The 2022 NFL season is so close we can practically smell the kickoff of opening weekend. At this writing, the preseason is just about done, roster spots and starting jobs are being finalized, and above all, the 2022 NFL futures market is popping.
Every year, around this time, we like to capitalize on all the best available options. In our last collection of football picks, we jumped on predicting which NFC teams will make the 2022 NFL playoffs. This time around, we're picking which teams will make the playoffs in the NFC.
Let's start by having a look at the latest playoff betting odds for the NFL, which come courtesy of Bovada:
| Team |  |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -750 |
| Buffalo Bills | -600 |
| Green Bay Packers | -500 |
| Los Angeles Rams | -270 |
| Dallas Cowboys | -260 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -225 |
| San Francisco 49ers | -225 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | -178 |
| Indiapolis Colts | -172 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | -162 |
| Baltimore Ravens | -156 |
| Denver Broncos | -146 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | -144 |
| Minnesota Vikings | -110 |
| Tennessee Titans | -100 |
| Cleveland Browns | +100 |
| Arizona Cardinals | +118 |
| New Orleans Saints | +118 |
| Miami Dolphins | +142 |
| Washington Commanders | +152 |
| New England Patriots | +160 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +170 |
| New York Giants | +225 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +330 |
| Carolina Panthers | +410 |
| Chicago Bears | +410 |
| Detroit Lions | +410 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +450 |
| Seattle Seahawks | +540 |
| New York Jets | +710 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +790 |
| Houston Texans | +1500 |
Always remember to double-check these 2022 NFL futures until you actually place your wager. These NFL betting lines will continue to shift all the way through the regular season, and our odds on the NFL playoffs are accurate entering Tuesday, August 30.
Meanwhile, if you're looking for a spot to bet on 2022 NFL futures, we've got just the tool for your. Our reviews of the top online sportsbooks are jam-packed with information that will allow you to spot the best online NFL betting sites in 2022.
Finally, as a reminder, here's how the NFL playoffs work: All four AFC division winners are guaranteed a postseason spot. After them, the three teams with the highest winning percentage round out the bracket—regardless of their division affiliation. Our dive in 2022 NFL playoff futures will begin by predicting the four division winners and then wrap up with the final three selections—many of which may prove to be the most profitable wagers on the board.
Kansas City Chiefs are the Best 2022 NFL Futures Bet in the AFC
Don't read too much into the Chiefs losing star wideout Tyreke Hill. Their pass-catching rotation remains incredibly deep, Patrick Mahomes is still an MVP candidate, and the defense showed signs of approaching dominance last season.
In a fairly tough AFC West division, they remain the cream of the crop—and playoff locks.
Buffalo Bills have Clear Path to Emerging from the AFC East
Whether the Bills should be treated as Super Bowl favorites is debatable. Their place atop the AFC East division is not.
The New York Jets are still rebuilding. The New England Patriots don't yet know what they have in quarterback Trey Lance. And the Miami Dolphins still profile as a 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 operation.
All of which bodes well for Buffalo, the lone contender in a division that's theirs to lose.
Tennessee Titans are Still Worth Your Time
Concerns about the Titans offense abound, particularly after last year's Julio Jones experiment didn't quite work out. But this team won 12 games in 2021, and last we checked, they still have Derrick Henry to shoulder a brunt of the offensive workload.
Failing monster regression from their superstar running back or stingy defense, Tennessee should have enough juice to pick up another AFC South division title and the playoff berth that comes with it.
Baltimore Ravens are Beginning to Command Attention in 2022 NFL Futures
There may be no division tougher in the league than the NFC North. All four teams won at least eight games last season, and virtually none of them are poised to take a step back.
Still, process of elimination gets us to the Ravens.
The Browns won't have Deshaun Watson for roughly half of the season, and the Steelers continue to skew towards rebuilding. The Bengals, meanwhile, have questions to answer on the offensive end after their Cinderella 2021 campaign.
That leaves the Ravens, who have surrounded Lamar Jackson with juuust enough deep ball threats to parlay into Super Bowl contention.
Are the Los Angeles Chargers Overpriced NFL Playoff Bets?
Our gut feeling is the Chargers don't offer great playoff value at -162. Then again, it also feels wrong to leave them off this season.
Quarterback Justin Herbert seems poised to enter the MVP discussion on the back of high usage and absurd accuracy on long-ball throws. Picking them to make the playoffs rests on the defense taking a step forward, and while that's less of a given, it's also plausible.
And if the Chargers improve on defense, there's a chance they graduate to postseason locks.
Take a Flier on the Cincinnati Bengals Postseason Odds
We entertained leaving off the Bengals but couldn't do it. They just made the Super Bowl for crying out loud.
There remains questions about the viability of their offense. They need third-year quarterback Joe Burrow to make the leap as a passer under pressure.
But is that so unrealistic? Burrow is still incredibly young and just showed expert game managing skills for a Super Bowl contender. So long as the defense holds its positioning, Cincinnati should be able to rejoin the postseason fracas.
Russell Wilson Makes the Denver Broncos Tantalizing Bets in 2022 NFL Futures Market
Our final pick to make the playoffs in the AFC comes down to the Colts and Broncos. And we're rolling with the Broncos.
Indy may actually be the more popular pick. But we're not sold on the addition of quarterback Matt Ryan dramatically changing their offense. They still profile as a run-first team.
Denver made the bigger quarterback splash by trading for Russell Wilson. And while their offense has some holes, they've given him enough weapons in wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton to cannonball into the playoff discussion.
Heck, if the defense can improve its pass prevention on third and fourth downs, we might be looking at a sleeper Super Bowl contender.
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