NFL Playoff Scenarios 2016-17: AFC, NFC Bracket Picture and Pre-Week 15 Odds

With the NFL regular season in its homestretch, it's a fantastic time to take a look at the playoff picture in both the AFC and NFC. Additionally, we'll break down the playoff odds for those teams still in the running.

For a full breakdown of the route to the postseason for many of this year's contending teams, check out this breakdown from earlier in the week.

AFC Playoff Picture 

Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
East	New England Patriots	11	2	0	n/a
East	Miami Dolphins	9	5	0	26-19
East	Buffalo Bills	6	7	0	6-1
East	New York Jets	4	10	0	n/a
North	Pittsburgh Steelers	8	5	0	1-5
North	Baltimore Ravens	7	6	0	9-4
North	Cincinnati Bengals	5	7	1	n/a
North	Cleveland Browns	0	13	0	n/a
South	Houston Texans	7	6	0	4-9
South	Tennessee Titans	7	6	0	7-4
South	Indianapolis Colts	6	7	0	10-1
South	Jacksonville Jaguars	2	11	0	n/a
West	Kansas City Chiefs	10	3	0	1-100
West	Oakland Raiders	10	3	0	1-41
West	Denver Broncos	8	5	0	6-5
West	San Diego Chargers	5	8	0	n/a

Oddschecker.com, based on its playoff odds, has essentially made a few predictions in the AFC:

• The Pittsburgh Steelers are more likely to make the playoffs than the Baltimore Ravens, so we can infer that makes them more likely to win the AFC North, based on the odds.
• The Houston Texans are considered much heavier favorites to reach the postseason than the Tennessee Titans, so we can infer that makes them more likely to win the AFC South, based on the odds.
• Of the wild-card contenders outside of the Oakland Raiders, Oddschecker.com considers the Baltimore Ravens the most likely team to reach the postseason, ahead of the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins, despite those teams having better records.

That final point is an interesting one, though it isn't hard to justify. Denver's remaining schedule is brutal, as it'll face the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and the Raiders down the stretch. Miami, meanwhile, may be without quarterback Ryan Tannehill for the rest of the season after he suffered a sprained MCL and ACL.

The Ravens hardly have a cakewalk down the stretch, of course, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals left on the schedule. But the Ravens control their own destiny, since if they win out they'll hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Steelers and would win the North.

But even if they lose once down the stretch, Denver's schedule and Miami's quarterback situation give the Ravens a great chance to sneak into the postseason. 

It seems pretty safe to assume that the Patriots, Chiefs and Raiders will secure a playoff spot based on their records alone. Few teams are hotter than the Steelers right now, as well, so they seem like a safe bet. That will make the AFC South race very interesting to watch, while the final wild-card bid seems like a crapshoot at this point.

NFC Playoff Picture

Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
Division	Team	W	L	T	Odds
East	Dallas Cowboys	11	2	0	n/a
East	New York Giants	9	4	0	1-5
East	Washington Redskins	7	5	1	5-4
East	Philadelphia Eagles	5	8	0	n/a
North	Detroit Lions	9	4	0	1-4
North	Minnesota Vikings	7	6	0	7-4
North	Green Bay Packers	7	6	0	6-4
North	Chicago Bears	3	10	0	n/a
South	Atlanta Falcons	8	5	0	2-9
South	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8	5	0	5-4
South	New Orleans Saints	5	8	0	n/a
South	Carolina Panthers	5	8	0	n/a
West	Seattle Seahawks	9	4	1	n/a
West	Arizona Cardinals	5	7	1	20-1
West	Los Angeles Rams	4	10	0	n/a
West	San Francisco 49ers	1	12	0	n/a

The NFC's playoff picture is a bit clearer, and the odds reflect as much. The Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks are the only teams in the NFL currently locked into playoff bids, for starters.

Not surprisingly, the Detroit Lions are favorites to reach the postseason and, by proxy, win the NFC North, while the New York Giants seem like a pretty safe bet to reach the postseason as well, based on the odds.

And despite having the same record as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons have dramatically better playoff odds. In fact, the Bucs have the same odds as Washington, so Oddschecker.com would seem to be suggesting it's a push between the teams to secure the final playoff berth in the NFC.

Well, except for the fact that the Green Bay Packers have better odds than both teams. Let's just go ahead and call that what it is: The Aaron Rodgers factor.

Of course, it probably doesn't hurt that the Packers have won three straight. But the Packers also have tough matchups against the Minnesota Vikings and Lions down the stretch, and they will have to surpass several teams in the standings to earn a wild-card spot.

Yes, they could still win the NFC North. But that would mean the Lions would have to lose two games down the stretch while the Packers win out, which is certainly a possibility. 

Regardless of how they get there, the Packers are currently favored to reach the postseason by the oddsmakers. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.