The Detroit Pistons are the top team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 45-15 and have been getting MVP-caliber play from star guard Cade Cunningham. They are 30-8 against the East and are hoping to make a deep playoff run after getting knocked out in the first round last season against the New York Knicks.
LOS ANGELES -- As running back Omarion Hampton waltzed into the end zone in the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Chargers' 34-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, it put a bow on one of the Chargers' most impressive wins of the season. The Cowboys had nothing to play for -- eliminated from the playoffs a day before -- but they jumped on the Chargers' stout defense early.
The first challenge was a big one against a surging Dallas Cowboys team, but the Lions proved up to the task with a 44-30 victory. Detroit's odds to make the playoffs improved from 43% before the game to 56% with the win, according to ESPN Analytics. "We need to treat it like playoff games," Gibbs told ESPN beforehand. Gibbs responded with three touchdown runs and 77 receiving yards.
MIAMI GARDENS - The Miami Dolphins have won three consecutive games and four of the past five after squeaking by the New Orleans Saints, 21-17. They completed an undefeated November (3-0), aided by their last loss being a Thursday nighter on Oct. 30 instead of Week 9's Sunday, Nov. 2 while also having their bye week within the month. Most NFL teams winning at this clip crossing over into December would be firmly in the playoff race.
A week ago, we debated whether or not the season was already lost. Now, it seems hope springs eternal. Winning will do that to you. Yes, yes, it was just the Raiders. But the Cowboys crushed a team they were supposed to crush, and most importantly, the defense looked darn good doing it. And yet, it was still just the Raiders. Up next is a gauntlet that features the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, and Chargers.
Entering Week 10, the Rams have a 37.1% chance to win the division, followed by the 49ers (35.0%) and Seahawks (27.6%), according to ESPN Research. It's the sixth time since 2002 that there are three teams from the same division with at least six wins each through Week 9, according to ESPN Research. It happened last season in the NFC North with the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
It might be prudent to wait a week and buy a better number after the upcoming game against the Colts, but Indianapolis is gettable, and the Falcons have the sort of speedy pass rush that the Steelers used to give Daniel Jones fits. I could see the Falcons totally imploding down the stretch, or I could see them rallying hard around Raheem Morris.
The 2025 MLB playoffs start Tuesday (1 p.m. ET on ESPN), and we're here to get you ready for what is setting up to be a thrilling postseason. Will Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Dodgers meet Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees in a World Series rematch? Is this the year the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers finally get to the Fall Classic?
Here are three things to keep an eye on headed into the final weekend of the regular season: 1. Playoff races still up for grabs: Eight teams (the Blue Jays, Yankees, Mariners, Phillies, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres) have punched their tickets to October already. That leaves four spots up for grabs headed into the final weekend of the regular season. Here's a quick overview of the teams still fighting for a spot, with playoff odds courtesy of FanGraphs:
The New York Mets are currently out of the postseason picture after holding a playoff spot everyday since April 5. After FanGraphs gave the Mets a 96.2 percent chance to make the playoffs on June 12, that number currently sits at 50.7 percent. In other news, the Detroit Tigers (who, along with the Mets, have also been slumping recently) cut ties with trade deadline addition Charlie Morton. The veteran was designated for assignment on Sunday, possibly putting his 18-year career to an end.
