Upcoming Match-ups

Opening Odds to Make 2020-21 NFL Playoffs

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Apr 23, 2020 · 11:14 AM PDT

DeAndre Hopkins on the Texans sideline
Could the Houston Texans find themselves outside the NFL playoff picture next season after dealing star receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals? Photo by Jeffrey Beall (wikipedia).
  • The Kansas City Chiefs have the shortest odds to make the 2020 NFL playoffs
  • In the NFC, nine teams sport negative odds in the race for seven playoff spots
  • Get all the odds and insight into which teams are the best bets to make the postseason in the story below

The odds on which teams will make the NFL playoffs next season have now opened, and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs lead the way as a short -2000 bet to return to the playoffs for a sixth straight year.

Here’s a look at the NFL playoff odds for all 32 NFL teams, as well as best bets to both make and not make the playoffs in 2020.

Odds to Make the NFL Playoffs – AFC

Team Yes Odds No Odds
Kansas City Chiefs -2000 +800
Baltimore Ravens -1000 +550
New England Patriots -190 +145
Buffalo Bills -185 +140
Tennessee Titans -170 +130
Pittsburgh Steelers -135 +105
Houston Texans -125 -105
Indianapolis Colts +120 -160
Denver Broncos +150 -200
Los Angeles Chargers +150 -200
Cleveland Browns +190 -260
New York Jets +200 -275
Las Vegas Raiders +245 -350
Jacksonville Jaguars +330 -500
Miami Dolphins +450 -775
Cincinnati Bengals +725 -1800

Odds taken March 25, 2020.

Chiefs, Ravens the Class of the AFC

Set to return to action in the 2020 season with their Super Bowl-winning core largely intact, it comes as no surprise that the Kansas City Chiefs have opened as massive -2000 favorites to make the NFL playoffs.

The four-time defending AFC West champions have won 12 games in three of the past four years, and barring a major injury, should remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl throughout next season.

The NFL’s best team during the 2019 regular season, the Baltimore Ravens sit second to the Chiefs with -1000 odds to return the playoffs. Baltimore should benefit from a favorable schedule that features home dates with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants, as well as a trip to Washington for a Beltway Battle with the Redskins.

Among the remaining AFC squads favored to advance to the playoffs are the New England Patriots, who are a -190 bet to see playoff action for a 12th straight year, the Buffalo Bills at -185, the Tennessee Titans at -170, and the Pittsburgh Steelers at -135.

If as expected, the NFL expands its playoff format to include seven teams from each conference, the Houston Texans are currently favored to take that spot as a -125 wager.

Bills, Titans Make Major Strides

Both the Bills and Titans took major strides in 2019. With 10 wins, Buffalo returned to the postseason for just the second time in two decades. Following Tom Brady’s departure from New England, opportunity knocks for Buffalo to claim their first divisional crown in a generation.

Tennessee will find itself squarely on opponents’ radars after their stunning Cinderella run through last season’s playoffs. With Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry set to return, the Titans are well positioned to return to the postseason.

Questions swirl around how the Patriots will fare without their star quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer now top the depth chart. It could be feast or famine in New England.

With the Bills quickly emerging as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, the Patriots are not assured another AFC East title, but remain a reliable, if not high value, -190 bet.

Texans a Strong Bet to Miss the Playoffs

After dealing receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona in a deal that is clearly a big win for the Cardinals, the Texans are likely the best bet to miss the playoffs at -105.

While Houston has seen its offense diminished, the Indianapolis Colts have kept busy, signing veteran passer Philip Rivers. Indianapolis also bolstered its defense by signing defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. The Colts offer considerable value as a +120 bet to return to the playoff picture.

Picks: Colts to make the playoffs (+120); Texans to miss the playoffs (-105)

Odds to Make the NFL Playoffs – NFC

Team Yes Odds No Odds
New Orleans Saints -700 +425
San Francisco 49ers -500 +330
Green Bay Packers -300 +220
Dallas Cowboys -200 +150
Philadelphia Eagles -200 +150
Seattle Seahawks -180 +135
Los Angeles Rams -125 -105
Minnesota Vikings -125 -105
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -125 -105
Chicago Bears +150 -200
Atlanta Falcons +170 -230
Arizona Cardinals +185 -250
Detroit Lions +245 -350
Carolina Panthers +340 -525
New York Giants +340 -525
Washington Redskins +625 -1300

Saints, Niners, Packers Best of the NFC

The New Orleans Saints firmly established themselves as the team to beat in the NFC with a pair of offseason moves. They are in a class by themselves in the NFC as a -700 bet to make the postseason. In addition to re-signing Drew Brees to a two-year contract, the Saints also added veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

The defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers sit second to New Orleans at -500, followed by the Green Bay Packers at -300. Beyond the top three, there are six other NFC squads sporting negatives odds. If the Saints, 49ers, and Packers are penciled in, that leaves just four berths for the other six “favorites”.

The Dallas Cowboys join the Philadelphia Eagles at -200, just ahead of the Seattle Seahawks at -180, while the Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, and Minnesota Vikings are at -125.

Rams, Cowboys on the Playoff Bubble

The Buccaneers needed to do far more than add Brady to keep pace with the Saints in the NFC South, but it should be enough to contend for a playoff spot.

Despite dealing Diggs to Buffalo, the Vikings maintain a respectable core that should keep them in the playoff hunt in 2020.

Conversely, the Rams have undertaken a major house-cleaning, most notably parting ways with Todd Gurley and Clay Matthews. They have minimal cap space and offer far better value as a -105 bet to miss the playoffs.

The NFC East emerged as the weakest division in football last season, with the Eagles ultimately overtaking Dallas to grab top spot with a 9-7 record. A similar scenario is a real possibility in 2020. The Cowboys have locked up their offensive core by signing Amari Cooper and slapping the franchise tag on quarterback Dak Prescott. But barring yet another injury-plagued campaign in Philadelphia, it is the Eagles who hold the edge in the NFC East, making the Cowboys an exceptionally good bet to miss the playoffs at +150.

Picks: Buccaneers to make the playoffs (-125); Cowboys to miss the playoffs (+150)

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