Predicting the 2026 Pro Football Playoffs

At last, we’ve reached the end of the regular season in Pro Football. Fourteen teams remain with a chance to claim a championship, and we are experiencing plenty of new faces in the field. This is the first year since 1998 that the playoffs will not feature Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, or Peyton Manning. Of course, Brady and Manning are retired, but Mahomes and Kansas City have been pushed aside in the American Football Conference, which is being commandeered by a cast of new quarterbacks trying to prove they’re next in line. In the National Football Conference, we have some familiar franchises, but with new coaches who haven’t had their chance to add to their trophy case yet. Who will win it all in this “new look” playoff field?

Predicting The American Football Conference Playoffs

The American Football Conference is led by the first-seeded Denver. They will receive a first-round bye for having the best record in the conference at 14-3. This is the first time Denver has claimed the number one seed since 2015, when the aforementioned Peyton Manning led them to a championship. But, a decade later, they’re now being led by Head Coach Sean Payton and Quarterback Bo Nix. Payton is no stranger to the Pro Football playoffs, with a championship in 2010 and a number one seed in 2018, both with New Orleans. This is Bo Nix’s second playoff appearance in as many years in the league, and he will be backed up by the league’s number two overall defense. Our predictive markets give Denver a 11% chance to win the Pro Football Championship.

Division Winners in the American Football Conference

As Denver sits back and waits for their first matchup, the other division winners will clash with the wild card teams in the first round. New England tied Denver’s 14-3 record, but they sit at the 2-seed with a matchup on tap with Los Angeles. New England is having its first season with Head Coach Mike Vrabel at the helm, who found playoff success with Tennessee in his previous position. Drake Maye had a season worthy enough to win the award given to the best player in the league, but they also faced the easiest schedule of opponents in the last 20 years of the league. They faced a collection of teams that averaged a .386 winning percentage, the lowest difficulty of schedule since 1999, so it remains to be seen if they can keep up when the difficulty of competition rises. New England comes in with a 9% chance to win it all in our predictive markets.

Jacksonville claimed its bid to the Pro Football playoffs by winning the South division in an impressive 13-4 record. This is the first time they’ve won their division since 2022, and they are one of four teams in the field who have never won a championship, along with Buffalo, Los Angeles C, and Carolina. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is having his best season as a pro with new Head Coach Liam Cohen taking over the reins, accounting for 38 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Jacksonville also bolsters the top rushing defense in the league, which will hopefully come in handy when facing the best rushing offense in Buffalo in the first round. Our predictive markets give Jacksonville a 7% chance to win the Pro Football championship.

Pittsburgh rounds out the division winners, with its eighth division title under Head Coach Mike Tomlin. They clinched a playoff berth in the final game of the season, where they narrowly edged out Baltimore, who missed a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. This is future Hall of Fame Quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ first, and maybe only, season with Pittsburgh, hoping to add one more championship before he retires. Rodgers won a championship in 2011 with Green Bay, but has not made an appearance otherwise. The odds are stacked against them, however, as our predictive markets give Pittsburgh only a 3% chance to win it all this year. 

The American Football Conference Wild Card Games

The wild card teams in this conference clinched a playoff spot by having the best three records in the conference without winning their respective divisions. The 5th-seed is occupied by the best defense in the Pro Football in Houston. They fell one game short of Jacksonville in claiming a division title; now they will go on the road to face Pittsburgh in the first round. Despite their defensive prowess, Houston has a middle-of-the-road offensive unit, ranking 18th in total yards and 13th in points. They’ll need third-year Quarterback CJ Stroud to rise to the occasion if they are hoping for a deep playoff run. Our predictive markets give them a 7% chance to win the championship this season.

Buffalo claims the 6th seed in the American Football Conference playoffs with a 12-5 record. This is the first year since the 2019 season that Buffalo has not won its division, losing out to New England's 14-3 record. They still have the reigning winner of the best player in the league award in Quarterback Josh Allen, and the best defense against the pass in the league. However, the concerns for Buffalo come in the form of rushing defense. They rank 29th in terms of yards and have given up the most rushing touchdowns this season. But if you believe they can figure out that part of their game and give Allen his first championship appearance, our predictive markets give them a 10% chance to win it all. 

Los Angeles C rounds of the playoff field in the American Football Conference. They started the season strong, rattling off three straight division wins, but after countless injuries to their offense line and a few minor injuries to their quarterback Justin Herbert, they slipped out of the division race with Denver. The offensive line will be the story with Los Angeles C this postseason, as they are rolling out the 30th-ranked unit in the league. Herbert is also trying to get his first playoff win after failing in his first two attempts.

Predicting The National Football Conference Playoffs

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The National Football Conference is led by Seattle, which claimed its division and the top seed in the field in its final game of the season vs San Francisco. They are the favorite in the conference to win the championship, and Wide Receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba is the favorite for the best offensive player award. Head Coach Mike McDonald regularly had one of the best defensive units during his time as Defensive Coordinator with Baltimore, and that has continued in his two seasons with Seattle. They’re the sixth-best defense in terms of yards, and the number one scoring defense in the league. But a lot of their success is a credit to bringing Quarterback Sam Darnold in the offseason. Last year, quarterback was a glaring hole for them, and by bringing in Darnold, they were able to rattle off 14 wins and claim the top seed in the National Football Conference, despite being in the most difficult division in the league.

Division Winners in the National Football Conference

The second overall seed is occupied by a surprising Chicago team, who won their division after being in last place just a season ago. Their newfound success comes at the hands of first-year Head Coach Ben Johnson, who took over after three years as Offensive Coordinator with Detroit. Johnson’s system has helped Chicago become the sixth-best offense in terms of yards, and helped second year Quarterback Caleb Williams progress. Williams nearly became the first Chicago quarterback in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards, but fell short with 3,942 yards, 30 total touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. It’ll be a tough test for Chicago right out of the gates, though, with their biggest rival in Green Bay coming to town in the first round. Our predictive markets give them a 4% chance to win the championship this season.

The reigning Pro Football champions are the third seed in the National Football Conference. Philadelphia won it all just a season ago by thrashing Kansas City in the championship by a score of 40-22. But, as is often the situation, it's hard to keep a championship roster together after winning it all. Philadelphia notably lost its Offensive Coordinator, Kellen Moore, in the offseason, and the offense has taken a major step back since. In terms of overall offensive ratings, they’re 24th in total yards and 19th in points heading into the postseason. If Philadelphia is going to make a run, it will have to be on the back of its defense, which is the fifth-best scoring defense in the league. Our predictive markets give them a 10% chance to win the championship this season.  

The final division winner in the National Football Conference is the fourth-seeded Carolina, which claimed its division title through a three-way tiebreaker and a losing record. Coming into the last week of the season, Carolina and Tampa Bay were battling for the last spot in the playoffs, with Tampa Bay winning their final matchup of the year. However, Atlanta, which was already eliminated from playoff contention for nearly a month, rattled off four straight wins to end the season and tie Carolina and Tampa Bay with an 8-9 record, creating a three-way tie at the top of the division. The tiebreakers gave Carolina the final slot in the playoffs, where they are up against it if they want to go on a run. Our predictive markets give them just a 2% chance to win it all. 

The National Football Conference Wild Card Games

Los Angeles R is no stranger to the playoffs, which they’ve been a part of for seven of the last nine seasons. They were in the running for the division behind Seattle, but lost their most recent pivotal matchup to them 38-37, giving Seattle the inside track to take the division title. Head Coach Sean McVay and Quarterback Matt Stafford won a championship together in 2022, and this might be their last chance to claim one together before Stafford retires. Their first matchup is against the only team in the field with a losing record in Carolina. Our predictive markets give Los Angeles R a 17% chance to win the championship this season.

The third seat in the tight West division race was San Francisco. They lost their last game of the season for the top seed in the conference and the division title, causing them to fall behind Los Angeles R for the 6th seed. They were able to stack up 12 wins this season despite losing several key players for long stretches of the season, like Brock Purdy, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, George Kittle, and Trent Williams, among others. These injuries have caused this team to morph from a top defense early in the year to a top offense late in the year, where their defense now poses issues for a deep run. With many of their early-season defensive leaders on the sideline, San Francisco has allowed 25.5 points per game since Week 15. Our predictive markets give them a 4% chance to win the championship. 

The final spot in the Pro Football playoffs belongs to Green Bay, which squeaked out a 9-7-1 record. After trading for All-Pro Edge Rusher Micah Parsons to start the year, Green Bay was one of the favorites to win the conference for much of the season. However, on December 14th, Parsons tore his ACL in a game against Denver, and Green Bay will have to finish the season without him. They would lose that game and the three remaining games on their schedule after that, also due in part to some concussion issues with starting Quarterback Jordan Love. Love will be back for the playoffs, but they have a tall task ahead of them as they travel to division rival Chicago in the first round. Our predictive markets give Green Bay a 4% chance to win it all this season. 

Practice Caution When Making Predictions

The data and trends above are to help you make informed decisions when placing predictions on football outcomes. They are not indications of guaranteed outcomes. Although the data above can assist you in making decisions, users should always use responsible practices and discretion when making predictions on Crypto.com’s Sports Prediction Markets.

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Important information: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Predictions markets are volatile and carry risk. Please consult a financial adviser before making investment decisions.

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