NFL Playoffs 2016: Super Bowl Odds for AFC, NFC Favorites Entering Week 17

The playoff field is all but set as the NFL enters the final week of the regular season.

The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals have clinched first-round byes in the NFC, while the Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks will be playing postseason football in the Wild Card Round.

Carolina will secure the No. 1 seed with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but if the Panthers lose and the Cardinals beat the Seahawks, Arizona will earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The AFC has one variable in the AFC South, but it looks fairly certain that the division will belong to the Houston Texans. If the Texans win or the Indianapolis Colts lose, the Texans win the division. If neither of those things happen, the Colts need seven other Week 17 games to break their way in order to get in.

Team	Odds	Skinny
New England Patriots	+350	Injuries may prevent them from repeating
Arizona Cardinals	+350	The most balanced of all the playoff teams
Carolina Panthers	+500	Some weaknesses showing on defense
Seattle Seahawks	+750	Perhaps a bit more respect than they deserve
Pittsburgh Steelers	+650	Most dangerous offense may not make playoffs
Denver Broncos	+1,000	Too many offensive difficulties
Kansas City Chiefs	+1,400	Beware the hot team
Green Bay Packers	+1,600	A step slow this year
Cincinnati Bengals	+2,000	Missed golden opportunity to secure first-round bye
Minnesota Vikings	+2,800	Not quite ready to make a challenge
New York Jets	+2,800	Perhaps a bit overlooked
Washington Redskins	+5.000	It's all gravy from this point
Houston Texans	+6.600	Simply not good enough to have a legitimate shot
Indianapolis Colts	Not listed	Barely breathing in Week 17

The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs have clinched playoff spots. The Patriots have earned a first-round bye, and the Broncos will join them if they close out the regular-season with a home victory over the San Diego Chargers.

If the Patriots win at Miami or the Broncos lose, New England will secure the No. seed in the AFC playoffs, but if the Pats lose and the Broncos win, Denver will have the top seed.

According NESN, the odds on the Patriots winning the Super Bowl stayed virtually the same despite a Week 16 loss to the New York Jets.

"

The Patriots' Super Bowl odds changed just a tiny bit after the loss to the Jets. https://t.co/9i1M80x9GQ pic.twitter.com/JOvmQmEtCZ

— NESN (@NESN) December 29, 2015"

The Broncos need to win to clinch the AFC West. If they lose and the streaking Chiefs win their season finale at home against the Oakland Raiders, the Chiefs will take the division title.

The Chiefs will be a wild-card team if they don't secure the AFC West, and the New York Jets have the inside track on the second wild-card spot. If the Jets can beat former head coach Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills in upstate New York, the Jets are in the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season.

If the Jets lose, the Pittsburgh Steelers can take the last wild-card spot by beating the Cleveland Browns.

As the playoffs loom, the Patriots and Cardinals are co-favorites to win the Super Bowl, according to Odds Shark. 

Both teams are listed at plus-350, meaning a $100 wager on the Pats or the Cardinals will return $350 to the bettor.

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers, who have the best record in the league at 14-1, are listed at plus-500. Head coach Ron Rivera will use any information he can get to inspire his team, and the fact that two teams are rated ahead of his team can be fuel for the Carolina fire.

The Panthers are the fourth team in the Super Bowl era to win their first 14 games. ESPN reports that only one of the previous three teams have won the Super Bowl.

"

The @Panthers are the 4th team in NFL history to start 14-0. Each of the previous 3 reached the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/iXLE2M7Bbi

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 22, 2015"

The Seahawks are still getting plenty of respect, even though they had a tough first half of the season and lost at home in Week 16 to St. Louis. Despite that, the Seahawks are listed as the fourth choice to win the Super Bowl at plus-750.

No AFC team besides the Patriots is listed at odds of less than four figures. The Broncos are the second choice in the AFC at plus-1,000.

Kansas City, which has reeled off nine consecutive wins, is an interesting proposition at plus-1,400. While it is not getting much action from the betting public, it may have the best chance of any team in that conference of getting past the Patriots.