The Green Bay Packers currently sit at 6-3 after a blowout, 45-27 win over the New England Patriots. It was the Packers' fifth win in six games and kept them in pace in what is turning into an all-time NFC North race.
As Green Bay prepares for its upcoming divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, the team's playoff odds continue to sharpen. This game, like last week's, is an important test and has some big effects on the team's playoff odds.
Let's look at the Packers' playoff picture and teams to root for in Week 10.
Packers' playoff odds heading into Week 10
If the NFL season ended right now, the Packers would find themselves in a familiar spot as the NFC's seventh seed and facing off against the Chicago Bears in a road playoff game. Sound familiar?
Due to the fact that every team in the NFC North is currently looking for a spot in the NFC playoff picture, there's much shuffling to be done, and only one of the four teams in the division will be getting a home playoff game, with the other three (should they make it) all being relegated to wild-card status.
Currently, the Packers have a 64 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to The Athletic's playoff projections. Of that, 51 percent see the Packers entering as a wild card (which would be the seventh seed as of now), while the team has a nine percent chance of hosting a playoff game and, by default, winning the division. The remaining four percent has them earning the NFC's No. 1 seed.
The Packers' odds have climbed from last week, when they were at 50 percent, but no game on the schedule in the last few weeks has had such a big swing as this one. With the Packers currently sporting a 1-2 record in the division and facing a divisional foe in the form of the Vikings, this week represents one of the biggest impacts on their playoff odds based on the result.
According to The Athletic's projections, a win over the Vikings would boost the Packers' playoff odds to 76 percent and boost their odds of hosting a wild-card game up to 13 percent.
On the flip side, a loss would drop the Packers' playoff chances all the way down to 47 percent and essentially end their projected chances at making a run for the NFC's No. 1 seed.
On the Vikings' side, they already sport a pretty healthy 78 percent chance to make the playoffs. A win would jump their odds up to 91 percent, while a loss would drop them to 68 percent.
Who the Packers should root for around the league in Week 10
The New England Patriots take on the Detroit Lions in a game that not only has big ramifications for the NFC's playoff picture, but could also help out the entirety of the NFC North as well. A Patriots win would drop the Lions to 6-3 and boost the Packers' odds to 65 percent.
Elsewhere, the Las Vegas Raiders will debut the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, quarterback Fernando Mendoza, against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. It's a daunting matchup, but Packers fans should root for the Raiders, as a win would drop the Seahawks to 5-5 and push Green Bay's playoff odds to 66 percent.
The NFC West will play a factor yet again, as the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals face off. A Cardinals win would boost the Packers' playoff odds to 67 percent and drop the Rams to 5-5. The Chicago Bears, who currently sit at 7-2, are on a bye week this week.
Packers' playoff push must include division wins
We're more than halfway through the NFL season, and all things considered, the Packers are sitting in a good spot. They're 6-3, a record many didn't see as possible after a rough 1-2 start. They've also gotten hot at the right time, and could be getting superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons back in just two weeks.
However, one major thing looms over the Packers' season so far: their inability to capitalize on division games.
So far, the team sits at 1-2 in division play, and realistically, could have been at least 2-1, or even 3-0. A 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions featured many mental mistakes and miscues (particularly kicker Trey Smack), and the team's Week 1 opener versus the Vikings saw them lead late before absolutely imploding in the fourth.
If Green Bay wants to reach its lofty ambitions, it must win more division games. Simply put. Especially with the NFC North being so competitive, the Packers can't afford to make too many more mistakes, and that begins this week against a Vikings team that has suddenly found some momentum in the form of new quarterback Kirk Cousins.
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