Welcome to the Inside the Lines Model

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Smarter game analysis, predictive playoff brackets, insightful power rankings, and more - all updated daily and always free.

• NFL Power Rankings
• AFC & NFC Playoff Pictures: Race to X Wins
  
• Projections for all four CFP First Round games
• Projected College Football Playoff
  
• Colts Playoff Chances
  
• Possible Super Bowl Matchups
  

[Dec 9, 2025 at 2:41 pm ET · Inside the Lines Team]

Using our model simulations, we can project the percent chance of every possible Super Bowl matchup. Seattle and New England emerge as the most likely conference champions, and in a projected Seahawks–Patriots Super Bowl, our model gives Seattle a 59.9% chance to win. A few teams that just missed the cut but still maintain relatively strong chances include Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Houston.

Inside the Lines team

[Dec 9, 2025 at 12:25 pm ET · Inside the Lines Team]

Ranking all 32 NFL teams based on Neutral Win% — a simulation that assumes every team plays every other team on a neutral field, fully healthy, in February.

Inside the Lines team

[Dec 8, 2025 at 2:24 pm ET · Inside the Lines Team]

Inside the Lines' model has all four home teams advancing, including Oklahoma despite being a 1.5-point underdog. The simulations also project 12-seed JMU to cover as a +21.5 underdog, while Texas A&M (-3.5) and Ole Miss (-16.5) are both expected to cover as home favorites.

Inside the Lines team

[Dec 8, 2025 at 1:55 pm ET · Inside the Lines Team]

With the CFP bracket officially set, Inside the Lines has run full simulations across every game and every round to project this year's National Champion. Our model gives Georgia, the No. 3 seed, the most favorable path to the title. In the final, we project the Bulldogs as 5-point favorites over Indiana.

Inside the Lines team

[Dec 4, 2025 at 5:46 pm ET · Inside the Lines Team]

Inside the Lines immediately spotted value in the Colts the moment they signed Daniel Jones, projecting their playoff chances at 41.4%. They smashed early expectations with a 7–1 start that pushed their playoff odds to 98.2%. But after dropping 4 of their last 5, Indy has slid back to 58.6%. Here's a look at the Colts' week-to-week playoff odds — and how the Week 14 loss impacted their postseason chances.

[Dec 2, 2025 at 11:52 am ET · Inside the Lines Team]

AFC Race to 10 Wins

In a jam-packed AFC, our model projects 10 wins as the key number to lock down a Wild Card spot. Below is each bubble team's percentage chance to reach the playoffs with 10 wins — and what happens if they fall short.

NFC Race to 11 Wins

In the NFC, we project 11 wins to be necessary for a Wild Card Spot. Notable teams that we give less than a 50% chance to reach that mark but could still make the playoffs by winning their division include: Buccaneers, Lions, Cowboys, and Panthers.