Updated Odds to Make NFL Playoffs After Week 1: Browns, Steelers & Bears Out; Ravens, Titans & Vikings In
- The Baltimore Ravens surge from +160 to -150 to make the playoffs
- The Chicago Bears are an enticing +145 after losing to Green Bay in Week 1
- Should bettors wager on the Browns to rebound despite Week 1 struggles?
The Baltimore Ravens, following a record-setting Week 1 performance, highlight a handful of teams that have moved up in the latest NFL Playoff odds.
The Ravens, along with the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings all climbed into the top six favorites at sportsbooks.
Baltimore had one of the biggest jumps, going from +160 to -150 following their solid performance in Week 1 as the Ravens trounced the Miami Dolphins 59-10.
Here’s a look at the updated odds featuring the top six favorites in both the AFC and NFC conferences.
2019-20 Playoff Odds: AFC & NFC Favorites
| Odds to Make/Miss AFC Playoffs | Odds to Make/Miss NFC Playoffs |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots (-1800/+900) | New Orleans Saints (-500/+350) |
| Kansas City Chiefs (-500/+350) | Los Angeles Rams (-350, +275) |
| Los Angeles Chargers (-230/+190) | Philadelphia Eagles (-230/+190) |
| Baltimore Ravens (-145/+115) | Green Bay Packers (-180/+150) |
| Houston Texans (-115/-115) | Dallas Cowboys (-145/+115) |
| Tennessee Titans (+105/-135) | Minnesota Vikings (-125/-105) |
*Odds taken September 12.
The New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints held firm as the favorites for each conference, with the Pats having a -1800 chance of making the playoffs and longshot odds of +900 to miss.
Of the teams moving into the top-six favorites, the Ravens will be the team to really watch after such an impressive Week 1 showing.
The Pittsburgh Steelers night summed up in one single picture. pic.twitter.com/1hkIuLanVv
— TheSteelZone ?⚫️ (@TheSteelZone) September 9, 2019
Steelers Slip Out of Top 6 Favorites In AFC
Falling out of the picture in the AFC were the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had a lackluster performance in the opening week. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers were listed at -140 on September 5, but after putting up just three points in the season opener, Pittsburgh went to +110, making way for the Ravens and Titans.
The losses of of wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell in the Pittsburgh offense have had an immediate impact and it certainly showed in Week 1.
Sportsbooks have the Steelers at -135 to miss the playoffs and the odds will only get shorter as Pittsburgh continues to struggle this season.
The Titans were another team in the AFC to move into the top-six betting favorites to make the playoffs. After steamrolling the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, books listed the Titans at +105 to make the playoffs and -135 to miss.
Baker Mayfield completely collapsed in this one. 3 INTs in the 4th quarter, last one was a pick-6 and now losing 43-13.
They are 3 minutes left in the game.pic.twitter.com/0mXNcbNkmt
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2019
Even though Cleveland’s odds plummeted from -120 to +120 to make the playoffs, expect Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland offense to get it right very soon.
It would be a good opportunity now to get in on the Browns at +120 to make the postseason before the odds get shorter after Week 2. Cleveland was listed at -140 in June and is a 6.5-point favorite against the Sam Darnold-less Jets in Week 2.
In the NFC, the Vikings made a huge surge after winning their opening-week game against the Atlanta Falcons. Hovering around the +110 mark since mid-June, the Vikings moved to -125 to make the playoffs and a -105 chance to miss.
Don’t Sleep On The Bears
Minnesota’s move up knocked the Chicago Bears out of the top-six playoff frontrunners in the NFC. The Bears are flying under the radar with +145 odds of making the playoffs compared to -175 to miss.
We’ve already seen glimpses of the Bears defense that was dominant a year ago. Once running back David Montgomery starts rolling, the Bears will be an obvious choice to make the playoffs.
A five-sack evening for that @ChicagoBears defense right out of the gate. ?⬇️#GBvsCHI | #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/vhVjLvyqe7
— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2019
That will likely mean the Green Bay Packers, who have not made the playoffs since the 2016 season, will miss the postseason yet again to make way for the Bears and Vikings in the NFC.
Betting on the Packers to miss at +150 is a solid wager at this point of the season.
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.
