NFL Playoff Odds 2018: Super Bowl Lines for AFC, NFC Contenders After Week 16

The New England Patriots appear to be in excellent shape to begin the defense of their Super Bowl title, but the Atlanta Falcons, who lost to New England in heartbreaking fashion in last season's title game, are hanging on by a thread going into the final gameweek of the regular season.

With two Week 16 games Monday before Week 17, the playoff scenario is fairly straightforward compared to previous years. There are two spots that have not been determined in the AFC and one in the NFC.

The Patriots (12-3) earned a first-round bye after beating the Buffalo Bills 37-16 in Week 16. The Bills (8-7) were in the game on even terms until well into the third quarter, but New England put the game away by dominating in the fourth quarter.

If the Patriots beat the New York Jets in Week 17, they will have homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. However, if they lose at home to their longtime rivals and the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) win their games against the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, the Steelers will get home-field advantage.

That's unlikely, but as long as Pittsburgh wins one of its final two games, the team will earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs. That would clinch a better record than the AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5), and that's what the Steelers need since the Jaguars beat Pittsburgh earlier this season.

The Kansas City Chiefs (9-6) have emerged from an awful stretch in which they lost six of seven games by winning three games in a row to earn the AFC West title.

Neither of the two AFC wild-cards has been determined. However, the Baltimore Ravens (9-6) are in excellent shape for taking one of those spots. If the Ravens beat the Cincinnati Bengals in their season finale, they are in.

The Tennessee Titans (8-7) are in the second wild-card spot, but the Titans are coming off a home loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and they host the division champion Jaguars in Week 17.

If the Titans win that game, they are in the playoffs. However, if they lose, it opens the door for the Los Angeles Chargers (8-7) and Buffalo Bills (8-7).

The Chargers have the inside track in that scenario, but the Bills also have a shot to get into the playoffs for the first time since 1999 with a win and a Ravens loss or a win combined with losses by the Titans and Chargers.

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Five of the six NFC playoff postions are set. The Philadelphia Eagles (12-2) have clinched the NFC East title, and they will secure home-field advantage with one win in their final two games. The Eagles host the Oakland Raiders Monday night and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17.

The Minnesota Vikings (12-3) are the likely No. 2 seed, and they can clinch that position with a win over the Chicago Bears in their regular-season finale.

The Los Angeles Rams (11-4) have clinched the NFC West title, and they are in position to win the third seed. If the New Orleans Saints (11-4) close out the regular season with a road win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sean Payton's team will win the NFC South title.

If they lose that game and the Carolina Panthers (11-4) beat the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina will take the division title. Regardless of the results, both the Saints and Panthers have clinched playoff opportunities.

The final NFC playoff spot will go to either the Falcons (9-6) or the Seattle Seahawks (9-6). The Falcons have the tiebreaker edge based on their Week 11 victory over the Seahawks, so if they beat the Panthers in Atlanta, they will take the final playoff spot.

If Carolina wins that game and the Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle will earn the final playoff spot.

Super Bowl Odds

AFC

Baltimore, plus-2,800
Buffalo, plus-15,000
Jacksonville, plus-1,400
Kansas City, plus-1,800
L.A. Chargers, plus-5,000
New England, minus-125
Pittsburgh, plus-650
Tennessee, plus-10,000

NFC

Atlanta, plus-1,400
Carolina, plus-1,800
L.A. Rams, plus-1,000
Minnesota, plus-575
New Orleans, plus-1,000
Philadelphia, plus-1,000
Seattle, plus-5,000

Odds per OddsShark.