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Frank Doyle
NFL Week 9 odds & picks: No respect for Kansas City Chiefs
Don’t be surprised if Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is dressed up in loud plaid jacket while doing his best Rodney Dangerfield “no respect” routine in Week 9.
No, it won’t be pretty, but he would have a point. The Chiefs are the lone unbeaten team left in the NFL but with a popgun offence that doesn’t produce many big plays or light up the scoreboard they may not be getting the credit an 8-0 team deserves.
The Chiefs allow just 12.2 points per game, the fewest in the league, and rank fifth overall in total defence. They’ve been good to bettors as well, checking in at 5-3 against the spread, but the landscape has shifted recently.
The Chiefs have dropped two straight against the spread, failing to cover touchdown lines at home to Houston and Cleveland – two teams a real Super Bowl contender should handle easily, the critics say. They’re winning, but they’re often winning ugly against ugly competition.
So, who are these Chiefs? Well, right now they’re an undefeated team favored by three points this week as they travel to Buffalo. Certainly they’re a strong team, but can they be a team bettors can bank on moving forward? Tough to say.
With their bye week looming in Week 10 and two games against Denver and one against San Diego after that, I’m not going near Andy Reid’s bunch this week.
Call it no respect if you will, but there are just too many variables in play. We’ll see what they’re all about after the bye.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (-6, 43.5)
This line opened at New England -7 and I had half a mind to take the Pats then. Now that they’re down to -6, this is a strong play. Yes, Tom Brady may be playing with some kind of hand injury and the New England offence hasn’t looked as explosive as we expected, but they are making strides. This is a bad Steelers team that just played in Oakland last weekend. Traveling across the country to face Belichick and the Pats is going to be tough.
Pick: New England Patriots -6
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys (-10, 47)
Well, this could get ugly. The Cowboys are putting a ton of points on the board and now get the 31st-ranked total defence in the league this week. That spells trouble. The Vikes have also played over the total in six straight games (also check out my look at the hottest bet in the NFL right now in my Week 9 preview). Oh, who might have the 32nd-ranked total defence in the league? You guessed it, Dallas.
Pick: Over
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (-10.5, 49.5)
The Bears are without quarterback Jay Cutler and a bunch of big names on defence, but you can’t count them out this week. This is a big test for Marc Trestman’s club as it comes off its bye and he’ll have his Bears ready to go. Chicago needs this game to keep pace in the NFC North and Green Bay has holes Trestman will exploit. The Bears may not get out of Lambeau with a win, but it won’t be a blowout.
Pick: Chicago Bears +10.5
Last week: 2-1