NFL Playoff odds

Ever since the NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, the playoffs have been the major event at the end of every NFL season. Fast-forward to the AFL & NFL merger and Super Bowl Era, two conferences would compete with the aim of representing their conference in the Super Bowl. The winners of each division, plus two wild-card teams from each conference will advance to the playoffs with the winner of the wildcard game going onto face the league winner to determine the NFC/AFC champion, representing their conference in that seasons Super Bowl. Since that split, the playoffs have expanded with 14 teams taking part, the top seven teams in each conference qualify.

How do the Playoffs work?

During the regular season, 32 teams are divided into the AFC and NFC conferences, each conference has four divisions. During the season, teams have a 17-week schedule, hosting 16 games and one bye week. The top seven teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. Division winners are seeded in 1st to 4th positions while remaining spots are filled by wild-card teams who had the best records but didn't win their division.

During the Wild Card round, the two wildcard teams in each conference face-off against each other. The team that is the top seed in each conference receive a bye and do not participate in this round. So, for each conference, you would find the 2nd seed taking on the 7th seed, the 3rd seed taking on the 6th seed and the 4th seed taking on the 5th seed. The winners of each round progress to the Divisional round.

In the division round, the three winners of the Wild Card matches and the highest seeded side face off against each other in each conference and each conference is then reseeded. With the two matches determining which teams qualify for the Conference Championship game. The winners of the Conference Championship game will go on be crowned Champions and face-off against each other for the richest prize in American Football - the Super Bowl.

Betting markets for the NFL play-offs

Similar to betting on NFL games, there are a wide range of betting markets for these games, such as moneyline bets, betting on the point spread, total points (also known as over/under betting), quarter/half betting and a lot more!

The NFL Playoffs are particularly popular for the bet builder, this allows players to delve deeper into player performances during the game such as who has the most yards for passing or rushing, who scores a touchdown and more. As during the playoffs, there is a significant amount of data available to back-up bets and by this point in the season, bettors often have a better idea of how individual players are going to perform.

Best NFL Playoff Records - AFC

Historically, the AFC has been a more competitive division in regards to teams making it to the NFL playoffs. The New England Patriots have the best record winning 55.5% of their games after making the playoffs. Of course, during the Tom Brady era, they have been Super Bowl regulars making nine Super Bowls in 20 years and winning six of them, most recently when they beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in 2018. However, since then, the team hasn't performed particularly well.

Other teams with fantastic records in the playoffs are:

Miami Dolphins - 54.98%

Kansas City Chiefs - 53.93%

Pittsburgh Steelers - 52.71%

Indianapolis Colts - 52.19%

The teams with the worst records in the playoffs are:

Jacksonville Jaguars - 42%

Houston Texans - 42.01%

New York Jets - 43.58%

Best NFL Playoff Records - NFC

The NFC has the two teams with the best percentage of victory in the NFL playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys have the best record winning 57% of their games after making the playoffs. However, the Dallas Cowboys haven't won this competition since Super Bowl 30 back in 1995. In their last seven playoff appearances, they've lost in the divisional playoffs. 2021 was the only exception when they lost in the Wild Card playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers.

Other teams with fantastic records in the playoffs are:

Green Bay Packers (55.71%)

Chicago Bears (54.13%)

Minnesota Vikings (54.2%)

San Francisco 49ers (52.95%)

The teams with the worst records in the playoffs are:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (40.29%)

Arizona Cardinals (41.14%)

Atlanta Falcons (43.42%)

2023 Wild Card Playoffs

2023 Divisional Playoffs

2023 Championship Round

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NFL Playoffs FAQs

How many teams make the NFL playoffs?

14 teams make up the NFL playoffs, seven teams from each conference (AFC & NFC) will qualify for the postseason with their performances during the season.

How are the NFL playoff teams determined?

The teams in the NFL playoff are determined by the following criteria:

• Division Winners
• Wild Card teams with the best records.

This means that four teams from each conference make the playoffs, the NFL teams that win the division, don't have to take part in the first playoff round. NFL playoffs odds will likely favour this team.

How does home-field advantage work in the NFL playoffs?

Home-field advantage is provided to the higher-seeded team in a playoff match-up. So, typically the team who has the better regular-season will receive an advantage to reward them, this provides an additional benefit so teams don't simply aspire to make the playoffs but finish top of the league if possible.

How many rounds are there in the NFL playoffs?

The NFL playoffs consist of four rounds: the Wild Card Round, the Divisional Round, the Conference Championship, and the Super Bowl.

Can wildcard teams win the Super Bowl?

Yes! If a team qualifies for the wildcard round, they'll have the opportunity to advance through the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. Most recently, we saw this in 2020 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat in the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.