America's Got Talent judge Howie Mandel revealed which act from Tuesday night's show had a good chance of advancing to the top 10.

In his Wednesday column for Parade magazine, Mandel revealed that Marines-turned-rock band American Hitmen had a shot at the top 10 this season.

"They served not only in the military, but they served us a dish full of great entertainment that is classic and American," Mandel wrote. "I think they have a shot at the top 10." He noted that the band is a great classic rock-and-roll band that also has a great story.

The judge also suggested that America's Got Talent would likely be trending more towards variety acts this season, writing, "I think, even though we have some really good singers, that this is the year of variety." He listed dancer Dylan Wilson and rappers Lil Mike and Funny Bone as primary examples of the unique talent this year.

Mandel implied that Kelsey and Bailey, the dancing dog act that was sent through to the Vegas round on Tuesday, may not get far in the competition. He called the act "adorable" and "fantastic" but also wrote that there are so many more original acts this year that their act essentially might get left behind. A dog trick act called the Olate Dogs won America's Got Talent last season, so the judges (and America) may want something different to win this year.

In other America's Got Talent news, the show hit a season low in the ratings for its two-hour episode on Tuesday, July 2.

9.32 million viewers watched the episode, which is the first time viewership had dipped below 10 million for a new episode this season. Regardless, it was still the highest-rated show of the night, beating new episodes of CBS's Big Brother, FOX's So You Think You Can Dance and ABC's Extreme Weight Loss in the 9 p.m. hour.

America's Got Talent will air its sixth episode of the season on Tuesday, July 9 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

Watch the fifth episode in its entirety here:

Tags: Americas Got Talent howie mandel