Week 17 Playoff Odds

With one week left in the regular season, there are only three spots still up for grabs- the last playoff spot in either conference, and the #3 seed in the AFC.

The Titans control the fate of the AFC #6 seed. If they win, they're in. At Bookmaker, Tennessee is favored by 6.5 points against the Colts, and is -305 to win. So there's a 72.8% chance the Titans get in. That leaves 27.2% for the Browns, whose game against the 49ers has no effect on the playoff picture, unless the Titans' game ends in a tie.

The Chargers and Steelers are also still battling it out for the #3 seed, and the opportunity to avoid the big, bad Patriots until the AFC Championship game. San Diego is in the driver's seat- with a Chargers win, or a Steelers loss, they get the third spot. They are -380 to beat the lowly Raiders, and the Steelers are -200 to beat Baltimore. So that leaves San Diego with a 85.1% chance of grabbing the #3 seed, with Pittsburgh at 14.9%.

The race for the final spot in the NFC is a little more complex, as there are three teams involved. But there is a clear pecking order- first Redskins, then Vikings, then Saints. For Washington, it's simple- if they beat the Cowboys, they're in. They also backdoor their way in if all three teams lose. Washington is -460 to beat the Cowboys; the combination of these two scenarios gives them a solid 83.3% chance of getting in.

Minnesota needs a little help, but they'll be if they win and the Redskins lose. The Vikings go to Denver, where they are favored by favored by a field goal, and -175 to win. Even being favorites, they only have a 12.5% chance of overtaking the Redskins.

New Orleans, at 7-8, needs a lot of help- they only way they get in is if they win, and both Washington and Minnesota get upset. This leaves them as almost a 20:1 longshot, with a 4.2% chance of sneaking in.

Photo: Smarter. Scenarios: ESPN.