in the defeat. The Bucs (7-7) are holding on for dear life atop the AFC South, and have the same record as the Panthers, with two games left against Carolina. As for the Bears (10-4), they are atop the NFC North and currently the 2-seed in the conference — but they have games remaining against the Packers, at San Francisco and against the Lions, three good teams in need of wins to secure their postseason futures as well.
THE ON-THE-CUSPS
Ravens: -125 (bet $10 to win $18 total)
Steelers: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Lions: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Panthers: +280 (bet $10 to win $38 total)
Colts: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
What to know: OK, so these teams have a chance, but they have a little bit of a hill to climb. The only one of these teams that would be in the playoffs if they started today is the Steelers (7-6), but they have a game left against the Ravens (7-7), which will probably decide the AFC North. The Lions (8-6) are eighth in the playoff standings but have alternated wins and losses for the past 10 weeks. The Panthers could have taken over the top spot in the AFC South standings with a win in Week 15, but they lost at New Orleans. And the Colts? Well, they nearly knocked off Seattle in Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL, but a last-second field goal gave Indy (8-6) its fourth loss in a row.
THE HIGHLY UNLIKLIES
Dolphins: +30000 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)
Cowboys: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
What to know: In order to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Cowboys (6-7-1) really needed to win in Week 15. Instead, they lost at home to the already-eliminated Vikings. Losses don’t get much worse than that, as Dallas allowed J.J. McCarthy to put up just his second 200-yard passing game of the season. As for the Dolphins (6-7), mathematically they are still in it, but it’s a severe long shot.
THE NO-SHOTS
Chiefs: Eliminated from playoff contention
Bengals: Eliminated from playoff contention
Falcons: Eliminated from playoff contention
Vikings: Eliminated from playoff contention
Browns: Eliminated from playoff contention
Commanders: Eliminated from playoff contention
Jets: Eliminated from playoff contention
Saints: Eliminated from playoff contention
Cardinals: Eliminated from playoff contention
Raiders: Eliminated from playoff contention
Titans: Eliminated from playoff contention
Giants: Eliminated from playoff contention
What to know: Nothing to see here.
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