Patriots' Playoff Odds Fading After Brutal Loss

If the New England Patriots end up missing the playoffs this year, they'll have only themselves to blame.

Their frustrating 2022 season has been defined by a series of self-inflicted wounds, from Bill Belichick's disastrous coaching staff decisions to a completely unnecessary quarterback controversy to an endless barrage of uncharacteristic penalties and sloppy play. All of that culminated during a devastating Week 15 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, who erased New England's second-half comeback by picking off a dumbfounding lateral on the game's final play and returning it for a touchdown.

The humiliating 30-24 defeat dropped the Patriots to 7-7 on the season, significantly harming their postseason chances in the process.

New England Patriots Playoff Odds

Heading into Week 16, New England is a +430 longshot to make the playoffs and has -670 odds of missing the playoffs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds.

The Patriots have an extremely difficult remaining schedule, which makes their narrow path to the postseason even tougher. Their final three games are against the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, all of whom would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

New England will need to win at least two of those games to have a chance at the playoffs, and potentially all three. That's a daunting task for a team that has lost three of its last four games and is 0-2 against Miami and Buffalo this year.

The Patriots will try to get back on track against the Bengals when the defending AFC champs come to Foxborough on Christmas Eve. New England is currently listed as a 3-point home underdog on FanDuel Sportsbook's Week 16 odds.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.