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The NFL is headed into Week 16 and the playoff chase is chaotic. The Packers are the only team that has clinched a playoff berth, and there is an outside chance we head into Week 17 with no additional teams. Seven teams have a chance to clinch something this weekend, but given how the NFL season has gone to date, nothing is guaranteed.
The Philadelphia Eagles are not one of those seven teams. Instead, they’re part of a large pool of teams scrambling to just have a shot at a playoff berth. They are 7-7 and sitting in second place in the NFC East and eighth place in the conference standings. They head into Week 16 tied with the Vikings and Saints in the wild card race, a game back of the 49ers and three back of the Rams for the other two wild card berths. They are a game up on Washington and the Falcons.
DraftKings Sportsbook offers odds to make the playoffs for each team. The Vikings have the edge in the tiebreaker column, but they also have a more difficult schedule. Philadelphia heads into Week 16 with +125 odds to clinch a playoff berth, which is an implied probability of 44.44%. Meanwhile, the seventh place Vikings are +200 (implied probability: 33.33%) and the ninth place Saints are +110 (implied probability: 47.62%).
If you are an Eagles fan, you’ll have a few games you’ll be paying attention to as they look to improve their chances of a playoff berth.
Washington vs. Cowboys
There are two ways to look at this one. The Birds are still alive in the NFC East race, but only just barely. Dallas can clinch the NFC East with a win or clinching at least a tie in the strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Eagles.
While it would be nice to win the division, Philly’s chances are slim enough that they potentially get more value with a Cowboys win over Washington. The Football Team is 6-8 and a game back in the wild card race. Eagles fans would probably prefer any kind of additional breathing room. The Cowboys are 10.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.
49ers vs. Titans
UPDATE: The 49ers lost 20-17 and are now 8-7. If the Eagles win, they move into a tie, although San Francisco has the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The 49ers are 8-6 and have a game lead on the Eagles. If the Eagles win and the 49ers lose, the two teams will be tied for sixth place. The 49ers have the head-to-head tiebreaker against Philadelphia, which means they would have the edge in the standings. The 49ers are a field goal favorite.
Rams vs. Vikings
Dolphins vs. Saints
The Vikings, Eagles, and Saints are tied at 7-7, so it’s pretty straight-forward for Philly fans. They want those two squads to lose this weekend. The Vikings currently hold the tiebreaker edge against both teams. They have the edge on the Eagles based on record against common opponents, and against the Saints based on conference record.
The Vikings are field goal underdogs against the Rams while the Saints are 1.5-point underdogs to the Dolphins with Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian both sidelined due to COVID-19.
Lions vs. Falcons
The Falcons are 6-8 and sitting a game back of the Eagles in the wild card race. Philly has the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Falcons, but more cushion is welcome. The Falcons are six-point favorites against the Lions.