2023 NFL Playoffs Betting Odds

2023 NFL Playoffs Betting Odds

Oh, the NFL Playoffs. What a time of the year that is. Only the best NFL teams remain in their quest to lift the coveted Lombardi trophy.

It’s the best vs. the best. Only 14 out of the 32 NFL teams qualify, so more than half of the franchises go home early. Seven teams from each conference go into the sudden-death mode to define the Conference Champions.

The last two standing play in the Super Bowl for all the marbles.

The betting world doesn’t let an opportunity like this pass by. There are markets for you to place a wager on whether a specific team qualifies for the postseason or not.

In this article, you’ll find the odds for the teams to “Make the Playoffs” and the format of the postseason. All you need to know about playoffs futures you’ll find here.

NFL Teams To Make The 2023 Playoffs

How The NFL Playoffs Work

For a second year straight, the playoffs will pit 14 teams in total, seven per conference. So here’s how it works:

  • Only the first seed from each conference receives a first-round bye. The first seed not only gets the bye, but home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
  • The remaining six teams from both conferences play in Wild Card games. The Wild Card weekend brings a total of six games, three on Saturday, Jan 15, and three on Sunday, Jan 16. 
  • The no.1 seeds face the lowest remaining seed in each conference in the Divisional Round. This round takes place on Saturday, Jan 22 and Sunday, Jan 23.
  • Divisional Round winners from each conference match up in the Conference Championship Game. Both the NFC and AFC title games will take place on Sunday, Jan 30.
  • The AFC and NFC winners will put up in the Super Bowl LVI, at the SoFi Stadium in California, on February 13.

New 17-Game Regular Season

Before this year, the regular season consisted of 16 games, with one bye week. We enter a new era where the regular season brings 18 weeks and 17 games per team to define who gets into the playoffs.

No more chances for teams to end a season at a .500 record. No more 9-7 teams squeaking in. One game changes a lot. This also affects the playoffs futures betting. 

These are some of the records a playoff team should aspire to under the new 17-game calendar:

  • 14-3
  • 13-4
  • 12-5
  • 11-6

A 10-win season may not be able to get you in, but the NFL is wild. Anything can happen, any given Sunday, right?

How To Bet On The NFL Playoffs

As soon as the postseason bracket is clear, the NFL odds for each Wild Card game will show up on sportsbooks’ menus. The regular season ends on January 9, 2022. As soon as it’s the weekend, you’ll see the odds waiting for you.

Playoff futures are under the ‘Team Futures’ section, under a ‘To Make Playoffs’ tab. There, you’ll see each team with two odds, one where they qualify (YES). The other one is if they fall short of the postseason (NO).

Super Bowl contenders like the Chiefs or Buccaneers will usually have negative odds at the ‘YES’ tab. They are expected to make it to the playoffs.

For example, Kansas City’s odds are -1000. This means you need to bet $1000 to get $100 if you bet on the Chiefs to get to the playoffs.

Teams in stronger divisions usually get longer odds. This is due to the competitiveness within the divisions; look at the NFC West.

Au contraire, teams that dominate their divisions get better odds. Their path to the playoffs is clearer.

The average odds to make the playoffs at the start of the season are between -200 and +300. Of course, you can find the odd long shot. These odds can change as the season progresses.

NFL Playoffs Betting Strategy

Public perception is key when betting on NFL playoff futures. These lines are almost only set based on each team’s reputation to the public eye.

The Cowboys were listed at -250 to make the playoffs last year. This was purely based on their image as a star-studded roster. Going against the public at +200 that Dallas wouldn’t make it was a great bet.

The oddsmakers consider the division’s strength, and you should too.

At the end of the day, divisional games are six per year, a good chunk of the season. Apart from the divisions, check the whole team’s schedule before placing a wager.

Last but not least, shop lines as well as betting bonuses like BetMGM promo, a small shift can translate into big dimes on your bankroll.

What Happened In 2020?

These teams played in the postseason last year. Attached to them, you can see their “To Make the Playoffs” preseason odds:

Kansas City Chiefs -1400

Baltimore Ravens -900

Tennessee Titans -140

Indianapolis Colts -160

Buffalo Bills -190

Cleveland Browns +135

Pittsburgh Steelers -125

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -220

Washington Football Team +650

Chicago Bears +155

New Orleans Saints -330

LA Rams +150

Seattle Seahawks -135

Green Bay Packers -140

As you can see, almost all teams were expected to play in the postseason.

The big surprise was the Washington Football Team, who entered with a 7-9 record, but managed to win the NFC East.