Browns & Bears Return, Titans & Vikings Out in Updated NFL Playoff Odds After Week 2
- Browns go from +120 to -135 to make playoffs
- Bears have scored just 19 points in two games
- New Orleans slips to -150 after losing Brees to long-term injury
Win and you’re in.
That’s the case for the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears, who are both coming off wins and moved up the NFL Playoff odds board heading into Week 3 of the season.
Making way and falling out of the top six in the AFC and NFC playoff favorites are the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings — both moving to 1-1 on the season after tough Week 2 losses.
2019-20 Playoff Odds: AFC & NFC Favorites
| Odds to Make/Miss AFC Playoffs | Odds to Make/Miss NFC Playoffs |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots (-1900/+950) | Los Angeles Rams (-550/+375) |
| Kansas City Chiefs (-650/+450) | Green Bay Packers (-290/+230) |
| Baltimore Ravens (-190/+155) | Dallas Cowboys (-265/+205) |
| Los Angeles Chargers (-165/+135) | New Orleans Saints (-170/+140) |
| Houston Texans (-160/+130) | Philadelphia Eagles (-145/+155) |
| Cleveland Browns (-135/+105) | Chicago Bears (+105/-135) |
Odds taken September 09/19/19.
Holding firm at the top of the AFC playoff odds are the unbeaten New England Patriots, who are listed at -1900. In the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams overtook the New Orleans Saints as the favorite at -550 to make the playoffs.
The focus remains on the Browns and Bears, who have both struggled to produce points early on in the season, but did enough to pick up their first wins of the year.
89.
Yards.@bakermayfield to @obj for six! pic.twitter.com/OahySJgIG0— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 17, 2019
The Browns are now listed at -135 to make the playoffs. It may be tempting to bet the +105 line that the Browns miss, especially considering Cleveland has not had a taste of playoff action since 2002.
AFC Playoff Picture Wide Open Heading Into Week 3
However, if there’s one season the Browns can break that playoff drought, this would be the year. The AFC North is wide open with the loss of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who will miss the entire year with an elbow injury.
Baker Mayfield and star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. have shown a strong connection through two games, and it looks like the two can carry Cleveland to at least a playoff caliber offense this season.
Odell Beckham should be allowed to wear a $40 million watch if he's going to be making catches like this #Browns #Jets #MNF pic.twitter.com/YNLNb6b1Ye
— John Breech (@johnbreech) September 17, 2019
Cleveland’s second-half schedule is far more favorable than the first as four of the next five games for the Browns come against the Rams, Ravens, Seahawks and Patriots. Coming out of that firestorm with at least three wins would put Cleveland at 4-3 heading into the second half which features two games against the Bengals and two against the Steelers.
The Titans fell out of the playoff favorites after a shocking loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, but look for the Titans to move back into the AFC’s top six favorites sooner than later. The Titans have three of their next four games on home field with the Jacksonville Jaguars first up in Week 3.
Bears Worth Betting On?
The forecast looks much better for the Bears, who still boast one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Much like the Browns, scoring has been an issue for the Bears, who have mustered up just 19 points in two games. Yet, the club still finds itself at 1-1 thanks to a defense that’s allowed just 24 points — the third fewest in the NFL behind the Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
Here is Mitch Trubisky's big play from Sunday. He doesn't panic and does an excellent job of keeping his eyes downfield. Allen Robinson also does a great job of finding space and settling. This was an all around clutch play by the Chicago Bears offense. #Bears pic.twitter.com/qAQspu7xLT
— Dan DeYoung (@CoachDanDeYoung) September 17, 2019
Mitchell Trubisky, who was actually in the conversation for MVP favorite at many sportsbooks before the season began, has been far from that two games in.
The Bears are averaging a fifth-worst 164 passing yards. If Trubisky and the Bears offense figure out their issues, Chicago will not only be a strong playoff candidate at +105, but a legitimate Super Bowl 54 contender.
It’s hard to bet against a team with a defense as good as Chicago’s.
Saints to Miss Worth Betting
Now, back to the Saints, who fell from the top favorite in the NFC to make the playoffs. Last week the Saints were -500 but slipped to -150 after the injury to starting quarterback Drew Brees.
The former Super Bowl champ is slated to miss at least six weeks, but a lot can happen in that period with a less experienced Teddy Bridgewater (or even Taysom Hill) leading the way.
In a deep NFC, this may be the time to bet on the Saints missing at a very enticing price of +140. New Orleans has made the playoffs back-to-back seasons, but without Brees, expect things to go south.
Angelo Montilla is a writer, visual design instructor and graphic designer based on the East Coast. As a journalism graduate, his experience in the media industry spans more than 15 years and includes work with Nation Network, SportsBreak, Featurd, Hockey Writers and the Windsor Star.
