With the 2025 NFL season at its midpoint, our analysts update their preseason predictions for the full 14-team playoff field.
Participating analysts: Keegan Abdoo, Michael Baca, Mike Band, Judy Battista, Jeremy Bergman, Tom Blair, David Carr, Brooke Cersosimo, Jeffri Chadiha, Eric Edholm, Gennaro Filice, Michael F. Florio, Christian Gonzales, Grant Gordon, Anthony Holzman-Escareno, Maurice Jones-Drew, Dante Koplowitz-Fleming, Bobby Kownack, Matt Okada, Dan Parr, Kevin Patra, Chad Reuter, Marc Ross, Nick Shook, Lance Zierlein.
NOTE: Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
AFC EAST CHAMPS
(22 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Band, Battista, Bergman, Carr, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Edholm, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Gordon, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Parr, Patra, Reuter, Shook, Zierlein)
2) New England Patriots, 7-2 (+135): | 3 votes: Blair, Okada, Ross.
AFC NORTH CHAMPS
(22 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Band, Bergman, Blair, Carr, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Edholm, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Gordon, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Okada, Parr, Patra, Ross, Shook)
2) Pittsburgh Steelers, 5-3 (+135) | 3 votes: Battista, Reuter, Zierlein.
AFC SOUTH CHAMPS
(23 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Band, Battista, Blair, Carr, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Edholm, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Okada, Parr, Patra, Reuter, Ross, Shook, Zierlein)
2) Jacksonville Jaguars, 5-3 (+310) | 2 votes: Bergman, Gordon.
AFC WEST CHAMPS
(16 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Battista, Carr, Cersosimo, Edholm, Gonzales, Gordon, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Koplowitz-Fleming, Okada, Parr, Reuter, Shook, Zierlein)
2) Denver Broncos, 7-2 (+105) | 9 votes: Band, Bergman, Blair, Chadiha, Filice, Florio, Kownack, Patra, Ross.
AFC WILD CARD TEAMS
We asked voters to pick the three wild-card teams from each conference, ranking their picks from 1 to 3 based on where they project the squads to land in the pecking order. Here are the vote totals for the AFC:
1) New England Patriots, 7-2 (57 points)
- Fifth seed (15 votes): Abdoo, Band, Bergman, Carr, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Filice, Florio, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Kownack, Parr, Patra, Reuter, Shook.
- Sixth seed (6 votes): Baca, Battista, Edholm, Gonzales, Koplowitz-Fleming, Zierlein.
2) Denver Broncos, 7-2 (37 points)
- Fifth seed (7 votes): Baca, Battista, Edholm, Gonzales, Gordon, Koplowitz-Fleming, Zierlein.
- Sixth seed (7 votes): Abdoo, Cersosimo, Holzman-Escareno, Okada, Parr, Reuter, Shook.
- Seventh seed (2 votes): Carr, Jones-Drew.
3) Kansas City Chiefs, 5-4 (18 points)
- Fifth seed (1 vote): Ross.
- Sixth seed (7 votes): Band, Bergman, Blair, Chadiha, Filice, Florio, Kownack.
- Seventh seed (1 vote): Patra.
4) Los Angeles Chargers, 6-3 (14 points)
- Sixth seed (2 votes): Gordon, Patra.
- Seventh seed (10 votes): Blair, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Holzman-Escareno, Kownack, Ross, Zierlein.
5) Pittsburgh Steelers, 5-3 (12 points)
- Sixth seed (2 votes): Carr, Jones-Drew.
- Seventh seed (8 votes): Baca, Band, Edholm, Gordon, Koplowitz-Fleming, Okada, Parr, Shook.
6) Buffalo Bills, 6-2 (8 points)
- Fifth seed (2 votes): Blair, Okada.
- Sixth seed (1 vote): Ross.
7) Jacksonville Jaguars, 5-3 (2 points)
- Seventh seed (2 votes): Abdoo, Reuter.
T-8) Baltimore Ravens, 3-5 (1 point)
- Seventh seed (1 vote): Battista.
T-8) Indianapolis Colts, 7-2 (1 point)
- Seventh seed (1 vote): Bergman.
NFC EAST CHAMPS
UNANIMOUS VOTE
NFC NORTH CHAMPS
(17 votes: Battista, Bergman, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Edholm, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Gordon, Jones-Drew, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Okada, Parr, Patra, Shook, Zierlein)
2) Green Bay Packers, 5-2-1 (+100) | 8 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Band, Blair, Carr, Holzman-Escareno, Reuter, Ross.
NFC SOUTH CHAMPS
(24 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Band, Battista, Bergman, Blair, Carr, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Edholm, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Gordon, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Parr, Patra, Reuter, Ross, Shook, Zierlein)
2) Carolina Panthers, 5-4 (+700) | 1 vote: Okada.
NFC WEST CHAMPS
(15 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Battista, Bergman, Blair, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Okada, Parr, Patra, Reuter, Ross)
2) Seattle Seahawks, 6-2 (+150) | 9 votes: Band, Carr, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Edholm, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Shook, Zierlein.
3) San Francisco 49ers, 6-3 (+360) | 1 vote: Gordon.
NFC WILD CARD TEAMS
1) Seattle Seahawks, 6-2 (43 points)
- Fifth seed (12 votes): Abdoo, Baca, Battista, Blair, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Okada, Parr, Patra.
- Sixth seed (3 votes): Bergman, Reuter, Ross.
- Seventh seed (1 vote): Gordon.
2) Green Bay Packers, 5-2-1 (32 points)
- Fifth seed (2 votes): Bergman, Chadiha.
- Sixth seed (12 votes): Battista, Cersosimo, Filice, Florio, Gonzales, Gordon, Koplowitz-Fleming, Okada, Parr, Patra, Shook, Zierlein.
- Seventh seed (2 votes): Edholm, Jones-Drew.
3) Los Angeles Rams, 6-2 (29 points)
- Fifth seed (9 votes): Band, Carr, Cersosimo, Edholm, Gordon, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Shook, Zierlein.
- Sixth seed (1 vote): Chadiha.
4) San Francisco 49ers, 6-3 (19 points)
- Sixth seed (3 votes): Edholm, Jones-Drew, Kownack.
- Seventh seed (13 votes): Abdoo, Baca, Band, Battista, Blair, Cersosimo, Florio, Koplowitz-Fleming, Okada, Parr, Reuter, Ross, Shook.
5) Detroit Lions, 5-3 (18 points)
- Fifth seed (2 votes): Reuter, Ross.
- Sixth seed (6 votes): Abdoo, Baca, Band, Blair, Carr, Holzman-Escareno.
6) Chicago Bears, 5-3 (7 points)
- Seventh seed (7 votes): Bergman, Carr, Chadiha, Filice, Gonzales, Holzman-Escareno, Zierlein.
T-7) Carolina Panthers, 5-4 (1 point)
- Seventh seed (1 vote): Patra.
T-7) Minnesota Vikings, 4-4 (1 point)
- Seventh seed (1 vote): Kownack.
