Odds for AFC Teams to Make the Playoffs: Do the Steelers Have Hope?

• Oddsmakers have updated their playoff odds for each AFC team
• Are the Kansas City Chiefs playoff locks?
• Do the fourth place AFC North Steelers still have a chance?

The contenders are beginning to separate themselves from the pretenders and playoff odds for AFC teams reflect it. Several teams look to be well on their way to a long season, while it may already be too late for others.

Odds to Make the NFL Playoffs in the AFC

Is it Possible the Chiefs Miss the Playoffs?

Missing the playoffs after a 5-0 start would seem unbelievable right now. The Chiefs are one of only two undefeated teams and QB Patrick Mahomes is undefeated as a starter and favored to win MVP honors. Kansas City are the highest scoring team in the AFC and second-highest league-wide. Yet for an undefeated team, defensively, they’ve allowed fewer points than only six AFC teams.

Don’t forget this is also a Chiefs team that started 5-0 last year and only finished 10-6. After those five wins, they followed it up with one win over their next seven. Considering a Wild Card spot required nine wins in the AFC in 2017, a couple more losses could’ve seen them miss out. If you look over at the NFC last year, it took 10 wins for Atlanta to make the Wild Card Round.

“As a team, we’re going to go in and compete.” – @PatrickMahomes5 pic.twitter.com/uHvV87akit

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 11, 2018

The Chiefs face an average remaining schedule as their opponents have a combined record so far of 27-27-1. So playing out the year at .500 or better better seems doable. Anything can happen though in the NFL, and no other sport is likely more reliant on one position than a football team is on their quarterback.

Would the Chiefs still look like easy money to make the playoffs if Mahomes went down with a season ending injury this weekend? Optimism was high in Houston last year before Deshaun Watson’s injury sent the Texans into a 1-8 tailspin.

I’m certainly not calling for KC to miss the playoffs, but from a betting value perspective you’d have to look at the +900 on the NO if placing a wager.

Is There Still Time in Steel City?

Last week you were able to more than double your money betting the Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs at +210. Now, with positive news surrounding Le’Veon Bell’s return to the team, along with a convincing home win over the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh’s odds have shortened to +130.

Coach Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger now have 108 regular-season wins together, breaking a tie with Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw for the most by a Head Coach-Quarterback in #SteelersHistory. pic.twitter.com/3vqOcTaKHJ

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 7, 2018

In last week’s article updating AFC Playoffs odds, I pointed out the AFC North likely offered the best betting value of any division based on it’s current parity. I stand by that considering the fourth place Steelers are only one win behind the second place Ravens—a team which just lost to the upstart third place Browns.

Pittsburgh has all the tools on offense and could be adding one of the league’s top running backs in Bell to their lineup soon.

Pittsburgh has all the tools on offense and could be adding one of the league’s top running backs in Bell to their lineup soon. With 143 points scored, they are third in conference scoring. They will however need to improve on the defensive side of the ball having allowed the third-most points (133) in the AFC.

5 reasons why the @steelers will make the playoffs in 2018: https://t.co/48t0Zoi5xV (via @adamrank) pic.twitter.com/vTjfiJW6Yc

— NFL (@NFL) July 3, 2018

With a divisional game on the road in Cincinnati this weekend, a win would place them squarely back in the playoff picture.