NFL Playoff Scenarios 2022: Patriots, Bills, Rams, Cardinals Chances Of Winning Division Titles

Two division championships are still undecided a week before the start of the 2022 NFL playoffs. The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills are vying for the AFC East crown, while it’ll be either the Los Angeles Rams or Arizona Cardinals who wins the NFC West title in the regular-season finale.

The scenarios for determining the division champs are simple, assuming none of the teams involved settle for a tie in their Week 18 games. New England can only win the AFC East with a win Sunday and a loss by Buffalo. It’s a similar scenario for Arizona, which needs to win its game and hope Los Angeles loses in order to become the NFC West champ.

The chances of the Bills losing their spot atop the division are much smaller than the Rams’ chances of relinquishing their first-place lead.

Buffalo is the biggest favorite on the entire Week 18 schedule with -1125 odds to beat the New York Jets on Sunday, according to the latest moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook. New York is a +700 underdog.

New England is a -260 favorite against the Miami Dolphins, who have +210 odds to beat the Patriots outright. The odds of both the Jets and Patriots winning are greater than 10/1, making it highly likely that the Bills will win their second straight division title.

Miami beat New England in Week 1. The Patriots have already clinched a playoff spot and will earn the top wild-card spot if both New England and Buffalo win in Week 18.

Los Angeles has a much more tenuous division lead than Buffalo. Of the four teams competing for a division title in Week 18, the Rams are the only one whose opponent remains in playoff contention.

The San Francisco 49ers have a lot on the line in Sunday’s visit to L.A. The 49ers would clinch a playoff berth with a victory over the Rams. If San Francisco loses, it would need the Atlanta Falcons to upset the New Orleans Saints in order to back its way into the postseason.

The 49ers are +175 underdogs against the Rams. Los Angeles is a -210 favorite. San Francisco blew out Los Angeles 31-10 in Week 10.

Arizona is a -290 favorite in Sunday’s home game against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has +230 odds to win straight up. The Cardinals beat the Seahawk 23-13 in Week 11 when backup Colt McCoy was forced to start in place of Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray.

A bet for both the Cardinals and 49ers to win comes with less than 3/1 odds at +269.

If Los Angeles holds on to its NFC West lead, Arizona will be the conference’s top wild-card team.