NFL Week 9 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread

Note that this is the last NFL week of action before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, and there are four teams on the bye (two really bad ones and two good ones): Cleveland, the New York Jets, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. Check out the latest NFL odds at Sports Interaction. 

Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins, Thursday

Baltimore quarterback and two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson is expected to return from a three-game hamstring injury absence. The Ravens incensed NFL bettors last Friday by saying Jackson practiced in full only to then rule him out Saturday for Sunday’s game against Chicago. The Ravens essentially had to win that to save their season and did behind two TD runs from Derrick Henry. Sometimes the NFL makes no sense. Miami had lost three straight entering Sunday’s game in Atlanta, and Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t stop throwing interceptions. And he was sick vs. the Falcons but instead had one of the games of his career with four TD throws and zero picks in a shock 34-10 upset.

Pick ATS: Baltimore (alt -7) if Jackson plays

Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals

Maybe no team this season has had a worse loss than Cincinnati did on Sunday at home to the winless Jets, 39-38, as the Bengals blew several double-digit leads, including 31-16 early in the fourth. That loss just crushed many people in Survivor pools, that’s for sure. The Cincy defence has been atrocious all season and just no excuse for allowing 39 points to the Jets. Chicago had four-game winning streak snapped in a 30-16 loss at desperate Baltimore. The Bears had been running the ball well in the winning run but didn’t do much against the Ravens.

Pick ATS: Chicago

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

These teams had the top two win totals in the NFC last season (Vikes tied for second with Eagles) and battled for the NFC North down to the final game, which the Lions won 31-9 at home to clinch and sweep the season series. Detroit is right back in contention again and off a bye week, so it should be healthy. The Vikings played on Thursday in Week 8 and got routed at the L.A. Chargers. Rookie starting QB J.J. McCarthy hasn’t played since Week 2 due to injury but good chance he’s back this week. If not, Carson Wentz again.

Pick ATS: Minnesota

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

Carolina had to use backup Andy Dalton at QB on Sunday vs. Buffalo with former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young out, and the Panthers got blitzed at home by the Bills, 40-9. Sounds like Young will return this week. Green Bay had the Aaron Rodgers Bowl on Sunday night in Pittsburgh and trailed entering the fourth but then scored 21 points in an impressive 35-25 win to keep solo first of the NFC North. Jordan Love outshined Rodgers big time in becoming the third Packers QB with at least 350 passing yards, three pass TDs and no picks in a game. Rodgers and Brett Favre of course are the others.

Pick ATS: Green Bay

Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans

With all due respect to the fellow now one-win Jets, the Titans are the NFL’s worst club as they dropped another game by double digits on Sunday, 38-14, at Indianapolis. Tennessee has perhaps been even worse in the two games since firing coach Brian Callahan and replacing him with Mike McCoy. The Chargers are on a mini-bye after easily handling the visiting Vikings on Thursday in Week 8. The Bolts had a whopping 207 rushing yards where that had been a problem.

Pick ATS: Tennessee (alt +10.5)

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots

Atlanta looks vastly improved this season but laid a major egg on Sunday in getting throttled, 34-10 at home by a massively struggling Miami team. To be fair, the Falcons were without injured starting QB Michael Penix Jr. but also have a $27 million (US) backup in Kirk Cousins, and he was awful. Penix probably gets back this week. New England is one of the surprises in the AFC atop the East Division and have won five straight at second-year QB Drake Maye blossoms into a star.

Pick ATS: New England

San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants

Tough Sunday for the Giants as their fan-favourite battering ram rookie running back Cam Skattebo gruesomely dislocated his ankle in an 18-point loss to the Eagles, and his season is obviously over. He had become only the sixth player drafted in the fourth round or later since 1970 with at least 600 scrimmage yards and seven scrimmage TDs through eight career games. This is likely the week the Niners get back starting QB Brock Purdy from a four-game absence. The team is 2-2 in those after a 26-15 loss in Houston on Sunday. Top WR Ricky Pearsall also has missed the past four.

Pick ATS: San Francisco (if Purdy)

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers

Indy has won four straight while scoring at least 31 points in each — thanks largely to tailback Jonathan Taylor, although QB Daniel Jones is playing like an MVP. In Sunday’s blowout win over the Titans, Taylor had three rushing scores to become the first player in league history to score three times in three straight games against the same team dating to last season. Indy might actually be legit. The entire City of Pittsburgh was amped for Sunday night’s Aaron Rodgers Bowl vs. Green Bay. The Steelers played well for three but allowed 21 fourth-quarter points in the double-digit loss. Very rare to see that franchise lose back-to-back home games.

Pick ATS: Pittsburgh (alt +3.5)

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans

Rising Denver in Sunday’s home blowout of Dallas became the first team in NFL history with at least 35 sacks and also 10 or fewer sacks allowed through eight games of a season. You need at good QB to win in the NFL and the Broncos have that in second-year Bo Nix, who had four TD passes. But you aren’t winning much without good offensive and defensive lines, and the Broncos have those. Houston came out of its bye and won for the third time in four games Sunday, 26-15 over San Francisco. CJ Stroud had his first 300-yard passing game of the year.

Pick ATS: Houston

Jacksonville Jaguars at Las Vegas Raiders

Both are off a bye week and it’s pretty unusual to see Jacksonville as a road favourite even if improved under first-year coach Liam Coen. Travis Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick who was among favourites for both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, has disappointed as a receiver for the most part. The last time we saw the Raiders, they managed a pitiful 95 total yards in a 31-0 loss to Kansas City. The trade for QB Geno Smith has been a disaster.

Pick ATS: Las Vegas (alt +3.5)

New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams

It appears that it will be rookie QB Tyler Shough getting his first NFL start in this one for the horrible Saints as Spencer Rattler was pulled from Sunday’s 23-3 home loss to Tampa Bay. Shough, a second-round pick, looked OK in relief, completing 17 of 30 for 128 yards and a pick. The Rams are off their bye tied for first in the NFC West. The hope is that superstar WR Puka Nacua will be able to play after missing Week 7 injured. Not that L.A. would need him to win this.

Pick ATS: Los Angeles

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills

Short week for surging Kansas City after hosing and surely beating short-handed Washington on Monday night to finish Week 8, and the Chiefs were pretty healthy for that. This may well be an AFC title game preview like it was last season with the Chiefs winning, 32-29, at home. Still no Super Bowl trip for Josh Allen, and either he or Patrick Mahomes might be the clear favourite for MVP depending on whom wins here. Buffalo came out of its bye in Week 8 and blew out Carolina on the road but lost excellent defensive tackle Ed Oliver to a possible serious injury.

Pick ATS: Buffalo

Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders

Sunday night game. Short week for Washington after playing and likely losing on Monday night in Kansas City to conclude Week 8 as the Commanders were without injured young superstar QB Jayden Daniels due to a hamstring injury. The hope is that he will not miss a fourth overall game this year in Week 9. Seattle is out its bye at 5-2 and has looked smart by trading away Geno Smith and signing Sam Darnold in free agency as the QB. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has grown into one of the league’s top wideouts with 50 catches for 891 yards and four scores.

Pick ATS: TBD on Daniels

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys,  Monday

Arizona is off a bye week on a five-game losing streak, but those were all decided by four points or fewer – all seven of the team’s games have been by seven points or fewer in 2025. Veteran journeyman QB Jacoby Brissett has started the past two under centre with Kyler Murray dealing with a hamstring injured, and it’s not clear if Murray will be back in Week 9. The Cowboys were pummeled defensively yet again Sunday in a 44-24 blowout loss in Denver, but they are unbeaten at home this season (2-0-1) thanks to scoring at least 40 points in each of those.

Pick ATS: Dallas