Written by AccuScore Staff

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There are only two weeks left in the NFL regular season. While Dallas, New England, Seattle and Oakland have already clinched their post season slots and the New York Giants would need a miracle not to qualify, there is a great battle brewing between several teams to secure their places in the post-season.

Accuscore has simulated weekly basis rest of the season and we still feel very comfortable with our preseason super bowl pick: New England vs. Seattle. Even though Seattle is ranked behind Dallas, simulations like their experience and better defense compared to Dallas high flying rookies on the offensive side of the ball. Also, Seattle appears to be trending upward following a slow start.

In the AFC, the Patriots have clinched their division title and Oakland has over a 60% chance to win the AFC West over Kansas City. In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers have over 80% probability to win the division title, while the Baltimore Ravens probability to take AFC North is only 18%.

The tightest competition takes place in the AFC South, where Tennessee has a 55% chance to win that division. The Houston Texans probability for a win is 41% and Indianapolis Colts have a minimal chance to spoil the Titans and Texans’ playoffs hopes with only a 3% chance to win the AFC South. Basically, Tennessee’s home field advantage in the week 17 matchup against the Texans can be the deciding factor in this race. The Titans’ form with three straight wins against tough opponents cannot be overlooked.

One wild card will go to AFC West with a high probability. Right now, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs that sit comfortably on the first wild card spot with over 90% probability to reach playoffs. They basically need one victory out of the last two games. Denver won’t be easy game, but San Diego has been a fluttering mess this season.

According to the simulations, the last wild card spot goes to Miami Dolphins. They currently have 9 wins and two relatively tough divisional match-ups left. The Bills spoiled the Jets’ playoff hopes a year ago in Buffalo, and New England’s current form doesn’t look like giving any easy wins away. Miami’s playoffs probability is 63.4%. Defending Super Bowl champion Denver is lurking behind Miami, but their last two games are not any easier: Kansas City on the road and Oakland at Mile High. Denver needs to win both of those and even that might not be enough. Currently Denver’s post-season probability is just above 30%.

AFC seeding:
1. Patriots
2. Raiders
3. Steelers
4. Titans
5. Chiefs
6. Dolphins

In the NFC West, the picture is pretty clear: Seahawks will win the division and the other teams will go on vacation in two weeks. As mentioned, Dallas has already secured the NFC East division title and the New York Giants have a place in the playoffs, but the other spots are wide open.

Outside of the teams already into the playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons are the most probable team to keep playing on. They have a 90% chance to reach the playoffs and 77% probability to win the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only team that can take the divisional crown from the Falcons, but currently, their chances are just above 20%. However, the Buccaneers have close to a 40% chance to reach playoffs as a wild card team. Both teams play against New Orleans and Carolina, so strength of the schedule goes out the window.

The most interesting situation is in the NFC North, where early season sensation Minnesota Vikings have dropped out of the contention as they have barely over a 10% chance to reach the playoffs with two weeks to go. Currently, the Detroit Lions are sitting on the top of the division with 9 win, and they have the highest probability (49.5) to win NFC North. The Green Bay Packers have put together a strong run by winning their last four games. Their chances to win the division are 45.6%, but the weeks 17 matchup between Packers and Lions in Detroit will likely decide who wins the division. Even though only one team can win this division, second place will have a great chance to secure the final wild card spot. The Washington Redskins’ playoffs probability has dropped to 21%, so Detroit and Green Bay’s post season probabilities of 79% and 61%, respectively, are hard to beat.

NFC seeding:
1. Cowboys
2. Seahawks
3. Lions
4. Falcons
5. Giants
6. Packers

AccuScore has expert game picks and odds analysis for every NFL game during the regular and post season: Click Here for NFL Picks