After four weeks of the NFL regular season, it appears that the NFC East and AFC South are the best two divisions in football. Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the company that provides betting odds to over 90 percent of Nevada’s casinos, released its power rankings and seven of the eight teams within those divisions are listed at No. 9 or higher in their latest release.
Despite losing 26-24 to Washington, Dallas remained in the No. 1 overall spot in the rankings. After watching the Redskins extend their winning and covering streak to three games at Texas Stadium, the oddsmakers moved the club from 12th to 9th.
The Eagles dropped its second game of the season on Sunday, losing 24-20 at Chicago. Even though Andy Reid’s team stands at 2-2, the Birds are still listed in the No. 3 spot. Right behind Philly is the New York Giants, who remains at 3-0 after getting a week off.
Based on record, Tennessee is the best team in the AFC South with a 4-0 ledger. The Titans defense has suffocated opponents this year and the public and oddsmakers have taken notice. After posting its third straight double-digit victory, Tennessee has moved from 15th to 8th in the latest rankings, which is the biggest jump of the week.
Indianapolis (1-2) and Jacksonville (2-2) are ranked fifth and sixth respectively, both well ahead of the Titans. The Colts’ ranking could change if their offense doesn’t click, especially with three of the next four games slated on the road. The Jaguars squeaked out another win last week behind the leg of kicker Josh Scobee. Head coach Jack Del Rio and company have a favorable schedule on tap, starting with a home game against a banged up Pittsburgh team on Sunday night.
Two teams that appear to be coming back to reality are Denver and Minnesota. The Broncos’ inept defense finally caught up with them and the oddsmakers adjusted their ranking from No. 9 to No. 16. The Vikings still can’t find any rhythm offensively and they’ve dropped again, this time from No. 10 to No. 15.
Below is a complete listing of LVSC Power Rankings for Week 5 of the NFL season.
| 1 |
Dallas Cowboys |
146.0 |
1 |
| 2 |
San Diego Chargers |
144.0 |
2 |
| 3 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
142.9 |
3 |
| 4 |
New York Giants |
142.1 |
4 |
| 5 |
Indianapolis Colts |
142.0 |
5 |
| 6 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
140.9 |
7 |
| 7 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
140.4 |
5 |
| 8 |
Tennessee Titans |
140.3 |
15 |
| 9 |
Washington Redskins |
140.2 |
12 |
| 10 |
Buffalo Bills |
139.6 |
13 |
| 11 |
Green Bay Packers |
139.1 |
8 |
| 12 |
New Orleans Saints |
139.0 |
14 |
| 13 |
New England Patriots |
138.9 |
11 |
| 13 |
Tampa Bay Bucs |
138.9 |
16 |
| 15 |
Minnesota Vikings |
138.4 |
10 |
| 16 |
Denver Broncos |
138.2 |
9 |
| 17 |
Chicago Bears |
137.8 |
18 |
| 18 |
Carolina Panthers |
137.6 |
17 |
| 19 |
New York Jets |
137.5 |
19 |
| 20 |
Seattle Seahawks |
136.3 |
20 |
| 21 |
Houston Texans |
135.2 |
22 |
| 22 |
Arizona Cardinals |
134.9 |
21 |
| 23 |
Baltimore Ravens |
134.5 |
22 |
| 24 |
Cleveland Browns |
133.7 |
26 |
| 24 |
Oakland Raiders |
133.7 |
27 |
| 26 |
San Francisco 49ers |
132.8 |
25 |
| 27 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
132.5 |
24 |
| 28 |
Miami Dolphins |
132.3 |
28 |
| 29 |
Detroit Lions |
131.5 |
30 |
| 29 |
Atlanta Falcons |
131.5 |
29 |
| 31 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
131.0 |
31 |
| 32 |
Saint Louis Rams |
129.9 |
31 | |
Chris David can be reached at cdavid@vegasinsider.com
