NFL Playoff Scenarios 2019: Wild-Card Picture, Postseason Bracket and Odds

Week 17 brought some clarity to the AFC playoff picture, while in the NFC, the six seed was finally determined.

Kansas City clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC at long last, with a win over Oakland. New England also secured its first-round bye with a victory over the New York Jets, putting Houston at No. 3. Baltimore was able to hold onto a 26-24 win over Cleveland, clinching the AFC North division title and the No. 4 playoff spot.

The Steelers were eliminated from the playoff hunt despite their win over the Bengals. The Los Angeles Chargers stayed at their No. 5 spot and beat the Broncos. On Sunday Night Football, the Indianapolis Colts took care of business against the Tennessee Titans, coming away with a 33-17 win to secure the final playoff spot in the AFC.

The first four spots in the NFC playoff picture were not subject to change with the outcomes of today's games, as the Saints, Rams, Bears and Cowboys had all clinched their divisions already. Seattle battled with Arizona in a game that affected the Cardinals' NFL draft pick, but a Seahawks win confirmed the Cardinals' No. 1 overall pick and the five seed for the Seahawks.

While the Vikings were sitting at the six seed entering Sunday's games, a loss to Chicago today in addition to an Eagles shutout of the Redskins put Philadelphia into the playoffs at No. 6. 

Here's a look at the playoff bracket and the latest odds for the Super Bowl, AFC Championship and NFC Championship, courtesy of OddsShark. The odds have not been updated since Sunday morning—before all of the Week 17 games were played. So while they are sure to change with the results of today's action, they give an idea of what teams have looked to be most capable of winning the Super Bowl through 16 weeks of competition.

AFC Playoff Picture

1. Kansas City Chiefs 12-4

2. New England Patriots 11-5

3. Houston Texans 11-5

4. Baltimore Ravens 10-6

5. Los Angeles Chargers 12-4

6. Indianapolis Colts 10-6

NFC Playoff Picture

1. New Orleans Saints 13-3

2. Los Angeles Rams 13-3

3. Chicago Bears 12-4

4. Dallas Cowboys 10-6

5. Seattle Seahawks 10-6

6. Philadelphia Eagles 9-7

Wild-Card Matchups

Saturday, January 5

No. 6 Indianapolis Colts at No. 3 Houston Texans at 4:35 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC

No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 4 Dallas Cowboys at 8:15 p.m. ET on Fox

Sunday, January 6

No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 4 Baltimore Ravens at 1:05 p.m. ET on CBS

No. 6 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 3 Chicago Bears at 4:40 p.m. ET on NBC

Super Bowl Odds

New Orleans Saints +250 (bet $100 to win $250)

Los Angeles Rams +390

Kansas City Chiefs +450

New England Patriots +650

Chicago Bears +800

Los Angeles Chargers +1200

Baltimore Ravens +1600

Dallas Cowboys +2500

Houston Texans +2500

Seattle Seahawks +3300

Indianapolis Colts +4000

Philadelphia Eagles +5000

AFC Championship Odds

Kansas City Chiefs +165

New England Patriots +250

Los Angeles Chargers +440

Baltimore Ravens +700

Houston Texans +1200

Indianapolis Colts +1800

NFC Championship Odds

New Orleans Saints +130

Los Angeles Rams +200

Chicago Bears +450

Dallas Cowboys +1200

Seattle Seahawks +1800

Philadelphia Eagles +2500

There aren't a lot of surprises in terms of the teams' odds in both their respective conference championships and in the Super Bowl.

New Orleans remains the most likely team, according to oddsmakers, to take the NFC title and Super Bowl LIII despite a Week 17 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Saints sat many of their starters, including Drew Brees, which explains the loss. 

The Baltimore Ravens sit fairly high in the Super Bowl odds, despite just clinching a playoff spot with a narrow win in Week 17. Cleveland did not make it easy for Baltimore to secure its playoff spot, with Baker Mayfield leading the Browns to a fourth-quarter touchdown to put them within two of the Ravens. Baltimore then punted the ball back to Browns.

After going 0-of-3 at the 40-yard line, Mayfield threw an interception on a 4th-and-10 that brought Ravens fans to their feet. This win knocked the Steelers, who were watching the game on the field after their game, out of the playoffs, despite their 16-13 come-from-behind win over the Bengals. 

Quarterback Lamar Jackson has proved he is a playoff contender and is probably the reason the Ravens have higher Super Bowl and AFC Championship odds than the Texans, who sit above them at the No. 3 seed and have one more win. Jackson's ability to scramble in the pocket and take the ball himself is unparalleled.

The Ravens will have their work cut out for them in the AFC Wild Card Round, where they will host the Chargers. Expect the Chargers to be hungry for a win to be able to proceed to the divisional round after losing in their regular-season tilt. In the other AFC Wild Card Round game, Houston will take on the Colts, who have won nine of their last 10 games. The teams split the two games they played in the regular season, with both games being won by just three points.

The NFC Wild Card Round will also have exciting games. Chicago will take on a Philadelphia team that got into the playoffs at the last possible second. The Eagles shutout the Redskins 24-0, and were able to capitalize and make the playoffs off of a 24-10 Bears win over the Vikings. While Nick Foles didn't finish the game against the Redskins after getting hurt, he seems to be okay, and his previous playoff success bodes well for the Eagles against the tough Bears defense.

Dallas and Seattle will face off in an evenly matched game. Both teams ended the regular season at 10-6. However, the way Arizona was able to find Seattle's weaknesses may prove to be fatal for the Seahawks playoff hopes. The Cowboys, who have a top 10 defense and a dynamic offense, may be able to use this against the Seahawks. 

All four teams that have secured a first-round bye—the Saints, the Chiefs, the Rams and the Patriots—are the teams to beat. New England and New Orleans have veteran quarterbacks who aren't strangers to playoff pressure. Meanwhile, Kansas City and Los Angeles have younger signal-callers hungry to prove their ability to play on the big stage. 

If the NFL playoffs see no upsets, these teams could match up in their conference championship games in a battle between old and new—reigning dynasties vs. newcomers.

Similarly, the Super Bowl could have an old vs. new matchup, another appearance by New England and New Orleans, or an appearance by two new faces.