2021 is providing an extremely close playoff picture. With the addition of an extra playoff team, more teams find themselves in the hunt than ever before. A total of thirteen teams are either in the playoffs or one game out from a postseason berth - but what are the chances of a playoff spot for the teams from the NFC?
Five teams have a 95%+ chance of securing the playoffs
Whilst more teams are fighting to secure spots than ever, five teams in the NFC can sit pretty knowing that their playoff spot is almost secured.
The Green Bay Packers are currently the first seed in the NFC after the Arizona Cardinals fell to defeat on Monday Night Football. Aaron Rodgers may be playing with a broken pinky toe, but last year's MVP has led his team to a 10-3 record and a 99.9% chance of making the playoffs.
Another team with a 99.9% chance of being in the playoffs is the Super Bowl champions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fought to an overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills last week, and a win over the Saints this week can wrap up the NFC South with three games to spare.
As previously mentioned, the Cardinals missed out on the chance to go clear at the top of the NFC West when they were defeated by the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. However, they still have a 99.9% chance of making the playoffs with their 10-3 record because of their early-season stretch.
The final team with a 99.9% chance of making the playoffs are the Dallas Cowboys. America’s Team is atop the NFC East by a comfortable margin so it’s inevitable that they will earn the division title in the coming weeks.
Another NFC West team that improved their playoff chances was the LA Rams. They secured a victory over Arizona in the desert, improving to 9-4 on the season, and within one game of the division leaders. This victory gave them a 98.6% chance of making the playoffs.
You can check out the latest NFL spreads and odds for this weekend's games with FanDuel today!
The ‘in the hunt’ pack
The current sixth seed in the NFC is the San Francisco 49ers. They managed an overtime victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend and improved their chances to 77.3%. Just behind the 49ers are the Washington Football Team. They are ranked second in the NFC East with a 6-7 record and they could improve their chances against the Eagles this weekend.
Some teams with a 6-7 record are on the outside looking in. Fellow NFC East contenders the Philadelphia Eagles have a 32.9% chance to make the playoffs - the best of the 6-7 teams. Whilst the second most likely team is the Minnesota Vikings. The NFC North contenders are just under 30% but they have two crucial matchups with the Bears left.
Other 6-7 teams are the New Orleans Saints with a 26.6% chance of securing spot seven. Whereas the Atlanta Falcons are the outsiders with a 7.1% chance.
Take a look at all of the latest betting info for the Saints and Falcons games over at BetMGM.
