NFL Playoff Picture 2013: Week 13 Standings, Super Bowl Odds and Wild Card Hunt

One of the NFL's hallmarks on a yearly basis is parity, but based on how close things appear are with just five weeks remaining in the 2013 regular season, it can be argued that things have never been more uncertain around the league.

There are a few teams that seem to be a cut above the rest, but all of them have had their issues at one point or another. With that in mind, it's nearly impossible to predict how the playoff picture will play out in the coming weeks.

Almost every divisional race is still hanging in the balance. The sixth, and final, playoff spot in each league should come down to the final week as well. That essentially means each and every game moving forward will be of importance.

Although there is something to be said for dominant teams taking the league by storm, the best-case scenario is currently playing out for fans across the league. There are only about six teams that are totally out of it at this point, and that should make for some interesting moments down the stretch.

Most probably figured that the playoff picture would become a bit clearer in Week 12, but that wasn't the case. Thanks to some upsets and various wild results, the race for the postseason is as tight as it can be.

With that in mind, here is an in-depth breakdown of the standings in each conference along with a look at the Super Bowl odds for every team.

  

AFC Playoff Breakdown

AFC East	W	L
AFC North	W	L
AFC South	W	L
AFC West	W	L
AFC Wild Card	W	L
New England Patriots	8	3
New York Jets	5	6
Miami Dolphins	5	6
Buffalo Bills	4	7
Cincinnati Bengals	7	4
Pittsburgh Steelers	5	6
Baltimore Ravens	5	6
Cleveland Browns	4	7
Indianapolis Colts	7	4
Tennessee Titans	5	6
Jacksonville Jaguars	2	9
Houston Texans	2	9
Denver Broncos	9	2
Kansas City Chiefs	9	2
San Diego Chargers	5	6
Oakland Raiders	4	7
Kansas City Chiefs	9	2
Tennessee Titans	5	6
Pittsburgh Steelers	5	6
Baltimore Ravens	5	6
San Diego Chargers	5	6
New York Jets	5	6
Miami Dolphins	5	6
Oakland Raiders	4	7
Cleveland Browns	4	7
Buffalo Bills	4	7

Locks: AFC East (New England)

Likely: AFC North (Cincinnati)

Up in the Air: AFC West, AFC South

Wild Card: Nine teams within one game of No. 6

It's pretty much a given that the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs will find a way to play in the postseason, but there are no guarantees in the AFC beyond that.

After beating the Chiefs in Week 11, Denver seemed to establish itself as the conference's dominant team. The Broncos blew a 24-point lead against the Pats in Week 12, however, which means the balance of power is fuzzy, to say the least.

The Week 13 clash between Denver and Kansas City will impact the playoff picture significantly since the winner stands to take the AFC West crown while the loser will most likely have to settle for the wild card.

New England is the closest thing to a lock in the AFC without actually being one, sitting at 8-3 with a three-game lead over the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.

The Cincinnati Bengals still have work to do in the AFC North, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens lurking two games back. They Bengals also don't have the easiest schedule down the stretch since they'll play three teams vying for an AFC wild-card spot, as well as the Indianapolis Colts.

Speaking of the Colts, they have looked like a totally different team since wide receiver Reggie Wayne went down with his injury. The offense has been out of sync, but the even bigger issue is that they have allowed a combined 78 points in losses to the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals over the past three weeks. 

Even so, Indy holds a two-game lead over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South, and a win over Tennessee in Week 13 would almost lock in the Colts.

As things stand, though, the Titans own the sixth and final playoff spot based on tiebreakers, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.

Tennessee is tied with five other teams at 5-6 while three others are 4-7. The No. 6 position could easily change five times before the season reaches its conclusion, but the Titans are in control thanks to the stellar play of backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Aside from the Titans, the Steelers, Ravens and San Diego Chargers all look like strong candidates to make a playoff push at 5-6.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has played extremely well for the Steelers of late, and with a manageable schedule moving forward, it is possible that Pittsburgh could complete an improbable comeback to qualify for the playoffs.

  

NFC Playoff Breakdown

NFC East	W	L	T
NFC North	W	L	T
NFC South	W	L	T
NFC West	W	L	T
NFC Wild Card	W	L	T
Dallas Cowboys	6	5	0
Philadelphia Eagles	6	5	0
New York Giants	4	7	0
Washington Redskins	3	8	0
Detroit Lions	6	5	0
Chicago Bears	6	5	0
Green Bay Packers	5	5	1
Minnesota Vikings	2	8	1
New Orleans Saints	9	2	0
Carolina Panthers	8	3	0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3	8	0
Atlanta Falcons	2	9	0
Seattle Seahawks	10	1	0
San Francisco 49ers	7	4	0
Arizona Cardinals	7	4	0
St. Louis Rams	5	6	0
Carolina Panthers	8	3	0
San Francisco 49ers	7	4	0
Arizona Cardinals	7	4	0
Philadelphia Eagles	6	5	0
Chicago Bears	6	5	0
Green Bay Packers	5	5	1
St. Louis Rams	5	6	0

Locks: NFC West (Seattle)

Likely: None

Up in the Air: NFC East, NFC South, NFC North

Wild Card: Four teams within one game of No. 6

Compared to the randomness that is currently consuming the AFC, the NFC looks quite orderly. In actuality, however, there isn't much that can be taken to the bank quite yet. The Seattle Seahawks are currently the best team in the conference with just one loss, and an NFC West title should be on the horizon, but it's anyone's guess as to how the rest of the conference will shake out.

Aside from Seattle, the New Orleans Saints are considered to be the top contender in the NFC by most, but they aren't assured a division title by any means. New Orleans is 9-2, but the Carolina Panthers are 8-3 and are riding a league-best winning streak of seven games. Carolina still plays New Orleans twice, so the division remains unsettled.

Regardless, both teams should make the playoffs in some capacity. Their situation isn't unlike what the Broncos and Chiefs are dealing with in the AFC West. One of them will have to settle for the wild card.

The Saints can really help their case in the NFC South this week when they play the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. Not only might it be a preview of the NFC Championship Game, but it is pivotal because the winner  be in the driver's seat in terms of home-field advantage for the playoffs.

While the NFC South and NFC West are stacked with talent, the NFC East and NFC North are in a tight battle to determine the worst division in football. Both are currently led by 6-5 teams in the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, respectively.

Dallas is tied for the NFC East lead with the Philadelphia Eagles, but it holds the tiebreaker by virtue of its win over Philly earlier in the year. The Cowboys have dominated divisional play, but their playoff hopes will probably come down to a final-week clash with the Eagles, according to ESPN's Trey Wingo:

Detroit is tied with the Chicago Bears, but the Bears will have to finish one win better than the Lions since they have already lost to them twice. The Lions have been awful in losses to the Steelers and the Buccaneers the past two weeks, but they didn't lose much ground this week due to the Bears losing and the Green Bay Packers tying the Minnesota Vikings, as noted by an ESPN tweet:

The final wild-card spot is also a topic of conversation, with the surprising Arizona Cardinals currently in sixth with a record of 7-4. After an easy, no-nonsense win over the Washington Redskins on Monday night, however, the San Francisco 49ers hold the same record and the head-to-head advantage. 

Since the Cards and Niners play each other in Week 17, this one could easily come down to the wire.

Super Bowl Odds Breakdown

Team	Odds
Seattle Seahawks	3-1
Denver Broncos	7-2
New England Patriots	13-2
New Orleans Saints	13-2
Carolina Panthers	10-1
San Francisco 49ers	14-1
Cincinnati Bengals	22-1
Kansas City Chiefs	22-1
Indianapolis Colts	28-1
Dallas Cowboys	33-1
Detroit Lions	33-1
Green Bay Packers	33-1
Philadelphia Eagles	33-1
Arizona Cardinals	50-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	50-1
Baltimore Ravens	66-1
Chicago Bears	66-1
San Diego Chargers	75-1
New York Giants	100-1
Miami Dolphins	150-1
Tennessee Titans	150-1
New York Jets	250-1
Washington Redskins	300-1
St. Louis Rams	350-1
Buffalo Bills	500-1

Top Contenders: Seattle (3-1), Denver (7-2), New England (13-2), New Orleans (13-2)

Due to Denver's loss to New England on Sunday night, the Seahawks have been installed as the Super Bowl favorites. That could change again depending upon how the Seahawks fare in Week 13. The Saints are No. 3 at 13-2, but a road win over Seattle would put the Saints in the top spot in the NFC and may allow New Orleans to vault the Seahawks in terms of Super Bowl favorites.

Despite their disappointing loss to the Patriots, the Broncos are still 7-2 favorites in the AFC. There are definite questions surrounding Denver's defensem as well as the team's ability to win in a hostile environment, but quarterback Peyton Manning always gives the Broncos a chance to win.

The loss to New England was a minor setback since Denver still controls its own destiny in terms of earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Beating Kansas City in Week 13 would go a long way toward deciding that.

The Patriots can't be forgotten at 13-2, especially after coming back against Denver. New England has dealt with a multitude of injuries this season, but legendary quarterback Tom Brady always gives the Pats a chance to win. However, it remains to be seen if they can beat a team like Denver on the road.

Coming on Strong: Carolina (10-1), Cincinnati (22-1)

While the NFL's top four have separated themselves from the pack in the eyes of the oddsmakers, that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Few tabbed the Baltimore Ravens as Super Bowl winners at this time last year, but they went on to win it all. That means that this season's Super Bowl champ could just as easily emerge from out of nowhere.

Perhaps the Panthers don't exactly qualify under those parameters due to their recent dominance, but they have to be considered the favorites outside of the top four at 10-1 odds.

One AFC team to watch outside of the Broncos and Patriots is Cincinnati. The Bengals have played down to their opponents at times this season, but have a great defense.  They also hold a win over New England.

Quarterback Andy Dalton's play will be key to Cincinnati's success when the games get bigger, although their defense and running game behind Gio Bernard could be enough.

Sleepers: Dallas (33-1), San Diego (75-1)

It seems like prognosticators call the Cowboys one of the most talented teams in football on a yearly basis, but they always find a way to come up short.

It's possible that the same will happen this season, but Dallas showed a lot of toughness in Week 12 by beating the New York Giants on the road. Quarterback Tony Romo seemed poised, wide receiver Dez Bryant made some big plays late and the Cowboys continued their dominance over their NFC East foes.

There is no question that trusting the Cowboys to run through the playoffs and win the Super Bowl is a lot to ask, but the talent is there. Dallas lost to the Chiefs and Broncos by a combined four points, which means it is capable of hanging in against top competition. If everything has finally clicked for Romo, the Cowboys aren't a bad bet at 33-1.

If you're looking for an even deeper sleeper, though, look no further than the Chargers. San Diego is only 5-6, and is caught up in the mess that is the AFC wild-card race, but it may prove to be the best of the bunch by the time all is said and done.

Quarterback Philip Rivers has enjoyed a spectacular bounce-back season, making the Bolts a force to be reckoned with moving forward.

San Diego beat Kansas City in a shootout in Week 12, and has also beaten the Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts. In addition, the Chargers have lost by more than one score just once all season long, so they can hang in there against anyone.

Running the gamut in the AFC will be a huge challenge, but you could do much worse than San Diego at 75-1.

Super Bowl odds according to Bovada.lv

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter