NFL Playoff Picture 2014: Week 13 Standings, Super Bowl Odds and Wild-Card Hunt
The focus from NFL fans in the latter stages of the regular season is on the playoff picture, and a wild Sunday full of action has shaken up the postseason landscape heading into an unpredictable Week 13 schedule.
While top teams like New England, Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle and others were victorious, other legitimate postseason contenders Arizona, Detroit and Kansas City all took losses, altering the playoff picture once again.
Here are the standings heading into Week 13, the updated Super Bowl betting odds and the latest wild-card hunt update.
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
NFC Playoff Breakdown
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| New York Giants | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Carolina Panthers | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| St. Louis Rams | 4 | 7 | 0 |
The NFC standings continue to feature many of the same teams fighting for the top spots, but several losses have brought each franchise back to the same level. For example, Arizona’s loss to Seattle puts teams like Philadelphia, Green Bay and Dallas just one game out of first place.
The NFC South is a battle between Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans that will carry on through the remainder of the regular season, but the competition to make the postseason as one of the two wild-card teams is what fans are really focusing on.
Dallas and Detroit currently hold the final two playoff spots in the NFC, but both Seattle and San Francisco sit at 7-4. The Seahawks and the 49ers still must play each other twice this season, and the winner of those games should have a better grasp of a wild-card berth.
After San Fran and Seattle, the talent drops off considerably. It is clear that it is an eight-team race for six positions, and the remaining weeks of the regular season will feature several games with major postseason implications.
Starting with Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday, the playoff standings will be shaken to their core once again when Chicago travels to Detroit, Philadelphia squares off against Dallas and Seattle plays the 49ers in San Francisco.
Football fans couldn’t ask for a better schedule of games on the holiday.
AFC Playoff Breakdown
| New England Patriots | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| New York Jets | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Houston Texans | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Denver Broncos | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| San Diego Chargers | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1 | 10 | 0 |
While the NFC has a clear cutoff point where the top contenders separate themselves from the rest of the pack, the AFC features 12 teams that could conceivably make the postseason. It may be unlikely that Houston or Buffalo makes the playoffs, but they are still in contention.
The Denver Broncos have not been playing well recently, but injuries have plagued the team. Along with the New England Patriots, it is still clear that the teams led by Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the top two contenders in the AFC and Super Bowl favorites.
One of the most interesting stories from the AFC is the battle for the North Division. Each team has a winning record and has the chance to win the division. While Cincinnati is currently leading the North, Cleveland, Baltimore and Pittsburgh all have the chance to make a late-season run and steal the title. Add in the fact that the teams each have several division matchups remaining on the schedule, and the AFC North will be a fight to the end.
After beating the Houston Texans Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts have taken a firm grasp of the AFC South and look to be heading toward another playoff berth. The battle for the two wild-card spots is anyone’s game at this point, though.
Right now, Kansas City and Pittsburgh hold the final two playoff spots, but San Diego, Cleveland, Baltimore and Miami are all still within one game of making the postseason. With many of the teams fighting for the wild-card berth playing each other in the final weeks of the regular season, the AFC playoff race will be the most exiting of 2014.
Super Bowl Odds Breakdown
| New England Patriots | 15-4 |
| Denver Broncos | 9-2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 9-2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 10-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 12-1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 16-1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 18-1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 18-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 22-1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 25-1 |
| Detroit Lions | 25-1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 28-1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 28-1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 40-1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 40-1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 40-1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 50-1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 50-1 |
| Houston Texans | 100-1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 100-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 150-1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 250-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 300-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 500-1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 500-1 |
| New York Giants | 750-1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1000-1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 1000-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2000-1 |
| New York Jets | 2000-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3000-1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5000-1 |
Another wild week in the NFL has fans looking to place a wager on the eventual Super Bowl winner checking the latest odds. After some turnover at the top of the odds table, New England is now the betting favorite to win the championship.
While 15-4 odds for New England may be worth a wager for some bettors, there are much better investments. Both Denver and Green Bay are currently situated at 9-2 odds and would yield a better return than placing a wager on the Patriots.
One bet that is looking better each week is on the Seattle Seahawks. After winning the Super Bowl last season, the team struggled to find a rhythm earlier this year but have started playing well once again. At 16-1 odds, this is a bet worth taking.
If you are looking for a team with more betting upside, the Philadelphia Eagles are an intriguing bet at 22-1 odds. It is a long shot that the franchise makes the championship, but a 22-1 return on your investment would be huge if Philadelphia made a dream run in the postseason.
For those fans feeling frisky, the AFC North is full of long shots. Pittsburgh is the current favorite in the division at 28-1 odds, but Baltimore and Cincinnati boast 40-1 odds and Cleveland has 100-1 odds. If a bettor is confident in who will win the division and earn an automatic postseason berth, one of these wagers could pay off huge in the case of a freak playoff run.
If you have to place a wager on a team from the AFC North, Baltimore has the Super Bowl experience to make an investment worth your money.
*Stats via NFL.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
