And your 2013 NFL Playoff Teams will be…
Armed with the full 2012-13 NFL schedule, which teams are sportsbooks favoring to make next season’s playoffs?
With the NFL draft scheduled for next Thursday and BetOnline offering some extremely premature Week 1 NFL lines, football is definitely in the air. Stories of Peyton Manning’s return, Tim Tebow’s Exodus and Bountygate in New Orleans have dominated the headlines despite a thrilling start to the NHL playoffs and the opening weeks of the MLB season. We’ve seen plenty of player movement already this off-season and next week’s draft should help teams begin to address their deficiencies. But how have all of these moves affected each team’s title chances?
The tables below show each team’s title odds at Pinnacle with the predicted playoff teams marked with an asterisk (*).
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| New England Patriots* | 677 | 13-3 |
| New York Jets | 2905 | 8-8 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4148 | 6-10 |
| Buffalo Bills | 8243 | 6-10 |
Surprise, surprise. Once again the New England Patriots are predicted to win the AFC East and have the second best odds of winning it all. Despite losing last season’s Super Bowl to the Giants, New England has re-tooled with the addition of WR Brandon Lloyd and will have four picks in the first two rounds of the draft. However, the story most fans will be following is the Jets addition of Tim Tebow. The team has repeatedly stated that Mark Sanchez is their starting quarterback, but it won’t take long for New York fans to clamor for the former Heisman winner. For the record, the Jets are ranked just slightly behind San Diego for that last playoff spot.
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| Baltimore Ravens* | 1766 | 12-4 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers* | 2286 | 12-4 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4029 | 9-7 |
| Cleveland Browns | 18142 | 4-12 |
The rookie duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green gave Cincinnati just their third playoff appearance since 1990, and finally restored hope to Bengals fans. Unfortunately, this division is still dominated by the Ravens and Steelers who remain the top dogs in the AFC North.
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| Houston Texans* | 1401 | 10-6 |
| Tennessee Titans | 6224 | 9-7 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 16479 | 2-14 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 18628 | 5-11 |
Despite losing Mario Williams to the Bills, the Texans are the clear favorite in the AFC South. Houston will have Matt Schaub returning from injury while the other three teams will be relying on young and untested quarterbacks to guide them to the promised land. Andrew Luck promises to be a franchise-caliber QB, but the Colts are still in rebuilding mode and are several years away from contending.
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| Denver Broncos* | 1411 | 8-8 |
| San Diego Chargers* | 2820 | 8-8 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6532 | 7-9 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7259 | 8-8 |
Despite missing the entire 2011 season after undergoing neck surgery, Peyton Manning’s addition has made Denver the favorite to win the AFC West as the Broncos have the sixth best odds of winning the big game. That’s a lot of pressure on a player who’s health remains uncertain.
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| Philadelphia Eagles* | 1165 | 8-8 |
| New York Giants* | 2076 | 9-7 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2788 | 8-8 |
| Washington Redskins | 6191 | 5-11 |
Many fans will be surprised to see the NFC East odds. The Giants were able to win the Super Bowl last season and — outside of Brandon Jacobs — will be returning their entire core. After pronouncing themselves “The Dream Team,” expectations were high for Philly last season. However an 8-8 record left fans underwhelmed and Eagles players were forced to watch the playoffs from home. Oddsmakers must be anticipating that Philadelphia will finally meet those high expectations as their +1165 odds are best in their division, second best in the conference, and third best in the league.
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| Green Bay Packers* | 612 | 15-1 |
| Detroit Lions* | 2320 | 10-6 |
| Chicago Bears | 3999 | 8-8 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 13995 | 3-13 |
After flirting with an undefeated record deep into the season, the Packers’ playoff loss to the Giants shocked the sports world. This season, Green Bay is favored to win it all with the Lions expected to make their second consecutive playoff appearance after a 12 year absence.
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| New Orleans Saints* | 1411 | 13-3 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2639 | 10-6 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5186 | 6-10 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 12959 | 4-12 |
Despite Bountygate, New Orleans remains the favorite in the NFC South, showing that Sean Payton’s presence may not be as significant as many sports fans may have believed. The Falcons, at +2639, finished just behind the Lions for the sixth and final playoff spot.
| Team | Future Odds | 2011-12 Record |
| San Francisco 49ers* | 1247 | 13-3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4834 | 7-9 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5706 | 8-8 |
| St. Louis Rams | 9314 | 2-14 |
In no other division is the discrepancy between one and two so large than in the NFC West. After making it to the NFC championship in his first season as head coach, Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers have the third best odds at winning the conference. The Seahawks have added former Packers QB Matt Flynn via free agency and he should be a significant upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson. However, it is clear that the West is San Fran’s to lose.
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