2015 NFL Oddsmakers: Raiders' Playoff Hopes Dim Heading Into Week 6 Bye
By Abraham Gutierrez
If the 2015 NFL playoffs started today, the Oakland Raiders would miss the postseason for a 13th straight year. That's because with a record of 2-3 heading into the (Week 6) bye, Raider Nation would have to settle for ninth place in the American Football Conference standings.
But, pretend for a moment this team is able to figure things out and somehow makes things interesting – either in the AFC West or as an AFC Wild Card. How profitable would it be to bet on the Raiders' chances to defy NFL oddsmakers by sneaking into the 2015 NFL playoffs for the first time since 2002?
Coming as no surprise given the way Jack Del Rio's team stacks up in this ultra-competitive conference, the answer to the issue in question is a resounding "cha-ching!" Prior to the start of the season, NFL oddsmakers took the time to create 2015 NFL playoff betting odds for all 32 teams in the National Football League, and naturally, no one gave this young team a chance.
According to NFL betting experts, the Raiders' chances to compete in the most exciting tournament in sports ranks a whopping 31st worst in the league. With -2000 odds to finish outside the bracket – and a lucrative +900 line to prove NFL oddsmakers wrong – Oaktown entered the season as the second best low-risk, high-reward investment behind the Titans (Yes +1000 vs. No -2500).
Those thinking that discussing "Raiders" and "playoffs" in the same sentence is completely ridiculous should perhaps take a moment to consider the current state of the AFC West. For starters, the Denver Broncos are the only team with a winning record in the division (pending the result of the Monday night game between Pittsburgh and San Diego), as Peyton Manning & Co. have gotten off to a perfect 5-0 start.
However, every bettor in America – including everyone in the Broncos' locker room – knows that Denver's record couldn't possibly be more misleading. In fact, the possibility that one of the three others teams in the AFC West could rally to dethrone Gary Kubiak's squad in the latter part of the year isn't completely out of the question all of the sudden.
Furthermore, based on the way the first five weeks of the season have played out, the Raiders certainly appear to be one of the best-equipped teams to pull off this unlikely feat. Heading into their Week 6 bye, the Broncos lead the way at 5-0, followed by the 2-2 Chargers, the 2-3 Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs are bringing up the rear with a 1-4 mark.
Want to know what each team's chances are to make it to the 2015 NFL playoffs? The following list contains 31 of the 32 teams in the league, as apparently, NFL oddsmakers didn't feel the need to even contemplate the defending champion's NFL playoff chances even just for kicks.
Seattle Seahawks
Yes -800
No +500
Indianapolis Colts
Yes -600
No +400
Green Bay Packers
Yes -550
No +375
Denver Broncos
Yes -300
No +240
Dallas Cowboys
Yes -175
No +145
Philadelphia Eagles
Yes -150
No +120
Baltimore Ravens
Yes -130
No EVEN
Pittsburgh Steelers
Yes -130
No EVEN
Cincinnati Bengals
Yes EVEN
No -130
Kansas City Chiefs
Yes +120
No -150
Miami Dolphins
Yes +120
No -150
New Orleans Saints
Yes +130
No -160
Atlanta Falcons
Yes +135
No -165
Arizona Cardinals
Yes +145
No -175
Carolina Panthers
Yes +145
No -175
Houston Texans
Yes +150
No -180
Detroit Lions
Yes +155
No -190
San Diego Chargers
Yes +160
No -200
Buffalo Bills
Yes +175
No -215
New York Giants
Yes +175
No -215
Minnesota Vikings
Yes +225
No -285
St. Louis Rams
Yes +250
No -325
New York Jets
Yes +350
No -500
San Francisco 49ers
Yes +400
No -600
Chicago Bears
Yes +500
No -800
Cleveland Browns
Yes +500
No -800
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes +500
No -800
Washington Redskins
Yes +700
No -1400
Jacksonville Jaguars
Yes +800
No -1600
Oakland Raiders
Yes +900
No -2000
Tennessee Titans
Yes +1000
No -2500
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.