Playoff Specials: Vikings Favored To Make Playoffs, Rams Expected To Miss

As we head down the home stretch of the 2019 NFL season, the playoff races in each conference will come into focus over the final few weeks. BetOnline has posted a whole host of make/miss playoff props. Let’s take a look at the NFC side of things and see if we can find some value with some of the teams.

CHICAGO BEARS MAKING THE PLAYOFFS

YES: +600

The Chicago Bears are currently 7-6 and are two games behind the Minnesota Vikings for the final playoff spot in the NFC. However, they’ll still play the Vikings, so they might have a shot here.

The challenge is the schedule as it’s extremely difficult. For the Bears to have a realistic shot, they’ll have to win-out. That means the Bears will have to win at Green Bay against the Packers and in Minnesota against the Vikings, while also having to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. They are a huge longshot at this point.

GREEN BAY PACKERS MAKING THE PLAYOFFS

YES: -800
NO: +600

The Packers are at 10-3 right now and are a huge longshot to miss the playoffs. That would mostly only happen if the Bears win-out and the Vikings win two of three, while the Packers lose all of their games. That would put all of the teams at 10-6 and then we’d have to start looking at some tiebreakers.

The schedule is favorable, though, as the Packers host the Bears, which is a game they’re favored to win. They visit the Vikings, which is more of a toss-up, and then they finish against the Lions, which they should win. It seems unlikely that they lose the rest of their schedule.

LOS ANGELES RAMS MAKING THE PLAYOFFS

YES: +210
NO: -250

The Rams have a bit of momentum right now as they’ve won two in a row to improve to 8-5. They’re only one game out of a playoff spot but they still have an uphill climb to qualify for the postseason.

The Rams have a brutal closing schedule as they visit the Dallas Cowboys this week, visit the San Francisco 49ers next week and then close out the year by hosting the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinal game should be a win, but the Dallas game is a road toss-up and the 49ers game is a likely loss against the team which is playing for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Even if the Rams beat Dallas (very possible) and Arizona (likely), a loss to San Francisco would put them at 10-6. With the Vikings being 9-4 and in position to get the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC, the Rams would probably miss the playoffs at 10-6. The Vikings would merely need to go 2-1 in their final three games to finish 11-5, locking the Rams out of the playoffs. The Rams will therefore need to win their final three games, including the game against the 49ers in San Francisco, to have a realistic shot at the playoffs. The odds of that happening are low.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS MAKING THE PLAYOFFS

YES: -350
NO: +290

The Vikings’ situation was explained in part through the Rams’ situation above. The Vikings have a lead of one game over the Rams and the Rams have a tough closing schedule, which means that Los Angeles has to thread the needle against quality opposition. If the Rams and Vikings both go 2-1 in their last three games, Minnesota gets into the playoffs. The Rams already face an uphill climb.

Meanwhile, the Vikings play the sub-.500 Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, then hosts the Packers and Bears to finish the season. It’s not the easiest schedule but for a team that’s 9-4, a 2-1 finish seems quite reasonable. They might even push for 3-0 because if they can beat the Packers, they’ll win the NFC North and improve their playoff position.

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