The dog days of summer are officially here, and while there may not be a variety of sporting events to bet on, now is a great time to lock in your NFL futures.
One of our favorite betting options that is available at every sportsbook are make/miss playoff odds. In this article, we will share our best bets to make the NFL Playoffs, best longshot bets to make the playoffs, and best bets to miss the playoffs.
Before we jump into our picks, let's take a look at the current odds of making the playoffs for all 32 NFL teams:
*Odds courtesy of Bet365 Sportsbook
Baltimore has a chance to win the AFC North for the 2nd consecutive year behind their newly acquired running mate with Lamar Jackson, but their issue doesn’t lie on the offensive side of the ball.
With a new defensive coordinator and key pieces such as Patrick Queen off the squad, it will be up to 33-year-old DC Zach Orr and superstar safety Kyle Hamilton to lead this Raven defense to what the Raven defense has always been - tough, fast, and smart.
While NFL MVP Lamar, Henry, Mark Andrews, and Zay Flowers will make for a top five offensive group, their defense will need to get off to a hot start this season. Baltimore opens their season against Kansas City, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Buffalo: a 3-1 start there will give this team and the new defense a huge boost.
If you think Baltimore’s offense is top tier, Houston’s offense might be above that. The Texans have three potential 1,000 yard receivers, one of the best running backs in the AFC, and C.J. Stroud whose sky is limitless at this point in his career.
Houston has the 26th ranked SOS and has a chance to sit atop one of the easiest divisions in football with Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Tennessee all younger teams with question marks on both sides of the ball. Houston is a near lock to make the postseason with the potency of this offense.
Sean McVay knows how to win football games. He’s led the Rams to one Super Bowl and five of seven playoff appearances throughout his career in Los Angeles. After a 10-win season last year, the expectations are still fairly high for a team that lost a ton of defensive pieces over the last two seasons - including Jalen Ramsey and now Aaron Donald.
While defense will remain a concern in a division with three potent offenses, the Rams offense should click from Week 1 with Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams, and Blake Corum making for a top offensive group in the NFC.
What do the Steelers have to lose? They have made the playoffs in three of the last four years but have bowed out in the Wild Card Round in each outing. Now, it seems as if they finally have an answer at Quarterback after years of uncertainty after the Big Ben retirement.
With a capable veteran QB who has nothing to lose himself and one of the top dual-threat QBs in the entire league at a discounted price who has nothing to lose, there’s an internal feeling that Tomlin will figure out this squad and win some close games to get back into the playoffs.
The current +185 odds might be the best you can get once the preseason starts.
Buffalo’s receiving core is gone with Stefon Diggs in Houston and Gabe Davis in Jacksonville. Their defense has question marks with an aged secondary and limited depth across the board. Lastly, the wind has been knocked out of Buffalo’s sails after three straight Divisional Round losses (two against KC, one against CIN).
Ultimately, the Bills and Josh Allen have workshopping to do and in an AFC East that has only gotten better since the 2023 season ended, I could easily see Buffalo losing tight games and games where they are the heavy favorite.
Look to Week 1 against Arizona to tell us a lot. A home game against a healthy and mobile Kyler Murray but a defense Allen could get after. Although a touchdown favorite, Arizona could easily give them issues in a telling game that will highlight Buffalo’s problems.