No matter whose playoff odds formula you trust most, all the numbers were clear heading into Sunday night’s matchup: The loser’s season was most likely over.
The Minnesota Vikings came out on top 24-17, placing themselves in prime position to reach the postseason. According to the stats-based website FiveThirtyEight, the Vikings have a 63 percent chance at making the playoffs.
In the NFC, New Orleans and Los Angeles are 99 percent locks while the Chicago Bears are sitting at a 96 percent to make the playoffs and 83 percent to take the NFC North. Naturally the Vikings have the other 17 percent shot at the division. Green Bay’s odds drop to six percent with the loss at US Bank Stadium.
Seattle has a 75 percent chance at taking one of the wild card positions, while Carolina has just 31 percent odds after losing to the Seahawks on Sunday.
Things still could get tricky for the Vikings down the stretch. In two weeks, they match up with Seattle on the road.
A loss against the Seahawks could leave the door open for the Panthers and either Washington/Dallas/Philadelphia, depending on how the NFC East plays out.
Remaining schedules appear to be in Minnesota’s favor. The Panthers would likely need to win four of their final five games, but they play against the Saints twice. The Eagles have two games against Washington and one against Dallas, meaning the NFC East will end up beating up on itself. If Washington can rally behind Colt McCoy, they do have a favorable schedule down the stretch with games against the Jaguars, Titans and Giants.
The takeaway here is: The Vikings’ win over the Packers was a complete game changer for their playoff odds, but they aren’t there yet. They face New England, Seattle, Miami, Detroit and Chicago in need of at least three victories to be in a solid position and four wins to be a lock.
By the way, ESPN gives the Vikings an even better shot than FiveThirtyEight at 71 percent.
Here are the #NFL teams with more than a 4% shot at the playoffs, according to @espn‘s Football Power Index. pic.twitter.com/081V3IXlP5
— Mike Sando, ESPN.com (@SandoESPN) November 26, 2018
The post Playoff odds formulas put Vikings in driver’s seat after win over Packers appeared first on 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Source:: 1500 ESPN Sportswire
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