NFL Playoff Odds: Rams’ Playoff Chances Soar, Saints’ Sink

What was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Rams now has an excellent shot to end with a postseason berth after Los Angeles beat the Saints, 30-22, on Thursday Night Football.

The Rams were +165 to make the playoffs before the season began at BetMGM. Things looked grim as they headed into the bye at 3-6. However, Los Angeles has since won five of six and now has a 75% chance to make the postseason, according to our predictive analytics team.

It’s impossible to stress just how huge Los Angeles’ win was, as its playoff odds would have plummeted to just 19% with a loss.  The win also gave the now 8-7 Rams the tiebreaker over the Saints. They also own the tiebreaker over the Seahawks after beating them twice during the regular season. As a result, Sean McVay and company stand to have a good chance of making the playoffs by simply splitting their final two games of the year.

The Rams figure to be heavy favorites next week against the Tommy DeVito-led Giants before closing out the season with a tough match against the Super Bowl favorite San Francisco 49ers. However, there’s a legit chance that the 49ers might rest their starters if they have the top seed in the NFC locked up.

On the other hand, the Saints’ chances of reaching the playoffs for the first time in three seasons took a sizable hit, dropping from 46% to 25%. By comparison, a victory would have jumped New Orleans' chances all the way up to 71%.

Nonetheless, the Saints still have a viable path to the postseason by winning the division. They have the same number of wins as the NFC South-leading Buccaneers and will spend Sunday rooting like crazy for Jacksonville to beat Tampa Bay.  New Orleans finishes the year with a pair of divisional games, visiting the Buccaneers on New Year's Eve before ending the season at home versus the Falcons.