Los Angeles Rams have NFL’s best playoff odds at historic -500

Rams Open as NFL’s Heavy Favorite to Reach Playoffs, Oddsmakers Set High Bar

Less than a month before the start of the regular season, sportsbooks have installed the Los Angeles Rams as the overwhelming favorite to reach the postseason, with -500 odds to make the playoffs — the shortest of any team in football. At that price, a bettor would need to risk $500 to win $100.

According to DraftKings, the Baltimore Ravens have the next-shortest playoff odds at -375, followed by the Buffalo Bills at -350. No NFC team is close, with the Detroit Lions and reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks both sitting at -220. In the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers are listed at -150, while the Arizona Cardinals are at +2000.

The Rams’ regular-season win total is also a league-high 11.5 games, tied with the Ravens, according to DraftKings. The same sportsbook has Los Angeles as the favorite to finish with the most regular season wins in the NFL at +590, with Baltimore the only other team at shorter than 11/1 odds.

Those expectations come despite the Rams not having played a regular-season game yet. They have, however, won their first two preseason contests, including a matchup against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on August 22.

The team returns reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, along with offensive standouts Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams, who helped the Rams tie for first in EPA/Play last season. Los Angeles also made two major trades to bolster their defense, acquiring Trent McDuffie and Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.

The roster is built for a championship run, with head coach Sean McVay entering his tenth season. The Rams reached the NFC Championship Game in 2025 before being eliminated, and they finished second in the NFC West behind Seattle, who won the division and went on to win the Super Bowl.

There is also speculation that former Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald could come out of retirement and rejoin the team. A BetMGM trader, speaking anonymously, said the Rams’ odds would not change if Donald returned, citing uncertainty about what he can do at age 35.

Still, the road to a 12-win season is not easy. The Rams will play a second-place schedule in 2026, and nine of their games come against teams that made the playoffs in 2025. That level of competition, combined with the weight of expectations, makes the path to the postseason — and a deep run — a challenging one, even for a team that looks stacked on paper.