NFL Playoff Picture 2015: Week 10 Standings, Super Bowl Odds and Wild-Card Hunt

The New England Patriots are right back at the top of the AFC East, and they are in an outstanding position to defend the Super Bowl championship they won a year ago.

They have rolled through the first half of the season with a powerful and diverse offense and are a perfect 8-0 through the first half of the season.

However, as well as the Patriots have played, they are not the only undefeated team as all teams have played at least eight games. In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers are also 8-0, while the Cincinnati Bengals have given notice that they will challenge the Patriots as they are also undefeated through eight games.

Three undefeated teams through the first half of the season is a shocking development.

While the Patriots are 11-5 favorites to win Super Bowl 50 in February, the Panthers and Bengals are not given as much respect by the line-makers at Vegas Insider.

The Panthers are listed at 10-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Bengals are 12-1. Those two teams are the fourth and fifth choices to win the title. The Green Bay Packers, who have lost their last two games after getting off to a 6-0 start, are considered the second choice at 17-2, while the Arizona Cardinals (6-2) are right behind the Packers at 9-1.

While many expected the Patriots to be a motivated and offensively explosive team this year based on the Deflategate controversy and the talent level they put on the field, few expected the Bengals and Panthers to match their record.

Team	Odds
New England Patriots	11-5
Green Bay Packers	17-2
Arizona Cardinals	9-1
Carolina Panthers	10-1
Cincinnati Bengals	12-1
Denver Broncos	12-1
Seattle Seahawks	15-1
Minnesota Vikings	20-1
New York Giants	22-1
Indianapolis Colts	25-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	28-1
Philadelphia Eagles	30-1
St. Louis Rams	40-1
Atlanta Falcons	50-1
New York Jets	60-1
Dallas Cowboys	80-1
Oakland Raiders	80-1
Buffalo Bills	100-1
Houston Texans	125-1
Kansas City Chiefs	150-1
New Orleans Saints	150-1
Miami Dolphins	200-1
Tennessee Titans	250-1
Washington Redskins	300-1
Jacksonville Jaguars	350-1
Baltimore Ravens	500-1
Chicago Bears	500-1
San Diego Chargers	500-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	600-1
San Francisco 49ers	1,000-1
Cleveland Browns	2,000-1
Detroit Lions	2,000-1

Cincinnati has been considered a talented team for several years, and they have been to the playoffs the last four seasons. However, the combination of head coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Andy Dalton have lost out in the Wild Card Game every time, and no matter how the Bengals conclude the regular season, many fans won't believe in them until they can string postseason wins together.

The Panthers won a very poor NFC South division a year ago, based on a regular-season-ending four-game winning streak that allowed them to finish with a 7-8-1 record. They have turned things around dramatically this season.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Newton (1,820 passing yards, 343 rushing yards, 19 combined TDs) is not a classic dropback quarterback, but his ability to use his athleticism and make plays on the run have made him a dangerous player when the game is on the line.

The defense has also been powerful, because linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are two of the league's hardest hitters (120 combined tackles), and cornerback Josh Norman (17 passes defensed, four interceptions, two returned for touchdowns) has emerged as a game-changing playmaker.

The Denver Broncos lost their first game of the season when they dropped a Week 9 game at Indianapolis, but oddsmakers and fans are dubious about their chances of lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the season's conclusion. The Broncos, listed at 12-1 odds by Vegas Insider, have the league's No. 1 defense as they rank first in yards allowed, passing yards allowed and fewest points given up in the NFL.

However, they have struggled to get the job done on offense (22nd in yards gained), as future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning has not been the passer fans are used to seeing. Just two years after compiling a 55-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio, those same figures are nine-to-13 this year.

Manning looked sharp in a Week 8 victory over Green Bay in which he completed 21-of-29 passes and threw for 340 yards, but he has failed to meet those standards in nearly every other game.

A look at the NFL standings reveals that just 11 of the 32 teams have winning records, and none of those teams reside in the AFC South. The Indianapolis Colts, who made it to the AFC Championship Game a year ago, are in first place with a 4-5 record and are listed at 25-1 to win the Super Bowl.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks, who were a play away from winning their second consecutive Super Bowl last February, have gotten off to a slow start and are just 4-4 through the midway point of the season.

While Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch have not dominated to this point, they still have a powerful defense and could rally in the second half of the year. The Seahawks are listed at 15-1 odds to win the Super Bowl this season.

The Patriots, Bengals, Colts and Broncos all seem likely to win their division titles in the AFC, while the wild-card battle should come down to the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4), New York Jets (5-3), Buffalo Bills (4-4) and the surprising Oakland Raiders (4-4).

The NFC appears to be far more wide-open. The Panthers are running away with the NFC South, but the NFC East should be a dogfight between the Giants (5-4) and Philadelphia Eagles (4-4). The Packers and Minnesota Vikings are tied for the lead in the NFC North with 6-2 records, and the team that falls short is likely to be a wild-card team.

The Arizona Cardinals are 6-2 and have looked solid, but the Seahawks (4-4) and St. Louis Rams (4-4) may be good enough to make a charge in the second half of the season.