The NFL Playoffs are rapidly approaching!

Some teams have already secured a seat in this gridiron-focused game of musical chairs, like the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins, but other teams are still circling, like the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh and Houston’s playoff chances got dented in Week 14, with the Steelers losing to the two-win New England Patriots and the Texans losing to the 4-7 New York Jets.

Houston and Pittsburgh now sit with odds favoring them to miss the playoffs on most sportsbooks.

There are now six teams in the AFC Conference Playoff picture with a record of 7-6, ranging in odds to make the playoffs from +320 for the Cincinnati Bengals to +110 for the Texans.

Also, there is an interesting situation brewing in the NFC South.

The New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all tied atop the division with a record of 6-7 after 14 weeks, and all three “division leaders” have odds greater than even value (+100).

The Buccaneers hold the divisional tiebreaker at the moment, but that could become moot in one week.

Anything goes in the NFC South.

NFL Teams To Make The 2024 Playoffs

Here’s how the odds To Make the Playoffs currently sit at FanDuel, with many of the teams clearly in or out, now off the board.

NFL Teams	Odds (Yes)	Odds (No)
Atlanta Falcons	+146	-180
Buffalo Bills	+118	-144
Chicago Bears	+1300	-4500
Cincinnati Bengals	+320	-430
Cleveland Browns	-500	+360
Denver Broncos	+142	-176
Green Bay Packers	-210	+168
Houston Texans	+110	-134
Indianapolis Colts	+118	-144
Jacksonville Jaguars	-1800	+880
Los Angeles Rams	+240	-310
New Orleans Saints	+152	-188
Pittsburgh Steelers	+210	-265
Seattle Seahawks	+270	-355
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	+114	-140

How The NFL Playoffs Work

The playoffs will pit 14 teams in total, seven per conference. So here’s how it works:

• Only the first seed from each conference receives a first-round bye. The first seed not only gets the bye, but home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
• The remaining six teams from both conferences play in Wild Card games. The Wild Card weekend brings a total of six games, two on Saturday, Jan 13, three on Sunday, Jan 14, and one on Monday, Jan 15. 
• The No. 1 seeds face the lowest remaining seed in each conference in the Divisional Round. This round takes place on Saturday, Jan 20 and Sunday, Jan 21.
• Divisional Round winners from each conference match up in the Conference Championship Game. Both the NFC and AFC title games will take place on Sunday, Jan 28.
• The AFC and NFC winners will face off in Super Bowl LVIII, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Feb 11.

How To Bet On The NFL Playoffs

As soon as the postseason bracket is clear, the NFL odds for each Wild Card game will show up on sportsbooks’ menus. The regular season ends on January 7, 2024. As soon as it’s the weekend, you’ll see the odds waiting for you.

Playoff futures are under the ‘Team Futures’ section, under a ‘To Make Playoffs’ tab. There, you’ll see each team with two odds, one where they qualify (YES). The other one is if they fall short of the postseason (NO).

Early in the NFL season, Super Bowl contenders like the 49ers or Eagles will usually have negative odds at the ‘YES’ tab. They are expected to make it to the playoffs.

For example, Philadelphia’s odds are -440. This means you need to bet $440 to get $100 if you bet on the Eagles to get to the playoffs.

Teams in stronger divisions usually get longer odds. This is due to the competitiveness within the divisions; look at the NFC West.

Au contraire, teams that dominate their divisions get better odds. Their path to the playoffs is clearer.

The average odds to make the playoffs at the start of the season are between -200 and +300. Of course, you can find the odd long shot. These odds will change as the season progresses.

NFL Playoffs Betting Strategy

Public perception is key when betting on NFL playoff futures. These lines are almost only set based on each team’s reputation to the public eye.

The Cowboys were listed at -250 to make the playoffs last year. This was purely based on their image as a star-studded roster. Going against the public at +200 that Dallas wouldn’t make it was a great bet.

The oddsmakers consider the division’s strength, and you should too.

At the end of the day, divisional games are six per year, a good chunk of the season. Apart from the divisions, check the whole team’s schedule before placing a wager.

Last but not least, shop lines as well as betting bonuses like BetMGM promo, a small shift can translate into big dimes on your bankroll.