FiveThirtyEight Releases Final AFC Playoff Spot Odds

The Patriots, Dolphins and Steelers are all jockeying for the final playoff spot in the AFC in Week 18.

With the final AFC playoff spot up for grabs in Week 18, FiveThirtyEight has released its final playoff odds for the Dolphins, Patriots and Steelers entering the final weekend of the regular season.

The analytics site has New England with the best odds at 35%, while the Dolphins have a 32% chance and the Steelers have a 27% chance of reaching the postseason.

The Patriots need a victory over the Bills on Sunday to clinch a playoff spot. Their path is cut and dry, so it makes sense that they enter Sunday with the best odds out of the three teams to clinch a playoff spot.  

The Dolphins can advance to the postseason with a win and a Patriots loss/tie or (in an unlikely scenario) a tie and a Patriots loss and a Steelers loss/tie.

The Steelers can clinch a spot with a win and a Dolphins loss/tie and a Patriots loss/tie. The Steelers can also clinch if they tie the Browns on Sunday and the Dolphins and Patriots both lose.

It should shake out to be an eventful Sunday across the NFL, with plenty of playoff spots still up for grabs around the league.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.