This past Thursday night football game may have been the most important midweek matchup in a long time, and it could ultimately help determine not only the NFC West title, but also the NFC champion and the eventual Super Bowl winner. Despite the Seattle Seahawks pulling off a dramatic overtime victory, which required a furious late-game comeback, the odds board still is not fully buying into Sam Darnold and his supporting cast.
With the overtime win, the Seahawks clinched a playoff spot and made a statement by getting revenge for their loss just a few weeks ago to Matthew Stafford and company. However, even after the victory, the Los Angeles Rams remain the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl, currently sitting at +425. Seattle is beginning to close the gap, but they still trail with odds listed at 5-to-1.
What makes the NFC, and specifically the NFC West, so fascinating is the sheer number of possibilities still on the table. Not only can the Rams or Seahawks still win the division and potentially claim the No. 1 seed, but even the third-place San Francisco 49ers remain alive for both. In fact, by the end of the night, San Francisco oddly had a better chance to win the overall top seed than they did to actually win the division itself, highlighting just how tight the race has become.
Over in the AFC, the Denver Broncos currently hold the third-shortest Super Bowl odds at +750, just ahead of the Buffalo Bills at 8-to-1. The Houston Texans check in at 11-to-1, and the next NFC team on the board is the Philadelphia Eagles, also listed at 11-to-1.
With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, there is still an incredible amount yet to be decided, making every game, result, and betting shift more important than ever.