A new NFL season brings optimism for each team. Everyone is 0-0. No one has been eliminated from playoff contention.
And for fans who enjoy betting the NFL, it’s a fresh start with endless opportunities, including betting on teams to make or miss the playoffs.
Four teams who missed the 2023 postseason made the playoffs last season, most notably the Washington Commanders, who went from 4-13 to 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game.
So, which teams will make the postseason in 2025 and which ones will miss out? Our analysts break down the odds and offer their best bets.
Note: Odds as of publication time courtesy of ESPN BET.
Matt Bowen: I like the Falcons, given their divisional schedule in the NFC South with two games each versus the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, plus the upside they have at key positions on both sides of the ball. Second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has the traits to elevate the Atlanta offense. He’s an accurate thrower at the second and third level of the field and has the mobility to get out of trouble. Penix will have a No. 1 target in Drake London, while running back Bijan Robinson is a difference-maker with dual-threat skills. The Falcons went heavy on defensive talent in the draft, adding two potential playmakers on the edge in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. to boost a pass rush that recorded only 31 sacks last season (second fewest in the league). You’re betting on a team that went 8-9 last year, finishing second in the division. And they addressed critical needs this offseason.
Eric Moody: The Bears have real playoff upside in 2025, even in the brutal NFC North. Why? Start with new head coach Ben Johnson, one of the league’s top offensive minds. In Detroit, he led one of the league’s most productive offenses for three years. Now he gets quarterback Caleb Williams, a No. 1 overall pick with elite tools, and a reloaded supporting cast that includes wide receivers D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, rookie tight end Colston Loveland, and three new starters on the offensive line. Johnson also inherits a defense with veterans like Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat, and new coordinator Dennis Allen, who built tough units with the New Orleans Saints. The Bears started 4-2 last year before collapsing in close games, often due to poor coaching. They lost 10 straight games coming out of their bye week. That changes under Johnson. If the offense reaches its ceiling, Chicago’s +170 playoff odds could look like a steal come December.
Pamela Maldonado: The schedule is easier this year compared to last, especially considering the caliber of quarterbacks the Packers had to face in 2024. Green Bay’s defense took a step forward under Jeff Hafley, especially in the red zone. On the offensive side, Jordan Love looked like the real deal following the Packers’ Week 10 bye, completing 65% of his passes and averaging 8.5 yards per attempt while facing a host of tough pass defenses. The Packers will play three goad games on short weeks, but after going 5-5 in one-score games and finishing with 11 wins, another trip to the playoffs seems like a fair bet when considering the talent they have and what appears to be an easier path.
Check out the latest odds for every Week 1 game on ESPN BET.
Daniel Dopp: The Vikings showed the NFL how good their coaching staff is by helping Sam Darnold lead the team to a 14-3 regular-season record last season. Darnold impressed in a major way, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. Those are huge numbers for a QB castoff that no other NFL team had significant interest in. Now, with a more talented J.J. McCarthy under center, Kevin O’Connell looks to repeat his offensive success with an upgraded offensive line and even more offensive firepower with the addition of backup RB Jordan Mason. And don’t forget about this Vikings defensive that allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL last season under the tutelage of Brian Flores. A return to the playoffs seems likely for the Vikings.
Seth Walder: As promising as the Commanders appear, there’s a lot of ways this can go wrong. What worries me with Jayden Daniels is that, as good as he was on third and fourth down last year, he ranked only 15th in QBR on early downs. The later downs are where all the leverage is, which is why Washington was as successful as it was last year, but early downs actually provide a much larger sample size. That isn’t the only out, however. The defense could fail. On paper, the Commanders have almost no pass rush, and there were times last year when Bobby Wagner and Marshon Lattimore looked a fair ways off from their peak. Plus, while I think Terry McLaurin’s contract dispute will resolve itself, should the star wideout ever get hurt or miss time, the receiving group is awfully shaky after him.
