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NFL Teams to Make the Playoffs: 4 Playoff Predictions, Picks for 2023

Sean Tomlinson

Last Updated: September 1, 2023 4:23 PM EDT • 3 min 58 sec read.

With Week 1 in sight there is still optimism for all 32 NFL teams and their fan bases. Here are our NFL playoff predictions for the teams that will punch a postseason ticket based on the latest NFL odds from our best NFL betting sites.

There's perhaps no professional sport that boasts as much parity on a year-to-year basis as the NFL. As showcased in our worst-to-first picks, a team has gone from last place to division winner in 18 of the last 20 seasons.

That makes betting on an underdog to make the playoffs a profitable endeavor.

With that in mind, four of Sportsbook Review's NFL analysts make their picks on teams to make the playoffs in 2023.

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NFL teams to make the playoffs picks

(Picks and odds from July 11)

WriterPicksOdds
Jon MetlerPanthers+210 (DraftKings)
Neil ParkerPackers+190 (DraftKings)
Michael McClymontRams+300 (DraftKings)
Sean TomlinsonFalcons+116 (FanDuel)

NFL teams to make the playoffs predictions

Carolina Panthers (+210 via DraftKings)

Can Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers make a surprise playoff push in 2023?
Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers works through a drill during practice at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images via AFP.

This may seem like a long-shot play because the Carolina Panthers held the first overall pick in the recent NFL draft, but it really isn't. The +210 odds highlight that fact.

The Panthers have similar odds to the Denver Broncos when it comes to making the playoffs. For the Broncos organization, it's playoffs or bust. The Broncos may have a better and more experienced team, but the Panthers have a much easier schedule as they play in the NFC South, a division they can win. When you take into account their schedule, the addition of Bryce Young at quarterback, and their defensive talent in Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, and Jaycee Horn, the Panthers are slightly undervalued in the market.

I project the Panthers to win 7.8 games this season, giving them a 36.9% chance of making the playoffs (+170). The +170 price I have for them is common in the betting markets, as FanDuel has the Panthers listed at +168 and BetMGM at +165.

While we can't bet on the Panthers at FanDuel or BetMGM, a rogue +210 is available at DraftKings, opening the door for a bet on the Panthers to make the playoffs.

 –– Jon Metler (SBR | Twitter/X)    

Editor’s note: Best odds for Carolina to make the playoffs are +205 via DraftKings as of Sept. 1.

Green Bay Packers (+190 via DraftKings)

I’m not convinced the quarterback drop-off from 2022 Aaron Rodgers to 2023 Jordan Love is priced properly in the odds through DraftKings. 

My numbers have consistently presented value on the Packers. I give them a 49.7% chance of playing a playoff game this year, which translates to a +101 number and presents a positive expected value of 44% compared to the DraftKings price.

Rodgers threw for just 6.8 yards per attempt and graded as the 14th-best quarterback, per Pro Football Reference. I’m anticipating the Pack leaning on their defense and one-two punch of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon out of the backfield to shelter Love.

Additionally, the NFC is wide open with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, in particular, eyeing statistical regression. There are playoff spots up for grabs, and pricing Green Bay with just a 34.5% (+190) chance of securing one is wrong.

 –– Neil Parker (SBR | Twitter/X)    

Editor’s note: Best odds for Green Bay to make the playoffs are +180 via DraftKings as of Sept. 1.

Los Angeles Rams (+300 via DraftKings)

When identifying a team to vault into the playoff picture, I - like my colleagues here - am targeting the NFC, where there are fewer elite teams.

As Neil Parker highlighted, the Vikings and Giants are candidates to take a step back in 2023. The Detroit Lions are a popular pick to take one of those spots, as evidenced by their -160 odds to make the playoffs. I'm looking elsewhere, though.

The Los Angeles Rams had the second-most adjusted games lost to injury in 2022, as Aaron Schatz wrote for Football Outsiders. The Rams finished with 146.6 adjusted games lost to injury, a stark difference from the 51.3 number posted when they won the Super Bowl in 2021. 

Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp should be healthy and ready to vault the Rams from the five wins they finished with in 2022 with a skeleton crew.

–– Michael McClymont  (SBR | Twitter/X)     

Editor’s note: Best odds for Los Angeles to make the playoffs are +310 via DraftKings as of Sept. 1.

Atlanta Falcons (+116 via FanDuel)

The Atlanta Falcons’ offseason optimism train has been chugging steadily, and Sportsbook Review’s Shane Jackson helped to put that locomotive on the tracks with his worst to first pick.

Atlanta has been mediocre over the past two seasons while finishing with a 7-10 record during each campaign. But the offensive intrigue is growing, and several key pieces were added to the defense.

The team selected versatile and powerful running back Bijan Robinson with its first-round pick. The dynamic Texas product finished with 1,894 yards from scrimmage in 2022 and 20 touchdowns. He now joins an offense filled with youthful vigor that includes Drake London and Kyle Pitts. The latter played only 10 games in 2022 due to injuries, but the explosive tight end produced 1,026 receiving yards as a rookie.

There are significant question marks tied to quarterback Desmond Ridder. But he’ll now get plenty of support both around him in the huddle, and from a defense that’s plugging in Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree to address a core weakness.

Toss in the Falcons playing in a weak division, and the path is laid out for a quick rise with juicy odds.

–– Sean Tomlinson  (SBR | Twitter/X)     

Editor’s note: Best odds for Atlanta to make the playoffs are +110 via BetMGM as of Sept. 1.

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Sean Tomlinson
Sean Tomlinson has been in the sports media wilderness since 2009, and he joined Sportsbook Review in 2021. His work has been referenced in The New York Times and Forbes. He's also made appearances on The Fan 590 and TSN 1050. Sean is a regular bettor who places bets daily while using a handful of books. Most frequently, he uses FanDuel and bet365 due to the quality experience on those apps. While he'll often take an analytical approach, Sean enjoys the fun, recreational side of betting too, and embraces alternative markets on events like the Westminster Dog Show or Eurovision, or the many novelty props tied annually to the Super Bowl, for example. Beyond sports, Sean is also interested in the betting markets tied to politics, and especially those connected to American elections. He sees betting as a way to explore and engage in a deeper way, and takes that same view to his work. He plays poker periodically too, and is an avid fantasy sports player. Sean also previously spent time with Bleacher Report and theScore, all after earning his media studies degree from the University of Guelph-Humber.