NFL
Las Vegas sportsbook posts odds on NFL teams making expanded playoff field
Las Vegas sportsbook posts odds on NFL teams making expanded playoff field
The new 14-team format for the NFL playoffs means an adjustment to each team's odds of advancing to the postseason.
In big news out of the NFL this week, the league’s owners approved the expansion of the playoffs to 14 teams, effective with this 2020 season. For bettors, this means more games to wager on (there are now six games on wild-card weekend!), but also shorter odds in the 'to make the playoffs' betting market.
Circa Sports in Las Vegas continues to do its part to keep the NFL futures markets fertile, hanging odds this week on each team to advance to the playoffs. With one more team from each conference earning a berth to the postseason, numbers on the 'yes' aren’t quite as lucrative as we’re used to. The other side of that coin, of course, is you have a better chance to cash those tickets.
These odds are reasonably priced, as exactly seven teams in each conference have shorter numbers on the ‘yes’ side of the prop than on the 'no'.
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/CircaSports/status/1245090703115292673" class="embedly-card" data-card-width="100%" data-card-controls="0">Embedded content: https://twitter.com/CircaSports/status/1245090703115292673</a></p>
The Colts, listed at multiple sportsbook as the favorites to win the AFC South, opened at Circa with -165 odds to make the playoffs, behind the Chiefs, Ravens, Patriots and Bills, and ahead of the No. 6 Steelers and No. 7 Titans.
__More on Colts__: [Rivers for MVP odds](http://betindiananews.com/betting-odds-philip-rivers-2020-nfl-mvp/)
The Bears in the NFC and Texans in the AFC are projected, per these numbers, to finish eighth in their respective conference and miss the playoffs, each priced at ‘yes -105’ and ‘no -125’.
__More on Bears__: [Foles, Hicks on Comeback Player oddsboard](https://www.betchicago.com/bears-nick-foles-odds-comeback-player-betting-favorites-akiem-hicks)
The lines suggest there is far more parody in the NFC than there is in the AFC, where Kansas City (-1610) and Baltimore (-825) are both prohibitively priced to make the tournament. While the 49ers (-305) have the shortest price in the NFC, the +255 odds on the ‘no’ side for San Francisco surely entices bettors who buy the theory that the Super Bowl runner-up is in for a difficult season.
This season's [Tom Brady-to-Tampa storyline](https://www.betchicago.com/tom-brady-buccaneers-betting-market-nfl) is one of keen interest to bettors and fans alike, so it’s worth pointing out: the Patriots (-225) are larger favorites to make the playoffs than are the Bucs (-160).
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2020-04-02T16:03:02.689Z2020-04-02T12:02-04:00