Clinching and elimination scenarios will be in play during Week 17 as the NFL playoff picture continues to come into focus. Six teams have clinched, while eight teams are no longer in the running, leaving 18 teams in the mix for the remaining postseason berths.
There’s at least something at stake for each game this week, and the field of contenders and open seeds will continue to whittle down as the results trickle in. Let’s take a look at the latest NFL playoff odds and examine the current seeds and potential matchups.
AFC playoff odds in Week 17
Based on the current standings, here’s how the seeds and matchups line up on the AFC side of the postseason bracket:
- (1) Baltimore Ravens
- (2) Miami Dolphins vs. (7) Indianapolis Colts
- (3) Kansas City Chiefs vs. (6) Buffalo Bills
- (4) Jacksonville Jaguars vs. (5) Cleveland Browns
Just two teams have clinched in the AFC: the Ravens and the Dolphins. The two teams just so happen to meet this Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. A Ravens victory clinches the AFC North and the conference’s top seed. The Dolphins can lock up the AFC East with a win or tie.
For the second week in a row, the Chiefs simply need to win their game to snag a berth and clinch the AFC West. The club lost an upset at home last time out to the Raiders, so we’ll see how it fares this time around when it welcomes the Cincinnati Bengals. Here are the current odds for the remaining AFC contenders, in order by conference standings:
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Cleveland Browns
- Buffalo Bills
- Indianapolis Colts
- Houston Texans
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Denver Broncos
The struggles continue for a Jaguars team that has dropped four straight to fall to 8-7, the same mark as the division-rival Colts and Texans. If Jacksonville can snap its skid versus the Panthers while Houston and Indianapolis lose their respective games, the Jaguars will wrap up the AFC South in spite of their recent downswing.
The Browns have won three straight to get to 10-5 and can clinch a playoff spot with a win or tie versus the Jets on Thursday night. The Bills have surged into sixth after winning three straight and can also lock up a spot, with the simplest path being a win over the Patriots plus losses for both the Steelers and Bengals. Here are this week’s AFC vs. AFC games:
- Jets at Browns
- Patriots at Bills
- Raiders at Colts
- Dolphins at Ravens
- Titans at Texans
- Chargers at Broncos
- Bengals at Chiefs
The clearest elimination scenarios for this week belong to the Raiders and Broncos, who will both be knocked out of contention with losses. The Steelers, Bengals, and Texans are also in jeopardy of elimination with losses, but their fate would then hinge on how various other scenarios play out this week.
NFC playoff odds in Week 17
Below are the NFC seeds and matchups based on the latest standings.
- (1) San Francisco 49ers
- (2) Philadelphia Eagles vs. (7) Seattle Seahawks
- (3) Detroit Lions vs. (6) Los Angeles Rams
- (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. (5) Dallas Cowboys
Four clubs have punched their ticket on the NFC side: the 49ers, Eagles, Lions, and Cowboys. There’s still plenty to sort out for those teams, however, including the top seed in the conference. San Francisco and Detroit have already won their divisions, while the battle for the NFC East continues between Philadelphia and Dallas.
The 49ers could clinch the top seed this week with a win over the Commanders plus losses for the Eagles and Lions, who play the Cardinals and Cowboys, respectively. Meanwhile, a Philadelphia win plus a Dallas loss or tie would decide the NFC East race. The remaining NFC contenders and odds are below, in order of the current standings:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Minnesota Vikings
- Atlanta Falcons
- Green Bay Packers
- New Orleans Saints
- Chicago Bears
The Buccaneers are on top of the NFC South race and have won four straight to run their record to 8-7. The club can clinch the division with a win over the visiting Saints. New Orleans is 7-8 and would be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss. Atlanta is also 7-8 and still alive but faces a potential end to its run with a defeat by the Bears.
The Rams and Seahawks are both 8-7 and have taken over the lead for the conference’s final two spots. Both clubs are riding two-game winning streaks and have the chance to lock up berths with victories and some help. Los Angeles is at the Giants, while Seattle hosts the Steelers. Below are this week’s NFC vs. NFC games and the latest odds.
- Lions at Cowboys
- Falcons at Bears
- Rams at Giants
- Cardinals at Eagles
- Saints at Buccaneers
- 49ers at Commanders
- Packers at Vikings
The clearest elimination scenarios in the NFC for this week are for the Saints and Bears, both of whom would be knocked out with losses. The Vikings, Packers, and Falcons are also in jeopardy if they go down to defeat, but their status will come down to what happens in other games if that comes to pass.
Projected Super Bowl 58 matchups for Week 17
Just two weeks remain in the NFL regular season, and betting odds on the winner of Super Bowl 58 continue to shift. At most legal online sportsbooks, just five teams have odds of +1000 or less to win the big game.
- San Francisco 49ers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Miami Dolphins
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Kansas City Chiefs
Based on the latest odds, potential matchups for Super Bowl 58 include the following:
- 49ers vs. Ravens
- 49ers vs. Dolphins
- 49ers vs. Chiefs
- Ravens vs. Eagles
- Dolphins vs. Eagles
- Eagles vs. Chiefs
For this week’s games, the 49ers are heavily favored as they visit the Commanders, and the Eagles are big home favorites over the Cardinals. Victories for the two clubs will likely keep the status quo in place for the top NFC contenders on the odds board.
The Ravens and Dolphins do battle in a game with potential ramifications for the AFC’s top seed, while the Chiefs will attempt to wrap up the AFC West with their game against the Bengals. The winner of Baltimore and Miami likely becomes the AFC favorite.
Behind the top five, there are three teams within striking distance that have the potential to move up the board depending on this week’s results: the Bills , Cowboys , and Lions .
Buffalo is a heavy favorite at home versus the Patriots and can lock up a postseason spot with a win and some help. Meanwhile, the Lions visit the Cowboys for a Saturday night showdown. The winner of that matchup could potentially attract even more Super Bowl betting interest.
