With the 2026 NFL season closing in, the playoff board is starting to take shape, and the betting market has already drawn a sharp line between the teams expected to be in the hunt and the ones facing a steep climb.
In the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams sit alone at the top of the odds board to reach the postseason at -460, which carries an implied probability of 82.14%. That placement comes after a busy offseason that saw the Rams add both Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. There is also a chance Aaron Donald returns from retirement for another season.
Behind the Rams, the Seahawks, Lions, Eagles, Packers, and 49ers are the next teams listed to make the NFC playoffs. At the bottom end of the race, the Bears and Cowboys are tied at -105 for the final playoff spot.
The Cardinals are in the toughest position of any NFC team. They are described as having little to no chance of making the playoffs this year. The Giants are next to last on the board, though even they carry an implied probability of 28.17% to get in.
The AFC picture is headed by the Baltimore Ravens, who are listed at -390 to make the playoffs, an implied probability of 79.59%. That comes despite the fact that they did not make the playoffs last season and moved on from head coach John Harbaugh.
After Baltimore, the Bills, Patriots, Chiefs, Bengals, Texans, and Chargers fill out the top seven in the AFC odds. The Broncos, at -140, and the Jaguars, at +105, are the first teams outside the projected field. That would turn some heads after a 2025 season in which the Broncos earned the No. 1 seed and the Jaguars finished 13-4.
The Steelers, at +140, and Colts, at +170, are still in the mix as well. Farther down the list, the Titans (+340), Browns (+570), Raiders (+600), Jets (+690), and Dolphins (+1400) are all given slim odds to mount a playoff push.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Rams Chargers Broadcast Moment Stole Attention From A Late Preseason Win
The Rams capped the final week of the preseason with a 20-18 win over the Chargers, but the result was only part of what people noticed on the broadcast. The exhibition featured the kind of mixed execution you usually expect in August, with Justin Herbert connecting on a 65-yard touchdown for the Chargers and Rams quarterbacks Ty Simpson and Matthew Caldwell answering with scoring drives of their own.
Darryl Peterson III helped swing the game when he forced the decisive fumble, yet the broadcast moment that lingered had nothing to do with the box score. An official was heard on an open microphone voicing frustration about how the game was unfolding, a stray snippet that briefly upstaged the on-field finish and gave a light preseason rivalry an extra dose of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Fringe Players Made Final Roster Decisions A Lot Tougher
The Rams used their preseason finale against the Chargers as one last sorting exercise, and a few fringe players made sure the coaching staff had more to think about before final roster decisions. Ty Simpson got the start at quarterback and looked steady throughout the night, finishing 18 of 23 for 119 yards and a touchdown, while the offense also got a boost from a productive effort on the ground.
Connors helped keep the pressure on the decision-makers with 18 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, and Darryl Peterson III added to his case on defense with several impact plays, capped by a sack-fumble late in the game. For players on the roster bubble, those kinds of snaps can linger in the minds of coaches, which is exactly what made this game feel like more than a preseason warmup. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald's Rams Return Suddenly Feels Far From Settled
Aaron Donalds status has become one of the quietest but most intriguing storylines around the Rams as the season approaches. Sean McVay has kept the door open, but he also made it clear there is no certainty the former star defensive tackle will come out of retirement this year, which leaves Los Angeles in a holding pattern on a player who shaped the franchise for a decade.
Andrew Whitworth, who knows the Rams inner workings as both a former teammate and current analyst, still sounds convinced Donald will be back later this year, pointing to his workouts as a sign the comeback remains alive. NFL insider Mike Florio, meanwhile, has suggested the Rams are already bracing for Donald not to be available in Week 1 and perhaps not until after that, which only adds to the sense that this one is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]