Arizona Cardinals Playoff Chances Hang on Sunday’s Showdown with Seattle

Last week, the Arizona Cardinals had about a 1/5 chance of making the NFL playoffs, but two wins in 11 days will change those odds dramatically, and now, with a 3-3 record, heading into the Sunday Night Football showdown with the Seattle Seahawks the Arizona Cardinals are in a much better spot.

Sitting at 3-3, the Cardinals have a 37% chance to make the NFL playoffs.

The catch is this though, a loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, means the Cardinals playoff chances plummet, all the way down to 19%. Even if they were to then beat Carolina in Carolina, they only have a 30% to make the playoffs at 4-4 heading into the bye week with eight games remaining.

Meanwhile, a win against the Seahawks puts the Cardinals at a very solid, especially considering their start, 4-3, with a 47% chance at making the playoffs. Taking a 4-3 record on the road against a scuffling Carolina Panthers, whose playoff odds sit at 1% right now, would give the Cardinals a chance to finish 5-3 heading into the bye week. At 5-3, the Cardinals sit at a much more enviable 63%.

(Note, this playoff chart is more recent via fivethirtyeight.com)

Right now, the Arizona Cardinals are on the outside looking in at the NFL playoffs, sitting at the nine spot, slightly ahead of the Detroit Lions (10) and New York Giants (11). They sit behind fellow NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams (8) and the Philadelphia Eagles (7).

The six NFC playoff teams as of now:

Minnesota Vikings (1) 5-0 (90% chance to make playoffs)
Dallas Cowboys (2) 5-1 (81% chance to make playoffs)
Seattle Seahawks (3) 4-1 (81%)
Atlanta Falcons (4) 4-2 (60%)
Washington Redskins (5) 4-2 (60%)
Green Bay Packers (6) 3-2 (48%)

The Arizona Cardinals playoff push starts this weekend. They can either be a coin flip from the playoffs, or have less than 1/5 of a chance at making the playoffs, to say this game looms large is an understatement.