Betting Odds and Prediction for Whether Washington Makes the 2020 NFL Playoffs

You can get a pretty good idea as to what to expect of the 2020 Washington Redskins by looking at their win total wager for this season.

Usually, when the best NFL betting sites set your win over/under at 5.5 games, things aren’t looking great. It isn’t any better when you’re rolling into the new year with a new regime in place, have an unsettled quarterback situation, and finished 3-13 the year prior.

By all accounts, the Redskins are the rebuilding project they look like. Rivera has a track record of winning at a high level, while his teams have largely been competitive, at worst.

Will the Redskins make the playoffs in 2020? That’s the big question, as Rivera’s defensive pedigree and the addition of #2 overall pick Chase Young offer optimism going into the new year.

If you’re looking to bet on the Redskins, take a look at their odds to make the playoffs this year, and join me as I gauge their chances of making a run.

As you can see, the top football sportsbooks don’t view the Redskins as a threat to do much in 2020. They have some of the worst odds to win the NFC East in 2020, while betting on the Redskins to win Super Bowl 55 feels like a pipedream.

That may be an understatement when you look at these odds for the Redskins to make the playoffs, but the upside for the “yes” side is obviously insane.

Washington does have the luxury of operating out of the NFC East, where nobody finished better than 9-7 in 2019. The Eagles and Cowboys are viewed as the top threats, however, so the Redskins may use a week one battle with Philly as a measuring stick.

The odds demand we at least consider betting on the Redskins here, but is it actually a viable wager in 2020?

Defensively, the Redskins weren’t good in 2019, but there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll be better. Ron Rivera’s defenses tend to be good-to-great, while defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is also a helping hand.

Looking at the talent on that side of the ball, the Redskins aren’t in terrible shape. Landon Collins is a solid last line of defense, while the team’s pass rush was already competent thanks to Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat.

Throw in a phenom edge rusher like Chase Young, and the Redskins got a good stew going.

Josh Norman’s departure is almost addition by subtraction, too, while a scheme change (4-3) and the upgrade in coaching could work wonders.

On offense, the Redskins have a solid stable of running backs and some electrifying talent at wide receiver. If Dwayne Haskins can continue showing growth and take advantage of these weapons, Washington could be better than expected.

The NFC getting a seventh playoff spot opens the door for one lucky team. Could the Redskins be the team that sneaks in when it otherwise probably wouldn’t?

For +625 odds at BetOnline, they’re worth a look. Rivera demands the interest, while there is upside on both sides of the ball. But this team is probably two years from doing serious damage, and the jury is still very much out on Haskins.

Until you can trust the quarterback, it’s awfully tough to project the Redskins leap-frogging the Eagles and/or Cowboys. To make the playoffs this year, that’s precisely what they’d need to do, but they’re simply not ready to get it done.