5 Teams with worst odds of making NFL playoffs ft. Pittsburgh Steelers
Making it to the NFL playoffs is one of the main goals for most teams entering each season. Nearly half of the league achieves that goal each year with a 14-team field in the NFL playoffs out of 32 total teams in the league. This gives just about every team a shot at making it at the start of each season.
While the 2022-23 NFL season is less than halfway complete, some teams have dug themselves into a serious hole for their playoff hopes. No team has been officially eliminated yet, but it will be a much more difficult journey for some. Here are five teams that have the worst chances of making it to the NFL playoffs, according to odds provided by the FanDuel Sportsbook.
#5 - Detroit Lions (+960)
The Detroit Lions have established themselves as a team that seems to be competitive in just about every game over the last two seasons. The problem is that they haven't come away with a victory in many of them, posting just a 4-18-1 record since the start of the 2021-22 NFL season.
A case can be made that the Lions are heading in the right direction. Their roster includes talented players on both sides of the ball in just about every position. However, it would be shocking if they found their way into the NFL playoffs this year.
#4 - Carolina Panthers (+1600)
The Carolina Panthers entered the 2022-23 NFL season with hopes of elevating themselves as contenders for the playoffs. They acquired Baker Mayfield via trade with the Cleveland Browns, but the upgrade at quarterback hasn't changed much. After finishing 5-12 last season, they opened the 2022-23 NFL season by losing five of their first six games.
This has led the Panthers to enter the rebuilding stage. They fired head coach Matt Rhule and traded away superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. As they look to acquire assets for the future, the NFL playoffs this year don't seem at all like a realistic possibility.
#3 - Pittsburgh Steelers (+1850)
Mike Tomlin has been the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last 15 consecutive seasons. He has incredibly never had a losing season during his time in the position. This season presented a new challenge in his first year since Ben Roethlisberger officially announced his retirement.
Tomlin's first season without the legendary quarterback puts his 15-year streak of winning seasons in serious jeopardy. Between quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett, the Steelers have found just two wins in their first seven games. They are currently massive underdogs to make any sort of run at a spot in the NFL playoffs.
#2 - Chicago Bears (+1950)
The Chicago Bears have had one of the lowest-scoring offenses of the 2022-23 NFL season so far. They have failed to score 100 combined points across their first six games as they have been extremely conservative in their approach. The organization has also failed to surround young quarterback Justin Fields with legitimate weapons.
As the Bears continue to rebuild their roster, they appear to be at least another year or two away from contending for a spot in the NFL playoffs. It would be wise to turn their focus to adding more skill-position players to aid the development of Fields.
#1 - Houston Texans (+3000)
The Houston Texans are the biggest longshot to make the NFL playoffs by a significant margin. Their current odds are at least 1.5 times worse than any other team heading into Week 8 of the 2022-23 NFL season.
The Texans were projected to be one of the worst teams in the league prior to the start of the year. So far, those projections have been accurate. After finishing last year with just a 4-13 record, they have been able to find victory just once during their first six games this year. They will likely need a miracle to make it to the NFL playoffs this season.