With six weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, the playoff field is beginning to take shape.
A few teams, like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit Lions, are closing in on playoff berths, but for the most part, the last few weeks of the regular season should provide plenty of drama and opportunity for unexpected bubble teams to jump into the playoff picture.
Let’s take a look at a few playoff bubble teams that are good bets to clinch a postseason berth once the dust settles on Week 18:
| Team | Odds To Make Playoffs (bet365) | Implied Probability | NFL.com Playoff Probability | SOS |
| Arizona Cardinals (6-5) | +125 | 44.44% | 51% | .463 (6 games remaining) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) | +110 | 47.62% | 54% | .348 (6 games remaining) |
| Miami Dolphins (5-6) | +225 | 30.77% | 16% | .433 (6 games remaining) |
| Indianapolis Colts (5-7) | +250 | 28.57% | 21% | .298 (5 games remaining) |
| Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) | +350 | 22.22% | 13% | .493 (6 games remaining) |
| LA Rams (5-6) | +375 | 21.05% | 10% | .500 (6 games remaining) |
| San Francisco 49ers (5-6) | +400 | 20% | 15% | .591 (6 games remaining) |
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals opened with a season win total of 7.5 at most online sportsbooks, a mark they’re quickly closing in on and should easily surpass. With six games to play, they find themselves right at the top of the NFC West standings alongside the Seahawks, but Seattle currently holds the tiebreaker after claiming a 16-6 victory over Arizona last week. The Cardinals will be looking forward to a rematch with the Seahawks in Week 14 at home, and they have a big game at Minnesota in Week 13. After those two crucial tilts, it could be clear sailing for the Cardinals, who have matchups with the Patriots, Panthers, Rams, and 49ers to close out the season. If the Rams and 49ers fall out of the playoff picture by Week 17, and they very likely could, those could be very easy matchups to close out the regular season. Arizona has the shortest odds (+150) to win the NFC West, but it also has an opportunity to hunt down the plummeting Washington Commanders, who have dropped three straight games, for the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC, should it fall short of claiming the division title. All things considered, we’re getting great value at +125 odds for them to make the playoffs here.
Arizona Cardinals to make the playoffs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs boast the NFL’s fourth-ranked offence with quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the charge, and they have an easy schedule down the stretch. They’ll only play one team with a record over .500 (Chargers) over the final six weeks and have favourable matchups against the lowly Raiders, Panthers (twice), Cowboys, and Saints. Tampa is chasing Atlanta (6-5) for the NFC South title, but the Falcons have a more difficult schedule down the stretch with tough dates against the Vikings, Chargers, and Commanders. However, the Falcons do have the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay by virtue of taking both of the regular season meetings with the Bucs. At +110 odds, there’s clear value in betting the Bucs to edge their way into the postseason given their remaining strength of schedule.
