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NFL playoff picture: Who to root for in Week 16 if you are an Arizona Cardinals fan

Week 16 is here and the Arizona Cardinals are in a fight for the NFC West title. Who should Cardinals fans root for to help their chances?

Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals huddles with teammates during a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 19, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

The Arizona Cardinals sit atop the NFC West and are currently the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. They are tied with the Los Angeles Rams but hold the tiebreaker with a better divisional win percentage. The Cardinals control their own destiny for making the playoffs in that if they win out, they are in. With -140 odds to win the division at DraftKings Sportsbook, they have an implied probability of 58.33% of a divisional crown.

The Rams are the biggest threat to the Cardinals' playoff hopes. With the teams splitting their regular-season divisional series one game apiece, they don’t meet in their final three regular-season games. Outside of the Rams, the Cardinals have a two-game lead over the 49ers in the NFC West and a three-game lead over the Vikings, Eagles, and Saints in the overall NFC standings.

If you are a Cardinals fan, you’ll have a few games you’ll be paying attention to as they look to improve their chances of a playoff berth.

Browns vs. Packers

The Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers meet in the first game of the Christmas Day doubleheader on Saturday. The Packers sit atop the NFC as the 1-seed so any losses they suffer would just increase the odds of the Cardinals moving up the seeding. The Packers are 7.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Rams vs. Vikings

Speaking of the Rams, they have an important matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The Rams are on the road and I’m sure that the Cardinals faithful will be wearing Viking helmets if they can find them. The Rams are 3.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Bucs vs. Panthers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Carolina Panthers in an NFC South matchup. The Panthers need a ton to happen to sneak into the playoffs and with a combo of Cam Newton and Sam Darnold under center, it likely isn’t going to happen. The Buccaneers offense has taken some hits missing some key players, but they are still 9.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Washington vs. Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys will be playing for a shot at the NFC East title and the Washington Football Team stand in their way. When these teams met in Week 14, the Cowboys came away with a 27-20 win. In the rematch, the Cowboys are 10-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.