The Chiefs, Bills and Steelers have already clinched playoff berths in the AFC. The other playoff spots will go to four of five teams: The Titans, Colts, Browns, Ravens and Dolphins. And the Dolphins are the most likely team to be left out.
Based on Sunday’s Vegas lines, the Dolphins would be the team that gets left out if all the favored teams win. Here are the point spreads for the games that are relevant to the AFC playoff picture:
The Bills are 2-point favorites against the Dolphins.
The Ravens are 11.5-point favorites against the Bengals.
The Browns are 9.5-point favorites against the Steelers.
The Colts are 14-point favorites against the Jaguars.
The Titans are 7.5-point favorites against the Texans.
Bills coach Sean McDermott has declined to reveal whether he is playing his starters on Sunday. If the Bills play to win, the Dolphins will have to play a great game to beat the Bills, which would clinch a playoff berth. If the Bills rest Josh Allen and other key players, that would be a huge favor to the Dolphins — and a blow to the Colts and Titans, who would see their playoff paths narrow.
The good news for the Dolphins is that they control their own path to the playoffs. The bad news is that the smart money is on the Dolphins missing out.
If favored teams win, Dolphins are odd team out in AFC playoff race originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
