With two weeks remaining in the NFL season, eight playoff spots are up for grabs with 18 teams still alive that haven’t already clinched. Some teams’ chances are more realistic than others, of course, but that doesn’t mean every team currently occupying a top-seven seed in their conference will be there when the season ends.
For bettors, a crystallizing playoff picture only decreases the amount of futures money left to be made in predicting who the final 14 teams will be. The best opportunities exist in figuring out which, if any, of the teams currently outside of the playoff picture end up there when it’s all said and done.
For the second year in a row, there are three Wild Card spots in each conference, and just one has been clinched so far (in the NFC). That means five Wild Card seeds are at play, and there’s no shortage of teams hoping the stars align for them to end up in one.
| AFC | NFC |
| 1. Chiefs (11-4) — z | 1. Packers (12-3) — z |
| 2. Titans (10-5) | 2. Cowboys (11-4) — z |
| 3. Bengals (9-6) | 3. Rams (11-4) — x |
| 4. Bills (9-6) | 4. Buccaneers (11-4) — z |
| 5. Colts (9-6) | 5. Cardinals (10-5) — x |
| 6. Patriots (9-6) | 6. 49ers (8-7) |
| 7. Dolphins (8-7) | 7. Eagles (8-7) |
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z – clinched division
x – clinched playoff berth
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Below is a look at the top five teams currently outside the playoff picture with the best shot to get in, in order from most to least likely.