NFL Playoff Picture 2018: Week 9 Standings, Wild-Card Info and Super Bowl Odds

The first-place Chicago Bears just may be on their way to playing postseason football.

That's because the Bears were victorious in Week 8 as they defeated the undermanned New York Jets and their three NFC North rivals lost. The Detroit Lions got battered at home by the Seattle Seahawks, the Green Bay Packers played well in losing on the road to the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings were beaten by double-digits at home by the New Orleans Saints.

As a result, Chicago (4-3) has a half-game lead over Minnesota (4-3-1), with Green Bay (3-3-1) in third and Detroit (3-4) in the cellar. This wide-open division is likely to change several times in the final nine weeks of the regular season, but the Bears can hold their heads high at this point.

Chicago's appearance in first place is a surprise, as is that of the Washington Redskins (5-2). The Redskins (5-2), who parted company with quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason in favor of steady Alex Smith, are one-and-a-half games ahead of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) and two games ahead of the Dallas Cowboys (3-4).

The other first-place teams in the league are going according to form.

The New Orleans Saints (6-1) are rolling in the NFC South and are coming off a convincing and satisfying 30-20 road triumph over the Vikings. The Carolina Panthers (5-2) are playing impressive football and surging, and they should have a good chance to win a wild-card spot if they can't catch and pass the Saints.

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Rams (8-0) are the NFL's best team through the first half of the season, and they are likely to have home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs if they can continue to dominate. Jared Goff and Todd Gurley form a dangerous 1-2 punch on offense, and they have perhaps the game's best defensive player in defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

The 4-3 Seahawks are playing hard each week and exceeding expectations, and they have a legitimate chance to win a wild-card spot.

The AFC side does not have any surprises at this point. The Kansas City Chiefs (7-1) have the best offense in the game with Patrick Mahomes at the controls along with explosive stars like Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce, and they have a one-and-a-half-game lead over the Los Angeles Chargers (5-2). Philip Rivers and his teammates are playing well after a slow start, and they could give the Chiefs a run if Kansas City's porous defense costs them a game or two.

The New England Patriots (5-2) are doing just what is expected. The combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady has taken command in the AFC East yet again, and it would be a shock if they were to give up the division lead at this point. They are on the road Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, and they are a 14-point favorite in that game, per OddsShark.

After a slow start, the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2-1) appear to be back on track and are in first place by percentage points ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals (5-3). Based on the way the two teams have played, the Steelers have an excellent chance to separate themselves from the rest of the division.

The Houston Texans (5-3) have won five straight after starting the season with three consecutive losses. Deshaun Watson is coming off a five-TD game and the Texans are loaded with defensive talent including J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, and the Texans are likely going to run away with the AFC South because the Jacksonville Jaguars are falling apart and the Tennessee Titans are not consistent.

Predictions

Some teams have reached the halfway point in their schedule, and those that haven't will do so by the conclusion of Week 9. Here are the predictions for the division winners and wild-card qualifiers at the conclusion of Week 17.

AFC

AFC East: New England Patriots

AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South: Houston Texans

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs

Wild cards: Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals

NFC

NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles

NFC North: Green Bay Packers

NFC South: New Orleans Saints

NFC West: Los Angeles Rams

Wild cards: Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks

Super Bowl odds

The undefeated Rams continue to roll, and they are getting quite a bit of respect from the handicappers. With the season having reached the halfway point, the Rams are +280 favorites to win the Super Bowl and hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy, per OddsShark.

The Patriots, who started the season slowly as they lost two of their first three games, are the second choice at +550, followed by the Chiefs at +600 and the Saints at +800.

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are just a .500 team at this point, and they are +2500, and so are the Ravens and Packers.

The Bears, in first place after Week 8, are plus-3300, as are the first-place Redskins. Our predictions don't indicate that either of those teams will make the playoffs, but if they do, the payoffs for a Super Bowl triumph would be huge.

Here's a look at the odds for all 32 teams to win Super Bowl LIII: 

Los Angeles Rams, +280
New England Patriots, +550
Kansas City Chiefs, +600
New Orleans Saints, +800
Minnesota Vikings, +1200
Los Angeles Chargers, +1600
Pittsburgh Steelers, +1800
Baltimore Ravens, +2500
Green Bay Packers, +2500
Philadelphia Eagles, +2500
Carolina Panthers, +2800
Houston Texans, +2800
Chicago Bears, +3300
Washington Redskins, +3300
Atlanta Falcons, +4000
Jacksonville Jaguars, +4000
Cincinnati Bengals, +4500
Dallas Cowboys, +4500
Detroit Lions, +5000
Seattle Seahawks, +5000
Tennessee Titans, +8000
Denver Broncos, +10000
Miami Dolphins, +10000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, +12500
Cleveland Browns, +15000
Indianapolis Colts, +15000
New York Jets, +15000
New York Giants, +25000
Oakland Raiders, +30000
Buffalo Bills, +40000
Arizona Cardinals, +50000
San Francisco 49ers, +50000