NFL Playoff Scenarios 2016: Latest Bracket Picture, Vegas Odds and Predictions

The end of the 2015 NFL regular season is quickly approaching, and while many of the playoff participants have already been determined, plenty is still at stake in terms of where the teams will be seeded.  

A high-stakes showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos caps off Week 16 Monday night. Cincinnati clinches a first-round bye with a win, while Denver needs a victory to stay ahead of the surging Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

USA Today provided an overview of the current playoff outlook ahead of Monday's marquee matchup:

All six NFC spots have been secured, but the NFC North is still up for grabs between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. Those teams square off in Week 17 for the right to a home playoff game.

Read on for a listing of Vegas odds, per Odds Shark, as to who will win Super Bowl 50, followed by a preview and predictions as to how everything will play out once the regular season is over.

Team	Odds
New England Patriots	+350
Arizona Cardinals	+375
Carolina Panthers	+475
Seattle Seahawks	+700
Denver Broncos	+1200
Kansas City Chiefs	+1400
Pittsburgh Steelers	+1600
Green Bay Packers	+1600
Cincinnati Bengals	+1800
Minnesota Vikings	+2500
New York Jets	+2500
Washington Redskins	+5000
Houston Texans	+6600
Indianapolis Colts	+15000

AFC Predictions, Playoff Preview

Wild Card	Divisional Round
AFC Championship	Super Bowl 50 Participant
No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals vs. No. 6 New York Jets	No. 1 New England Patriots vs. No. 6 New York Jets
No. 4 Houston Texans vs. No. 5 Kansas City Chiefs	No. 2 Denver Broncos vs. No. 5 Kansas City Chiefs
No. 1 New England Patriots vs. No. 5 Kansas City Chiefs	New England Patriots

The reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots appear destined to guard their Lombardi Trophy on the big stage, almost by default, due to a lack of viable competition in the AFC.

Uncertainty looms at the quarterback position for the Bengals and the Broncos. Solid as those rosters are in just about all other areas, their inexperience under center between AJ McCarron and Brock Osweiler, respectively, doesn't bode well for the playoffs.

With Tom Brady at the controls of New England's injury-plagued but still dangerous offense, Pats fans have to feel confident about the team's ability to emerge from the AFC—especially with home-field advantage.

The New York Jets defeated New England 26-20 in overtime in Week 16 and may well be the biggest obstruction between the Pats' return to the Super Bowl.

New York has a stout defense and a loaded secondary, headlined by superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis, along with one of the NFL's best receiver duos in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. First-year coach Todd Bowles has made the most of his opportunity and has the Jets hot at the right time.

But just about everything went against the Patriots—their controversial overtime coin-toss decision notwithstanding—on an unusually abysmal day for Brady's unit, as ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss observed:

When it matters most, New England tends to find a way. A big reason why is Brady, who's overcome plenty of players falling around him to still put together a stupendous season and position the Pats for the No. 1 seed.

After starting off 1-5, the Kansas City Chiefs suddenly have the look of a legitimate AFC title contender. The NFL on ESPN highlighted the history Kansas City has made in 2015:

Justin Houston leads the Chiefs pass rush, which is complemented by an exceptional defensive backfield. That group has benefited greatly from rookie Marcus Peters' instant impact in the form of eight interceptions.

A precise, well-executed Kansas City offense under QB Alex Smith makes the Chiefs appear like the discount version of the Patriots.

Houston and Co. would give Brady and his patchwork offensive line problems in a prospective AFC Championship Game matchup. Superior collective experience and Bill Belichick's coaching edge over Andy Reid would allow New England to secure a Super Bowl 50 berth in that projected scenario, though.

NFC Predictions, Playoff Preview

Wild Card	Divisional Round
NFC Championship	Super Bowl 50 Participant
No. 3 Minnesota Vikings vs. No. 6 Seattle Seahawks	No. 1 Carolina Panthers vs. No. 6 Seattle Seahawks
No. 4 Washington Redskins vs. No. 5 Green Bay Packers	No. 2 Arizona Cardinals vs. No. 5 Green Bay Packers
No. 2 Arizona Cardinals vs. No. 6 Seattle Seahawks	Arizona Cardinals

A surprising loss to the St. Louis Rams in Week 16 didn't really hurt the Seattle Seahawks in the big picture. Even if they fall to the Arizona Cardinals in the regular-season finale, their recent success in the playoffs will go a long way, should they be the sixth seed.

Seattle won't play at home with the aid of the 12th Man fans, but it is good enough to at least get out of the Wild Card Round against whichever team emerges as the NFC North champion.

The Vikings are dangerous but inexperienced and likely need that first taste of playoff action before they're composed enough to win.

Although Green Bay has a stud signal-caller in Aaron Rodgers, he has a dearth of weapons around him and would be no match for Seattle's Legion of Boom secondary. In either scenario, coach Pete Carroll's Seahawks seem cut out to advance.

After blowing a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose to the Carolina Panthers in Week 6, Seattle would embrace the opportunity to face the projected NFC top seed again. The pressure in that matchup falls on the Panthers, who have to live up to their No. 1 billing and defeat a battle-tested foe in the process.

Impressive as it'd be to see the Seahawks soar to the NFC title game for a third straight year, another team from the NFC West would get the best of them.

The Arizona Cardinals look as strong as anyone after pummeling the Packers 38-8 on Sunday. Arizona's combination of head coach Bruce Arians and QB Carson Palmer, along with a versatile, exotic defense with plenty of depth, has the Cardinals' Super Bowl dreams legitimately alive.

With so much momentum toward the end of the year, Arians doesn't want to make any adjustments despite clinching a first-round bye, saying Monday, per the team's official Twitter feed, "We're playing so well right now, we don't want to change anything we're doing."

This mentality hardly came as a surprise to official Cardinals reporter Kyle Odegard:

Palmer's return from a torn ACL last November has been nothing short of spectacular and one of the more underrated subplots of the season. He has all of the firepower at his disposal to take down whoever lays in Arizona's path en route to Super Bowl 50.

If the Cardinals do indeed square off with the Patriots, don't be surprised if the prospective NFC champions deliver the hardware for ever-loyal receiver Larry Fitzgerald and a fanbase yet to experience a Super Bowl triumph.