2024 NFL Power Rankings Entering Week 10
The ninth week of the NFL season is in the books, so it's time to dive in to our NFL Power Rankings -- which are powered by numberFire's nERD-based rankings -- as we look ahead to Week 10.
It was an interesting week for the NFC West. We've come to know this division as the San Francisco 49ers' (4-4) to lose, with the Seattle Seahawks (3-4) initially serving as a periphery threat. Well, while the Niners were on bye, the Los Angeles Rams (4-4) beat Seattle by a score of 26-20 and moved to second in the division. The Rams now own +225 playoff odds and things are looking up with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua both back.
Another trending NFC North group? The Arizona Cardinals (5-4). When the Cardinals got sledgehammered by the Washington Commanders in Week 4, it seemed as if we would get the Arizona team of yore this season. Instead, the Cards have won four of their last five games and sit atop a division they theoretically have no business winning. Arizona's playoff odds sit at +122.
While the AFC playoff race is looking somewhat clear-cut, the NFC is a total mishmash of underperforming and overperforming teams. Let's check out where everything stands entering Week 10.
All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.
NFL Power Rankings (Week 10)
Teams Ranked 32nd to 23rd
It's safe to say the Dallas Cowboys (3-5) are dead in the water. They've lost three straight games and their upcoming schedule is as follows: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, vs. Houston Texans, at Washington, vs. New York Giants, and vs. Cincinnati Bengals. They'll have to play at least some of those games without Dak Prescott, who is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a hamstring injury. Add in a cutthroat NFC, and it's no wonder why numberFire hands the 'boys just a 1.6% chance at making the postseason. Trading for Jonathan Mingo is a mere drop in the bucket.
The Miami Dolphins' offense has been reinvigorated with the return of Tua Tagovailoa. After posting 15 or fewer points in five straight games, the Fins have put 27 points on the board in back-to-back contests. Unfortunately for them, neither of those games resulted in a dub and they move to 2-6 on the year. Has time officially run out for the Dolphins? numberFire has their playoff chances at just 2.1%, though they will encounter the second-easiest schedule from here on out (per Tankathon).
Arizona's 23rd ranking proves we shouldn't be high on this team. With that said, the current NFC West leaders have the third-easiest remaining strength of schedule, including weeks against the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers.
Teams Ranked 22nd to 13th
Arguably the two biggest losers of Week 9? The Chicago Bears (4-4) and New Orleans Saints (2-7). Getting walked-off via a head-turning hail mary wasn't enough misery for the Bears, so they went in and got walloped by the Cardinals by a score of 29-9. With the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings sharing their division, the once-hopeful Bears are nearly out of reach from playoff contention, hoisting just a 6.5% probability per numberFire.
The Saints were sputtering heading into Week 9, but their was reason to believe they could rebound with Derek Carr back in the fold and a cushy date with the Panthers awaiting. Instead, New Orleans (2-7) lost their seventh straight game and Chris Olave sustained his second concussion of the season. Injuries to Carr, Olave, and Rashid Shaheed certainly derailed their season, but the Saints serve as a perfect example for why we shouldn't get too high on teams who manage a red-hot start. See you next year, New Orleans.
The Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) have been testing our faith all season long. Despite numberFire granting them just an 18.3% playoff chance, their playoff odds currently sit at -114 (53.3% implied probability). Joe Burrow's get to 10 wins mantra looks possible with a remaining winnable schedule that includes the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and Cowboys. They'll also face the Denver Broncos and have a pair of games against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, their biggest test of the season will come this Thursday night when they storm into Baltimore Ravens territory. The Ravens are favored by 6.5 points, but a road victory against one of the scarier teams in the league and a division rival would be the perfect kickstarter for Cincinnati's late-season playoff run.
Teams Ranked 12th to 1st
Injuries to the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) have helped the Atlanta Falcons (6-3) secure -1000 NFC South odds. Only the Kansas City Chiefs (-1900) and Buffalo Bills (-4000) have shorter odds to win their respective division. To add, the Falcons have the sixth-easiest remaining strength of schedule, so it's looking like Kirk Cousins and company will coast into the postseason.
The Green Bay Packers (6-3) dropped their division rivalry game to the Detroit Lions (7-1) this past weekend. Although Green Bay's +850 NFC North odds are a tad out of reach, they still have -250 odds to make the playoffs and are one of three NFC North groups to own -250 odds or shorter in this market. They, along with the Browns, Seahawks, and Las Vegas Raiders, will be on bye this week.
The Washington Commanders (7-2) continue to churn out wins though the Eagles (6-2) have shorter NFC East odds (-145) than Washington (+125). These teams will meet up for the first time of the year for Week 11's TNF game. If you're into backing Jayden Daniels in primetime, now might be a good time to check out Washington's division odds.
The Lions, Bills, and Ravens check in as the top-three teams for this week's power rankings. Even still, the Kansas City Chiefs (8-0) extended their undefeated record in last night's overtime victory against the Bucs.
Despite the worst of injury luck, Kansas City continues to find a way to win games and acquire new assets. Kareem Hunt and DeAndre Hopkins -- neither of whom were on the team heading into Week 3 -- served as the main offensive forces last night. On top of that, Isiah Pacheco is targeting a return later this month. The Chiefs are 8.5-point home favorites against the Broncos this weekend. Then, in Week 11, they'll storm into Buffalo for what is sure to be one of the most highly-anticipated games of the season. If they manage to win over Denver and get past Buffalo on the road, an undefeated season doesn't seem so out of reach.
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