NFL Week 9 Rankings + Projections Update: Panthers, Seahawks & Bears Charging

November 1, 2018 - by Seth Trachtman

NFL Week 9 Rankings and Projections

In this post we highlight our biggest NFL Week 9 rankings and predictions changes, after a week that featured big wins by the Panthers, Seahawks, and Bears.

Want to maximize your edge in pools and betting this week? Our NFL survivor picks, NFL pick’em pool picks, and NFL betting picks are all posted for NFL Week 9.

NFL Week 9 Rankings Updates

Here are the biggest increases in team predictive rating heading into Week 9. Our predictive ratings are measured in points, with a 0.0 rating equivalent to a “perfectly average” team on a neutral field:

Team	Division	Old Rank	New Rank	Old Rating	Rating	Rating Change
Carolina	NFC South	11	9	1.4	2.3	0.9
Seattle	NFC West	10	8	1.5	2.3	0.8
Indianapolis	AFC South	22	20	-1.8	-1.0	0.8
New Orleans	NFC South	4	3	5.2	5.8	0.6
Houston	AFC South	15	14	0.3	0.9	0.6

The Panthers had another boost after a 36-21 win vs. Ravens. The game was a pick’em at Carolina, according to our predictive ratings, but it stands as another big win by Cam Newton and company after beating Philly in Week 7.

Seattle has turned their season around with four wins in five games, including a 14-point win at Detroit last week. They have another critical matchup vs. the Chargers this week.

Houston got a ratings boost after blowing out Miami 42-23 on Thursday night. The Texans are on a five-game winning streak that has seen their ranking go from #20 to #14 during that time.

See where every team currently stands in our NFL rankings.

NFL Week 9 Projected Wins Updates

Here are the top gainers in projected total wins for the 2018 season heading into Week 9:

Team	Division	Old Proj Wins	New Proj Wins	Proj Wins Change
Carolina	NFC South	9.0	9.7	0.7
Seattle	NFC West	8.5	9.2	0.7
Indianapolis	AFC South	6.6	7.3	0.7
New Orleans	NFC South	10.8	11.5	0.7
Washington	NFC East	8.9	9.5	0.6

The biggest gainers in projected wins are nearly identical to the biggest ratings gainers, led by the Panthers and Seahawks.

The Colts are inching toward respectability with the return of Andrew Luck and hiring of head coach Frank Reich, after going 4-12 last year. They defeated Oakland 42-28, running away with the game late.

New Orleans has the fourth highest projected win total in the league at 11.5 wins, and could keep the momentum going with a win against the #1 ranked Rams. Our predictive ratings have the Saints as 0.9-point favorites at home.

See our latest projected season win totals for all teams on our NFL projections.

NFL Week 9 Division Winner Odds Updates

The following teams increased their odds to win their division the most last week:

Team	Division	Old Div Win Odds	New Div Win Odds	Odds Change
Chicago	NFC North	21.6%	36.9%	15.3%
Pittsburgh	AFC North	40.2%	51.3%	11.1%
Houston	AFC South	56.6%	64.9%	8.3%
Washington	NFC East	45.5%	53.0%	7.5%
New England	AFC East	87.5%	95.0%	7.5%

The Bears are again the ever-so-slight leaders to win the NFC North at 37%, with the Vikings trailing them by less than 1%. Chicago defeated the Jets at home, while Minnesota fell to the Saints last week.

Pittsburgh is charging hard and is now the odds-on favorite to win the AFC North after Baltimore’s recent collapse. The two division foes will square off in Baltimore this week. The Ravens already took the first matchup at Heinz Field.

Washington still leads the competitive NFC East at 5-2, with 53% odds to win the division. The reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles are in second at 29%, while the hopeful Cowboys have just an 18% shot.

See our latest division winner odds for all teams on our NFL projections.

NFL Week 9 Playoffs Odds Updates

The following teams increased their odds to make the playoffs the most last week:

Team	Division	Old Playoffs Odds	New Playoffs Odds	Odds Change
Seattle	NFC West	39.8%	52.8%	13.0%
Carolina	NFC South	52.1%	64.4%	12.3%
Chicago	NFC North	40.5%	51.1%	10.6%
Cincinnati	AFC North	36.6%	46.7%	10.1%
Washington	NFC East	54.5%	64.3%	9.8%

Seattle was looking like a lost cause after a slow start to the season, but the Seahawks now have the fifth best odds to make the playoffs in the NFC.

The Bears are hoping to punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. They get some relief this week, visiting the Bills and QB Nathan Peterman.

Cincinnati was embarrassed on national television in Week 7 but successfully rebounded against Tampa Bay last week. They still have some work to do, but remain on the periphery of the playoff picture heading into their bye week.

See our latest odds to make the playoffs for all teams on our NFL projections.

Until Next Week…

Enjoy NFL Week 9, and if you’re in an NFL pool or planning on betting some of the Week 9 games, please check out our premium products: NFL Survivor Picks, Football Pick’em Pool Picks, and NFL Betting Picks.