2015 NFL Oddsmakers: Raiders' Playoff Hopes Dim Heading Into Week 6 Bye

By Abraham Gutierrez

If the 2015 NFL playoffs started today, the Oakland Raiders would miss the postseason for a 13th straight year. That's because with a record of 2-3 heading into the (Week 6) bye, Raider Nation would have to settle for ninth place in the American Football Conference standings.

But, pretend for a moment this team is able to figure things out and somehow makes things interesting – either in the AFC West or as an AFC Wild Card. How profitable would it be to bet on the Raiders' chances to defy NFL oddsmakers by sneaking into the 2015 NFL playoffs for the first time since 2002?

Coming as no surprise given the way Jack Del Rio's team stacks up in this ultra-competitive conference, the answer to the issue in question is a resounding "cha-ching!" Prior to the start of the season, NFL oddsmakers took the time to create 2015 NFL playoff betting odds for all 32 teams in the National Football League, and naturally, no one gave this young team a chance.

According to NFL betting experts, the Raiders' chances to compete in the most exciting tournament in sports ranks a whopping 31st worst in the league. With -2000 odds to finish outside the bracket – and a lucrative +900 line to prove NFL oddsmakers wrong – Oaktown entered the season as the second best low-risk, high-reward investment behind the Titans (Yes +1000 vs. No -2500).

Those thinking that discussing "Raiders" and "playoffs" in the same sentence is completely ridiculous should perhaps take a moment to consider the current state of the AFC West. For starters, the Denver Broncos are the only team with a winning record in the division (pending the result of the Monday night game between Pittsburgh and San Diego), as Peyton Manning & Co. have gotten off to a perfect 5-0 start.

However, every bettor in America – including everyone in the Broncos' locker room – knows that Denver's record couldn't possibly be more misleading. In fact, the possibility that one of the three others teams in the AFC West could rally to dethrone Gary Kubiak's squad in the latter part of the year isn't completely out of the question all of the sudden.

Furthermore, based on the way the first five weeks of the season have played out, the Raiders certainly appear to be one of the best-equipped teams to pull off this unlikely feat. Heading into their Week 6 bye, the Broncos lead the way at 5-0, followed by the 2-2 Chargers, the 2-3 Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs are bringing up the rear with a 1-4 mark.

Want to know what each team's chances are to make it to the 2015 NFL playoffs? The following list contains 31 of the 32 teams in the league, as apparently, NFL oddsmakers didn't feel the need to even contemplate the defending champion's NFL playoff chances even just for kicks.

Seattle Seahawks

Yes -800
No +500

Indianapolis Colts

Yes -600
No +400

Green Bay Packers

Yes -550
No +375

Denver Broncos

Yes -300
No +240

Dallas Cowboys

Yes -175
No +145

Philadelphia Eagles

Yes -150
No +120

Baltimore Ravens

Yes -130
No EVEN

Pittsburgh Steelers

Yes -130
No EVEN

Cincinnati Bengals

Yes EVEN
No -130

Kansas City Chiefs

Yes +120
No -150

Miami Dolphins

Yes +120
No -150

New Orleans Saints

Yes +130
No -160

Atlanta Falcons

Yes +135
No -165

Arizona Cardinals

Yes +145
No -175

Carolina Panthers

Yes +145
No -175

Houston Texans

Yes +150
No -180

Detroit Lions

Yes +155
No -190

San Diego Chargers

Yes +160
No -200

Buffalo Bills

Yes +175
No -215

New York Giants

Yes +175
No -215

Minnesota Vikings

Yes +225
No -285

St. Louis Rams

Yes +250
No -325

New York Jets

Yes +350
No -500

San Francisco 49ers

Yes +400
No -600

Chicago Bears

Yes +500
No -800

Cleveland Browns

Yes +500
No -800

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yes +500
No -800

Washington Redskins

Yes +700
No -1400

Jacksonville Jaguars

Yes +800
No -1600

Oakland Raiders

Yes +900
No -2000

Tennessee Titans

Yes +1000
No -2500

Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, aExaminer.com and other online publications.

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