NFL Playoff Scenarios: AFC and NFC Playoff Scenarios Entering Week 18

NFL Playoff Scenarios: AFC and NFC Playoff Scenarios Entering Week 18

AFC

Number-One Seed

The battle for the AFC's top spot comes down to a total of four teams, but it's primarily in the hands of Mike Vrabel's Tennessee Titans. If they emerge victorious against the Texans (they're favored at -520 on the moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook) in Houston, they will get the benefit of the conference's only first-round bye. If they lose, they will require Kansas City (-450 at BetMGM) to lose their road game to Denver and Cincinnatti (+225 at FoxBet) to either tie or lose in their matchup with Cleveland -- sans Joe Burrow.

On the other side of the coin, to steal the top spot the Chiefs need a Titans loss or tie at 1:00, followed by a win of their own over the Broncos in the 4:30 window. The other alternative is a Kansas City tie and Tennessee loss.

The Bengals' chances are slimmer, as they must first win, and then get some help from the Texans and Broncos. And on top of that, they need the Patriots (-260 at DraftKings Sportsbook) to either lose or tie, or alternatively, the Bills (heavy -1111 favorites at FoxBet) to take care of business against the Jets.

The only way the Patriots can somehow end up on top is with a win of their own, a Buffalo loss or tie, as well as both a Kansas City loss and Tennessee loss.

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AFC East Title

The battle for the last divisional spot and one of the top seed comes down to the aforementioned Bills and Patriots. New England would take the cake with what oddsmakers expect to be a victory over Miami as long as Buffalo loses. But the Bills are major favorites over the Jets, and all they require is either a win, a Patriots loss or for the division rivals to both tie in order to win their second straight AFC East title. Really, what are the chances of that? The expectation is for the Bills to take the last division-winner spot and the Patriots to be bumped down to the four seed, where they would likely face the Bills or the Bengals.

Final 2 Wild Card Spots

With the Bills or Patriots laying claim to one of the three wild card berths, there are two yet to be locked in and five teams vying for them. Those are the 9-7 Colts, Chargers and Raiders, 8-7-1 Steelers. and 8-8 Ravens.

For the Chargers (-160 at DraftKings Sportsbook), if they don't lose to the Raiders, they're in. If they lose, the Raiders are in with a win. However, Las Vegas can back into a spot by tying and Indianapolis (-1000 to win) losing to the lowly Jaguars, or by watching a Colts loss and either a Steelers (+210) loss or tie away at Baltimore.

As for Jonathan Taylor and the Colts, they are able to advance with a win or tie, or with a Chargers loss and either a Steelers/Ravens tie or Steelers loss with a Miami win over New England.

For the Steelers and Ravens, they each have one scenario. It's win their game against the other, and hope for more. For Pittsburgh, they need an Indy loss and for the Chargers/Raiders game to not tie. And Baltimore, they're looking for a Chargers loss, Colts loss, and Miami loss or tie.

By the odds, the most probable result ends with the Chargers and Colts being the final two representatives in the AFC. The Colts would be in line to face off against the Bengals and the Chargers to go up against their division-rival Chiefs.

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NFC

NFC West Title

It's a little more cut and dry in the NFC, as the Packers have locked up the one seed and NFC North, while the Cowboys and Buccaneers won the East and South, respectively. The only division still ripe for the taking is out west, where the Cardinals and Rams will battle it out for seeding.

They come in with slightly different scenarios. Whereas the Rams (-200 at BetMGM) have two avenues -- a win or tie against the 49ers, or a loss with an Arizona (-275) loss or tie at home against Seattle -- the Cardinals must win and get an L.A. loss.

Given the fact that both are pretty nice favorites to win, the Rams are more likely to close the season with the divisional crown. However, they have the tougher matchup of the two in a Niners team fighting for the last playoff berth among the wild card contenders.

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Final Wild Card Spot

Speaking of the Niners, they come into Week 18 with two ways of punching their ticket for a shot at a Super Bowl run. If they upset the Rams, or even tie them, they will sneak in as the 6 or 7 seed, likely to face the Rams or Buccaneers. In the event they lose, what they need is a New Orleans (-200) loss or tie at 7-9 Atlanta.

The Saints are essentially heads-up with the 49ers. If they win and the Saints lose, they will get in and send the gold helmets back to San Francisco for the offseason. Both games are in the 4:00 window of games so things won't be decided until late Sunday evening. It's sure to be an exciting day as these series of events unfold over the course of six to seven hours. Enjoy!

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