NFL Power Rankings: Week 13 Super Bowl Odds, Standings and Playoff Projections

This might not come as a shock going into Week 13, but Las Vegas really likes the idea of the Arizona Cardinals or Carolina Panthers playing in the Super Bowl.

For shame they cannot encounter one another with the Lombardi Trophy on the line. Not to disrespect the AFC, of course, but it's just been one of those years with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck hurt, Pittsburgh and Baltimore ravaged by injuries and the rest of the conference self-cannibalizing itself.

Regardless, more than a month of action remains to determine the postseason. Here's a look at power rankings, playoff projections and more.

Week 13 NFL Power Rankings and 2015-16 Super Bowl Odds

Rank	Team	SB Odds
1	Carolina Panthers	15-4
2	Arizona Cardinals	13-2
3	Cincinnati Bengals	12-1
4	Denver Broncos	8-1
5	New England Patriots	33-10
6	Seattle Seahawks	12-1
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	16-1
8	Green Bay Packers	12-1
9	Minnesota Vikings	14-1
10	Indianapolis Colts	33-1
11	Washington	66-1
12	Oakland Raiders	100-1
13	New York Giants	33-1
14	Atlanta Falcons	100-1
15	Houston Texans	66-1
16	New York Jets	100-1
17	Kansas City Chiefs	22-1
18	Buffalo Bills	300-1
19	Miami Dolphins	500-1
20	Chicago Bears	75-1
21	Detroit Lions	300-1
22	Jacksonville Jaguars	500-1
23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	150-1
24	Dallas Cowboys	150-1
25	Philadelphia Eagles	150-1
26	St. Louis Rams	500-1
27	Tennessee Titans	750-1
28	San Francisco 49ers	1000-1
29	San Diego Chargers	1000-1
30	Baltimore Ravens	1000-1
31	New Orleans Saints	500-1
32	Cleveland Browns	2000-1

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Playoff Standings and Projections

AFC	W	L
NFC	W	L
New England Patriots	10	1
Cincinnati Bengals	9	2
Denver Broncos	9	2
Indianapolis Colts	6	5
Kansas City Chiefs	6	5
Houston Texans	6	5
New York Jets	6	5
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	5
Oakland Raiders	5	6
Buffalo Bills	5	6
Jacksonville Jaguars	4	7
Baltimore Ravens	4	7
Miami Dolphins	4	7
San Diego Chargers	3	8
Cleveland Browns	2	9
Tennessee Titans	2	9
Carolina Panthers	11	0
Arizona Cardinals	9	2
Minnesota Vikings	8	3
Washington Redskins	5	6
Green Bay Packers	7	4
Seattle Seahawks	6	5
Atlanta Falcons	6	5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	6
New York Giants	5	6
Chicago Bears	5	6
St. Louis Rams	4	7
Detroit Lions	4	7
Philadelphia Eagles	4	7
New Orleans Saints	4	7
San Francisco 49ers	3	8
Dallas Cowboys	3	8

Odds Analysis

Don't Count Them Out: Pittsburgh Steelers 

The Pittsburgh Steelers received a mention in the intro, not only because the team lost Le'Veon Bell this year, but because quarterback Ben Roethlisberger continues to fly in and out of the lineup with issues.

Most recently, Big Ben entered concussion protocol. Coach Mike Tomlin revealed the news early this week, according to Bob Labriola of Steelers.com:

Given the development, Pittsburgh might not have Big Ben under center for an encounter with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13. That sounds like a big deal, but remember the Colts received a mention in the intro as well, thanks to the injury to Luck.

Look, Pittsburgh enters this week off a loss to Seattle, but it sits at 6-5 with the Cincinnati Bengals leading the way in the division at 9-2. But Pittsburgh gets another shot at those Bengals in Week 14—the first matchup just a 16-10 decision in favor of Cincinnati.

Each of Pittsburgh's five remaining games—including cupcakes against Baltimore and Cleveland—come against AFC opponents. That's huge for the Steelers in the woeful AFC, where Pittsburgh already sits in the driver's seat for a wild-card spot given its record.

Forget About It: New York Jets

The New York Jets tout the same record as the Steelers. 

Great, but the outlook isn't as positive.

These Jets have lost four of their last six, with the two triumphs coming against four-win Jacksonville and Miami. The rest of the slate doesn't look as kind, especially with two AFC East rematches against teams the Jets already lost to earlier this season: Buffalo and New England.

To make matters worse, the Jets have to take on the playoff-hungry New York Giants in Week 13. Those Giants are quite dangerous with Odell Beckham Jr. and others—terrible timing given the fact corner Darrelle Revis remains in concussion protocol, as coach Todd Bowles told NFL Network's Kimberly Jones:

New York just hasn't done enough this season to earn a bettor's trust, with arguably the best win of the season coming in Week 2 on the road against the Colts, but if season-long injury rumblings surrounding Luck stand true, even that achievement takes a hit.

The Jets aren't a bad team by any means, but they have yet to prove themselves game against elite competition. With teams like Pittsburgh in the running, a wild card seems unlikely.

Buy In Now: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What, afraid of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and rookie quarterback Jameis Winston? 

Don't be. The Buccaneers may have taken a loss at the hands of Indianapolis last week but at 5-6, the team has a serious shot of taking second place in the NFC South and securing a wild card in the process.

Winston has done nothing short of improve as the season has continued, throwing six touchdowns to one pick over his last two games. ESPN Stats & Info provided a season-long perspective:

Impressive, but perhaps more encouraging is the end-of-season stretch.

The Buccaneers get divisional matchups against Atlanta and New Orleans in the coming weeks—teams they've already felled once this season. Then it's four-win St. Louis and a middling Chicago team before a game against the Panthers, which as a divisional battle in which Carolina may have already secured a bye, looks quite winnable.

It would be foolish to suggest the Buccaneers win out, but passing up the careening Falcons, losers of four in a row, almost looks like a sure thing. From there, it's a matter of fending off other wild-card contestants, which doesn't look difficult given the degree of difficulty in other divisions.

The Buccaneers might have it easy in the NFC South. Regardless, it's a positive for bettors on the hunt for value, not a negative.

Stats are courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of December 2. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.