NFL Week 9 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
Christian McCaffrey was traded last year around this time from Carolina to San Francisco and that changed the entire fabric of the NFC. On the bye this week are Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville and San Francisco. Here’s a quick look at all Week 9 NFL games, played Sunday unless noted.
Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers, Thursday
The Titans gave second-round rookie quarterback Will Levis his first NFL start on Sunday against Atlanta with Ryan Tannehill injured, and Levis showed why he was once projected as a first-round pick with four touchdown passes in the victory. He will start again here and most likely the rest of the season if healthy. Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett will be a game-time call after being knocked out of Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville with a ribs injury, but he’s unlikely. It probably will be Mitchell Trubisky.
Pick ATS: Pittsburgh
Miami Dolphins “at” Kansas City Chiefs
This potential AFC playoff preview kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET from Frankfurt, Germany. What a spectacular matchup to “lend” to an international audience and with a morning kickoff. It’s the Tyreek Hill homecoming game of sorts. Not that the NFL’s leading receiver is from Germany but this will be his first game against the Chiefs since being traded to Miami. Hill is the first player in the modern era with 1,000 yards receiving in the first eight games of a season. Kansas City might have been caught looking ahead to this one as it was upset Sunday in Denver.
Pick ATS: Miami (buy up to +3)
Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns
Will this be the season debut of Cardinals QB Kyler Murray off his 2022 season-ending torn ACL? Coach Jonathan Gannon originally said Joshua Dobbs will start Sunday even though Murray has returned to practice but then backtracked. The team doesn’t officially have to activate Murray until after Week 9 and in fact it sounds as if rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune will start this one but Murray might be the No. 2. Cleveland was without QB Deshaun Watson in Seattle on Sunday and lost 24-20. Too early to know if it will be Watson or former XFL star PJ Walker again.
Pick ATS: Cleveland (buy down to -6.5)
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers
The Rams were blown out 43-20 in Dallas on Sunday, and QB Matthew Stafford injured his thumb. The team is “evaluating a range of potential scenarios” for that injury. Stafford attempted to play through the injury for a while but was ultimately pulled late in the third quarter for backup Brett Rypien. LA has a bye in Week 10, so it might make sense to sit Stafford this week. Green Bay lost its fourth in a row Sunday, 24-10 at home to Minnesota. Jordan Love is clearly not the future QB for the franchise.
Pick ATS: Green Bay (buy down to -2.5)
Washington Commanders at New England Patriots
Washington lost for the fifth time in six games Sunday, 38-31 at home to Philadelphia despite a career-high 397 yards passing from Sam Howell. Coach Ron Rivera did not challenge a key fourth-down catch by Philly’s DeVonta Smith in the third quarter that replays showed should have been incomplete. Rivera almost surely will not be back in 2024. New England lost 31-17 in Miami and lost receiver Kendrick Bourne (37 catches, 406 yards, four TDs) to a season-ending injury.
Pick ATS: New England (buy down to -2.5)
Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints
Chicago played again without starting QB Justin Fields on Sunday night and was no match for the Chargers in a 30-13 loss. Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent was 25 of 37 for 232 yards with two interceptions in his second start. Not clear if Fields will be back this week. New Orleans was a 38-27 winner at Indianapolis, easily a season high in points scored. Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara each had two touchdowns. The Saints’ 511 yards of total offence were their most since they beat the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 25, 2020.
Pick ATS: New Orleans (buy down to -6.5)
Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens
Seattle made a fairly significant trade Monday, acquiring former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Williams from the New York Giants for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round selection. All of a sudden with the 49ers looking very mortal, the NFC West is very winnable and the Seahawks are going for it and lead by a half game. The Ravens lead the AFC North and won their third game in a row Sunday, 31-24 in Arizona. Gus Edwards rushed for three scores.
Pick ATS: Baltimore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
The Bucs lost their third in a row on Thursday in Week 8, 24-18 in Buffalo. QB Baker Mayfield played well enough, though, to keep his job over Kyle Trask for now. The running game is still non-existent. Houston came out of its bye and lost on a last-second kick at Carolina, 15-13. Rookie CJ Stroud avoided an interception but threw for a career-worst 140 yards. Top wideout Tank Dell was back after missing Week 6 with a concussion but was not a factor.
Pick ATS: Houston
Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers
There will be no winless teams in the NFL this season as Carolina came out of its bye Sunday and knocked off Houston 15-13 on Eddy Pineiro’s walk-off 23-yard field goal. Rookie No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young had arguably his best game in completing 22 of 31 for 235 yards with a TD and no picks. That was the first game this season where offensive coordinator Thomas Brown called played over head coach Frank Reich, and it will stay that way. The Colts’ defence has sprung a leak in a three-game losing streak, allowing at least 37 points in each.
Pick ATS: Carolina (buy up to +3)
New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders
Short week for the Raiders as they lost Monday in Detroit, 26-14. Las Vegas is still the only team not to top 21 points in a game this season, and clearly Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t the answer at QB. New York may have waived the white flag on the season after Sunday’s 13-10 OT loss to the Jets as the G-Men traded Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams to Seattle for draft picks. Without starting QB Daniel Jones and then backup Tyrod Taylor getting hurt against the Jets, the Giants totaled minus-9 passing yards. That’s the worst total in any NFL game this century. Jones is expected back this week.
Pick ATS: Las Vegas
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Huge game in the NFC East and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has won his past three starts in the series with Dallas scoring at least 40 points in each. Prescott has joined Steve Young and Kurt Warner as the only QBs in the Super Bowl era to lead a team to three straight 40-point games vs. a single opponent. The Cowboys came out of their bye Sunday and crushed the Rams, while the Eagles rallied past the Commanders. Jalen Hurts banged up his knee but should play. Hurts had four TD throws Sunday. He has only faced Prescott once.
Pick ATS: Philadelphia (buy down to -2.5)
Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday night game and another marquee AFC matchup of the season. When the teams met Week 17 last season on Monday night in Cincinnati, it was huge in terms of conference playoff seeding but memorably the game was postponed (and eventually canceled) in the first half when Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and nearly died on the field. He’s thankfully healthy now. The Bills would then host the Bengals in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and Cincinnati was a 27-10 upset winner. This might again have important playoff tiebreaker ramifications.
Pick ATS: Cincinnati (buy down to -2.5)
Los Angeles Chargers at New York Jets, Monday
The Chargers snapped a two-game skid with a 30-13 home win over Chicago on Sunday night. Justin Herbert completed his first 15 passes and finished with 298 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Bolts to points on their first five drives. Derwin James and Ja’Sir Taylor gave Los Angeles their first game with two interceptions this season. The defense also came up with three fourth-down stops. The Jets got back over .500 for the first time since Week 1 with a 13-10 OT comeback win over the Giants. Greg Zuerlein kicked a 35-yard field goal on the final play of regulation and added a 33-yarder with 6:09 left in overtime.
Pick ATS: New York (buy up to +3.5)