The Playoff scenarios for the NFC entering the final week of the season are as complicated as a playoff situation can be. Just trying to follow the logic on who gets in and who does not could give you a headache that might last until the Super Bowl. But knowing and understanding each team’s playoff situation could be a great way to find excellent betting value during the final week of the season. So, let’s just jump right in and try to figure this whole NFC Playoff situation out. Here is a quick breakdown of all the playoff scenarios for each NFC team still in contention.

NFC Playoff Scenarios

Green Bay Packers (11-4)
Week 17 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
Spread: Packers -3.5 (5Dimes)
Super Bowl odds: +600 (Bovada)

Playoff scenarios: The Packers have locked up the NFC North title and will either end up the second or third seed in the NFC. The Packers can only fall back into the third seed with a loss to the Vikings and a San Francisco win next week. The 49ers hold the tie breaker by virtue of their Week 1 victory over the Packers.

San Francisco 49ers (10-4-1)
Week 17 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
Spread: 49ers -17.5 (5Dimes)
Super Bowl odds: +750 (Bovada)

Playoff scenarios: The San Francisco 49ers have quite a few scenarios entering Week 17, and they could end up with the second seed or fall all the way back to the fifth seed. If the 49ers win and the Packers lose, then San Francisco will move up to the second seed. If both teams win then everything stays the same. But if the 49ers lose and the Seattle Seahawks win, then they will fall all the way down to the fifth seed, as Seattle wins the division.

Washington Redskins: (9-6)
Week 17 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
Spread: Redskins -3 (5Dimes)
Super Bowl odds: +2200 (Bovada)

Playoff scenarios: This is where the playoff situations get a bit complicated. The Redskins will win the NFC East with a victory over Dallas on Sunday. But they can still make the playoffs via the wild card. If Washington were to lose to Dallas and then have Minnesota and Chicago both lose, then they would make the playoffs as the six seed.

Minnesota Vikings (9-6)
Week 17 opponent: Green Bay Packers
Spread: Packers -3.5 (5Dimes)
Super Bowl odds: +6000 (Bovada)

Playoff scenarios: The Vikings also have a few ways to make the playoffs as well, but they can only enter as a six seed. The easiest way to clinch a playoff spot would be a victory over the Packers on Sunday. But if the Vikings were to lose and the Bears, Giants and Cowboys were all to lose as well, then they would still make the playoffs. A win by either of those teams coupled with a Minnesota loss would eliminate the Vikings from the playoffs

Chicago Bears (9-6)
Week 17 opponent: Detroit Lions
Spread: Bears -3 (5Dimes)
Super Bowl odds: +5000 (Bovada)

Playoff scenario: The only way for the Bears to make the playoffs is with a win on Sunday versus the Lions and a Minnesota loss or tie. The Vikings hold the tie breaker against the Bears, so if both teams win or lose, then Chicago is out.

Dallas Cowboys (8-7)
Week 17 opponent: Washington Redskins
Spread: Redskins -3 (5Dimes)
Super Bowl odds: +4000 (Bovada)

Playoff scenario: The Cowboys cannot make the playoffs via the wild card, so the only way they can make the postseason is to beat the Redskins on Sunday. Dallas would end up in the four seed as the NFC East division champs.

New York Giants (8-7)
Week 17 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
Spread: Giants -7.5 (5Dimes)
Super Bowl odds: +9000 (Bovada)

Playoff scenario: The New York Giants can only make the playoffs as the six seed, and they cannot win the division because they lose tie breaker situations to both Washington and Dallas. The only way for the Giants to make the playoffs is to beat the Eagles on Sunday and have both Chicago and Minnesota lose and the Redskins win. The Giants would win tie breaker situations against both the Vikings and Bears if they each finished 9-7, but not the Redskins.

No. 1 Seed: The Atlanta Falcons are locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC and have nothing to play for during Week 17.

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