Update: The Bills have clinched a playoff spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars loss to the Tennessee Titans. They will either win the AFC East against the Miami Dolphins and earn the No. 2 seed or lose and be the No. 7 seed and face the Dolphins in a rematch next week.
If you are a Bills fan, you’ll have a few games you’ll be paying attention to as they look to improve their chances of a playoff berth. Buffalo has not yet clinched a playoff spot, but there are several ways that they can secure that coveted postseason berth as we head into Week 18.
Bills vs. Dolphins
Let’s start with the obvious — with a win over the Dolphins, the Bills are in the playoffs. Buffalo controls their destiny, but this won’t be a walk in the park as they face a Miami team that is directly competing for the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The Bills enter as 3-point road favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. With the win, the Bills would secure the second seed.
However, if Buffalo loses, there are still a few ways they can qualify for the postseason.
Steelers vs. Ravens
If the Bills lose but the Steelers either lose to or tie with the Ravens, Buffalo is still in the playoffs. In this scenario, the Bills would drop to the No. 6 seed in the AFC. The Steelers are 4-point favorites, and we can expect the Ravens to rest some starters this week.
Result: Steelers beat the Ravens 17-10. The Bills still have a shot at the playoffs if they lose this week, but they just lost one option.
Jaguars vs. Titans
Similarly, if the Jaguars lose to or tie with the Titans, the Bills would earn the sixth seed. Jacksonville is a 5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Texans vs. Colts
If all of the above fails, the Bills have one last chance to reach the playoffs with an Indianapolis-Houston tie. The Colts are 1-point favorites. If both the Colts and the Jaguars win, the Bills drop to the seventh seed.