The Ravens, despite a humiliating loss to the Bengals at Thanksgiving, are still considered favorites by many forecasters to win AFC North and reach the playoffs.

The current standings of the divisions are:

As the Ravens and Steelers are yet to meet, the head-tohead tiebreaker is not applicable. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have the same record in their division (2-1), however, Baltimore’s record versus common opponents (6-3), puts it ahead of Pittsburgh (5-4). However, Pittsburgh is a game ahead of the Steelers in conference games, which is the fourth tiebreaker.

The NFL schedule is a great example of this: in the final five weeks of each season, both teams play the other two times as well as opponents from their divisions and conferences. The NFL schedule is designed so that both teams are in control of their own destiny. They can also choose to play each other twice, as well as common opponents from the division and both conferences.

What are the chances of success?

We’ll start with Next Gen Stats. The Ravens have a 70% chance of making the playoffs, according to their model. This is based on 10,000 simulations. Bengals are a distant second at 2%, while the Steelers are at only 29%. Although the Browns technically remain in playoff contention, their chances of making it to the postseason are less than 1%.

The Athletic’s predictive model runs 100,000 simulations. It gives the Ravens 64% of a chance to make it to the playoffs or win their division. Steelers at 30%, 29% and 6% respectively. Bengals at 6%. The Browns have fallen below 1% once again. Baltimore’s Super Bowl odds are 4%. This is the highest among all six-loss teams and ties with the Colts (who have 8-4) and 49ers (9-3), for seventh place in the league.

PFSN also simulated the remainder NFL schedule 100,000-times, but their model was significantly lower for the Ravens. The Ravens have a mere 40.5% chance to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ chances are 52.5%, and 51.9% respectively. The Bengals have odds of 8.1% for both the playoffs and their division. PFSN gives the Ravens a 1,3% chance to win the Super Bowl. They are tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for 16th place.

Here are Ravens playoff betting odds via FanDuel .

The process of oddsmaking can be a bit secretive. It is more focused on creating lines which result in maximum profit than on predicting the outcome. Sportsbooks set odds using predictive models, while also taking into account risk analysis, betting patterns and the “vig.” As a result implied probability is very different from the models described. The odds that are used by books to set their lines do not reflect the predictions of future events, but rather those they expect bettors to place. It’s all about money, as with most things!

What are your thoughts on the Ravens’ chances of making it to the playoffs? Do you think they are too high or low? Join the conversation in the comments to let us know!