NFL Playoff Projections And Betting Picks
Posted by Peter Brennan on Wednesday,December 7, 2016 3:15, EDT in
There are just 4 weeks left in the NFL regular season, and there is a lot of jockeying for positions going on in both conferences. There are a lot of teams still in the hunt for a postseason berth, and the next couple of weeks are going to be make or break for some of them. What we are going to do here is look at the races in each conference to ty and figure out who will get in, and then we’ll cap it all off with a prediction or two.
Here’s A Closer Look At The NFL Playoff Projections And Betting Picks
AFC Conference Playoff Picture
Both the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots have 10 wins, and it is beginning to look as though they both have their divisions wrapped up. Ordinarily, I would pick the Patriots to go on and get the top seed, but the loss of Rob Gronkowski may just have thrown a spanner in their works. Even if they do slip a little, I don’t see them falling out of the top 2, which means a bye though to the Division Finals.
The Wild Card picture is a little less clear right now, but that may start to take shape a little better after this weekend. There are two divisions that are proving to be causing the logjam in the Wild Card race, with the AFC South being the most bogged down. There are currently three teams – Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans – all sharing a 6-6 record, and my belief is that it will only be the division winner who makes it in. I think that will be the Colts.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will both get in, I believe, but their seeding will come down to who wind their meeting on Christmas Day. The Steelers have a soft schedule in their final 4 weeks, and I think that will vault them up to the number 3 seed. The Broncos and Ravens will fill out the final 2 spots.
AFC Conference Champion: Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC Conference Playoff Picture
The Dallas Cowboys are the only team to have clinched a playoff berth so far, and they will be the number one seed. The coveted second seed will go to the Seattle Seahawks. They are getting healthy and rounding into form at just the right time, and there is no-one who can oust them off the top of the NFC West.
The Detroit Lions have been a pleasant surprise this year, and should be able to hold on to win the North. Over in the South, the Falcons have the lead at the moment, but have been pegged back by the surging Tamp Bay Buccaneers. I think it will be the upstart Bucs who win the division, although I believe that the Falcons offense is good enough to get them into the postseason.
That would leave just one spot open, and the advantage right now goes to the New York Giants. They took advantage of a soft schedule, but were humbled last weekend by the Steelers. If anyone can knock them out it will be the Washington Redskins, and that is exactly what I believe will happen.
NFC Conference Champion: Seattle Seahawks
