Giants Playoff Chances: Clinching Scenarios For Wild-Card Picture In Week 16

The New York Giants are on the verge of clinching their first playoff spot in six years. In Week 16, multiple scenarios exist for the Giants to secure a wild-card berth in the NFL playoff picture.

The Giants' chances of clinching a playoff spot in Week 16 all start with their game against the Minnesota Vikings. Every scenario for New York to lock itself into the playoff picture includes a victory on Christmas Eve.

On Saturday, the Giants are scheduled to visit the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota is the No. 2 seed in the conference, but New York is only a short road underdog.

If the Giants win, they'll need two of the three teams directly behind them in the playoff standings to lose in order to clinch a postseason berth by the end of Week 16. The Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions make up that group of wild-card contenders.

The Giants seized the NFC's No. 6 seed and second place in the wild-card standings by defeating the Commanders in Week 15. New York is a game ahead of Washington and 1.5 games in front of both Seattle and Detroit.

Fortunately for the Giants, the Seahawks and Commanders are two of the biggest underdogs on the Week 16 schedule. The Kansas City Chiefs are close to 10-point favorites at home against the Seahawks. The San Francisco 49ers are favored by a touchdown over the visiting Commanders.

The Lions are short favorites on the road against the Carolina Panthers.
There's a strong chance that two of the Seahawks, Commanders and Lions will lose in Week 16, according to the latest odds. The Giants' chances of clinching a wild-card spot before Christmas are likely in their own hands.

It's been a struggle for the Giants since unexpectedly starting the season with a 6-1 record. Before beating Washington in a pivotal matchup last week, New York picked up just on victory in a six-game stretch. The Giants only win during that time came against the Houston Texans, which only have one victory in the entire season.

The Seahawks and Lions both defeated the Giants during New York's 1-4-1 stretch. Because New York has a tie on its resume, head-to-head tiebreakers with Seattle and Detroit are unlikely to come into play when determining the final playoff picture.

The Giants have already been eliminated from contention in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles have clinched a playoff spot and are either a win or a Dallas Cowboys' loss away from winning the division.

The Giants host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 and close out the season in Philadelphia.