NFL Power Rankings: Examining Latest Super Bowl Odds Before Week 17

From the looks of the Week 17 Super Bowl odds, Las Vegas continues to have as tough a time deciding who might hoist the Lombardi Trophy as bettors themselves.

One detail sticks out about the rankings—Las Vegas loves the NFC. 

Why not? The NFC's been as competitive as ever all year long while the AFC, well, it has the AFC South. 

In all seriousness, though, neither conference looks predictable when it comes to the postseason with so many dangerous teams on both sides and favorites looking vulnerable as of late. Here's a look at power rankings and how Las Vegas feels about each team.

Week 17 NFL Power Rankings and Super Bowl Odds

Rank	Team	SB Odds
1	Arizona Cardinals	7-2
2	Carolina Panthers	5-1
3	Seattle Seahawks	15-2
4	Kansas City Chiefs	14-1
5	Pittsburgh Steelers	16-1
6	Denver Broncos	10-1
7	Minnesota Vikings	28-1
8	Washington	50-1
9	New England Patriots	7-2
10	Cincinnati Bengals	20-1
11	Green Bay Packers	16-1
12	New York Jets	28-1
13	Oakland Raiders	500-1
14	New York Giants	100-1
15	Buffalo Bills	500-1
16	Jacksonville Jaguars	500-1
17	Houston Texans	66-1
18	Indianapolis Colts	150-1
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	500-1
20	New Orleans Saints	1000-1
21	Atlanta Falcons	1000-1
22	St. Louis Rams	1000-1
23	Philadelphia Eagles	100-1
24	Detroit Lions	1000-1
25	Baltimore Ravens	100-1
26	Miami Dolphins	500-1
27	Chicago Bears	300-1
28	Dallas Cowboys	200-1
29	Tennessee Titans	750-1
30	Cleveland Browns	2000-1
31	San Diego Chargers	1000-1
32	San Francisco 49ers	1000-1

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Odds Analysis

Minnesota Vikings (28-1)

Does anybody want to play the Minnesota Vikings right now?

No would be the only correct answer. The Vikings continue to play out of their collective minds, almost upsetting the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona via a 23-20 loss in Week 14 before blowing away the Chicago Bears 38-17 and the New York Giants 49-17.

Mike Zimmer's team seems to have hit a peak at just the right time. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has six touchdowns to no picks over the team's last three games and Adrian Peterson has a pair of scores.

Zimmer certainly sees a change in his team as of late, according to the Vikings on Twitter:

The defense remains the most impressive thing about a Zimmer-led team, though, with the unit sitting on 38 sacks and ranking sixth in the league by allowing just 19.3 points per game.

A division title isn't impossible for the Vikings now, though it will take overcoming the Green Bay Packers, a team they lost to earlier this year.

Regardless, the red-hot Vikings will hit the postseason. A strong defense in place and recent great performances by key players make them one of the top teams to watch and quite the intriguing line.

Washington (50-1)

Washington is a good example of just how deep the NFC is this year. 

Despite claiming the NFC East title, Kirk Cousins and Co. sit at this interesting line after a three-game win streak.

Cousins would be the main reason for Washington's playoff berth. He's completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 3,990 yards and 26 touchdowns while leaning on a star-studded cast of pass-catchers led by DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed.

Maybe Washington's run isn't so shocking, though, when digesting a note from Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post:

It seems quite the uphill climb for Washington in the postseason, especially with the offense having to compensate for a weak defense.

That sounds like a recipe for disaster in a conference touting Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and more, but Cousins and Co. don't seem to mind long odds.

Maybe bettors shouldn't, either.

Cincinnati Bengals (20-1)

At first glance, the world seems over for the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Marvin Lewis' team might sit as AFC North champions, but it's without starting quarterback Andy Dalton, and now backup AJ McCarron has an injury, too.

Most know about it, but for those who couldn't stay up late enough, McCarron injured his wrist in overtime on Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos while trying to recover his fumbled snap that cost his team the game.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, though, it shouldn't prevent him from playing in Week 17:

Call it great news, as the Bengals can still gun for a first-round bye, which should get Dalton back in time before an elimination game.

More important, though, is the fact the Bengals even hung around with the Broncos on the road and in prime time given the presence of a backup under center. Thank the league's top scoring defense led by Geno Atkins, which allows just 17.5 points per game.

With an elite defense, Dalton possibly on his way back, Tyler Eifert for sure on his way back and other stars such as A.J. Green, the Bengals look like a great buy at the current asking price.

Stats are courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of December 30. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.