Ian JohnWe are coming down to the business end of the NFL Season. After last weekend’s games, we now have just five more weeks of the regular season campaign to go and thoughts are turning towards the NFL Playoffs.
Incredibly, almost all teams in the NFL still have at least a theoretical chance of reaching the playoffs, but over the next few weeks, those dreams will die one by one until we are left with the seven teams in each conference ready to battle it out for a place at the Super Bowl.
And unlike previous years in the NFL, where we have had some teams secure the top seed spot relatively early, this season there could well be a real battle that goes down to the final day to see who gets that #1 spot, home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the bye on Super Wildcard Weekend that goes with it.
Of course, to decide which 14 teams go through, and which 18 teams miss out, we have the last few weeks of the season to play through first. You can enjoy a massive range of bets on these games at bet365 Sport, including all the popular Game Line bets as well as a range of prop bets too.
So let’s begin our look at the playoff picture by focusing on how things stand at present in the AFC.
AFC Playoff Picture
AFC North
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens | 9-3 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-5 |
| 3 | Cleveland Browns | 7-5 |
| 4 | Cincinnati Bengals | 6-6 |
Remaining Games
- Ravens – v Rams, @ Jaguars, @ 49ers, v Dolphins, v Steelers
- Steelers – v Patriots, @ Colts, v Bengals, @ Seahawks, @ Ravens
- Browns – v Jaguars, v Bears, @ Texans, v Jets, @ Bengals
- Bengals – v Colts, v Vikings, @ Steelers, @ Chiefs, v Browns
AFC East
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | Miami Dolphins | 9-3 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | 6-6 |
| 3 | New York Jets | 4-8 |
| 4 | New England Patriots | 2-10 |
Remaining Games
- Dolphins – v Titans, v Jets, v Cowboys, @ Ravens, v Bills
- Bills – @ Chiefs, v Cowboys, @ Chargers, v Patriots, @ Dolphins
- Jets – v Texans, @ Dolphins, v Commanders, @ Browns, @ Patriots
- Patriots – @ Steelers, v Chiefs, @ Broncos, @ Bills, v Jets
AFC South
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 8-4 |
| 2 | Indianapolis Colts | 7-5 |
| 3 | Houston Texans | 7-5 |
| 4 | Tennessee Titans | 4-8 |
Remaining Games
- Jaguars – @ Browns, v Ravens, @ Buccaneers, v Panthers, @ Titans,
- Colts – @ Bengals, v Steelers, @ Falcons, v Raiders, v Texans
- Texans – @ Jets, @ Titans, v Browns, v Titans, @ Colts
- Titans – @ Dolphins, v Texans, v Seahawks, @ Texans, v Jaguars
AFC West
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | 8-4 |
| 2 | Denver Broncos | 6-6 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Chargers | 5-7 |
| 4 | Las Vegas Raiders | 5-7 |
Remaining Games
- Chiefs – v Bills, @ Patriots, v Raiders, v Bengals, @ Chargers
- Broncos – @ Chargers, @ Lions, v Patriots, v Chargers, @ Raiders
- Chargers – v Broncos, @ Raiders, v Bills, @ Broncos, v Chiefs
- Raiders – v Vikings, v Chargers, @ Chiefs, @ Colts, v Broncos
Current AFC Playoff Seedings
- Miami Dolphins – 9-3
- Baltimore Ravens – 9-3
- Kansas City Chiefs – 8-4
- Jacksonville Jaguars – 8-4
- Pittsburgh Steelers – 7-5
- Indianapolis Colts – 7-5
- Cleveland Browns – 7-5
In the Hunt or Eliminated
- Houston Texans – 7-5
- Denver Broncos – 6-6
- Buffalo Bills – 6-6
- Cincinnati Bengals – 6-6
- Los Angeles Chargers – 5-7
- Las Vegas Raiders – 5-7
- New York Jets – 4-8
- Tennessee Titans – 4-8
- New England Patriots – 2-10
AFC Playoff Prediction
- Miami Dolphins – 13-4
- Baltimore Ravens – 13-4
- Kansas City Chiefs – 11-6
- Jacksonville Jaguars – 11-6
- Cleveland Browns – 12-5
- Houston Texans – 10-7
- Cincinnati Bengals – 9-8
I think the Dolphins will just about hold onto top spot, holding off the Ravens despite having the same record. The Chiefs and Jags should win their divisions, but a soft schedule to the end of the season could see the Browns finish as a dangerous 5th seed, with the Texans and Bengals scraping the final two positions.
Who Qualifies for the Super Bowl? – My gut feeling at the start of the season was that this could be the Ravens year, and as good as the Dolphins have been, I think that Baltimore may just achieve that.
NFC Playoff Picture
NFC North
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | Detroit Lions | 9-3 |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | 6-6 |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers | 6-6 |
| 4 | Chicago Bears | 4-8 |
Remaining Games
- Lions – @ Bears, v Broncos, @ Vikings, @ Cowboys, v Vikings
- Vikings – @ Raiders, @ Bengals, v Lions, v Packers, @ Lions
- Packers – @ Giants, v Buccaneers, @ Panthers, @ Vikings, v Bears
- Bears – v Lions, @ Browns, v Cardinals, v Falcons, @ Packers
NFC East
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 10-2 |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 9-3 |
| 3 | New York Giants | 4-8 |
| 4 | Washington Commanders | 4-9 |
Remaining Games
- Eagles – @ Cowboys, @ Seahawks, v Giants, v Cardinals, @ Giants
- Cowboys – v Eagles, @ Bills, @ Dolphins, v Lions, @ Commanders
- Giants – v Packers, @ Saints, @ Eagles, v Rams, v Eagles
- Commanders – Bye Week, @ Rams, @ Jets, v 49ers, v Cowboys
NFC South
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | Atlanta Falcons | 6-6 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-7 |
| 3 | New Orleans Saints | 5-7 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | 1-11 |
Remaining Games
- Falcons – v Buccaneers, @ Panthers, v Colts, @ Bears, @ Saints
- Buccaneers – @ Falcons, @ Packers, v Jaguars, v Saints, @ Panthers
- Saints – v Panthers, v Giants, @ Rams, @ Buccaneers, v Falcons
- Panthers – @ Saints, v Falcons, v Packers, @ Jaguars, v Buccaneers
NFC West
| Pos | Team | Record |
| 1 | San Francisco 49ers | 9-3 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Rams | 6-6 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | 6-6 |
| 4 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-10 |
Remaining Games
- 49ers – v Seahawks, @ Cardinals, v Ravens, @ Commanders, v Rams
- Rams – @ Ravens, v Commanders, v Saints, @ Giants, @ 49ers
- Seahawks – @ 49ers, v Eagles, @ Titans, v Steelers, @ Cardinals
- Cardinals – Bye Week, v 49ers, @ Bears, @ Eagles, v Seahawks
Current NFC Playoff Seedings
- Philadelphia Eagles – 10-2
- San Francisco 49ers – 9-3
- Detroit Lions – 9-3
- Atlanta Falcons – 6-6
- Dallas Cowboys – 9-3
- Minnesota Vikings – 6-6
- Green Bay Packers – 6-6
In the Hunt or Eliminated
- Los Angeles Rams – 6-6
- Seattle Seahawks – 6-6
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 5-7
- New Orleans Saints – 5-7
- New York Giants – 4-8
- Chicago Bears – 4-8
- Washington Commanders – 4-9
- Arizona Cardinals – 3-10
- Carolina Panthers – 1-11
NFC Playoff Prediction
- San Francisco 49ers – 13-4
- Philadelphia Eagles – 13-4
- Detroit Lions – 12-5
- Atlanta Falcons – 9-8
- Dallas Cowboys – 11-6
- Green Bay Packers – 10-7
- Los Angeles Rams – 9-8
Before their bye week, the 49ers looked well out of sorts. Since then, they have been brilliant and I can see them winning their next four games, before resting many starters in their final game, and perhaps losing it.
The Eagles have a soft schedule after Dallas so should win the West with a similar record while the Lions will take the North. I think the Falcons hold on in the South. The Cowboys will lock up a spot in the playoffs, while another easy run in will help the Packers clinch sixth with the Rams edging out a couple of teams for 7th.
Who Qualifies for the Super Bowl? – Until Week 13, I felt the Eagles were clearly the team to do so in the NFC. Now, I have switched that and the 49ers for me are the team to beat and I can’t see anybody doing that in this conference.
Predicted Super Bowl – Ravens v 49ers – 49ers to win 35-30
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