Eight weeks on NFL action are in the books, and Vegas just released their NFL Week 9 spreads. Let’s take a dive into each matchup, break down the games, and decide which side to bet on.
NFL Week 9 Spreads, Over/Under, Game Picks
San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The San Francisco 49ers continued to prove they’re the real deal in Week 8 by absolutely destroying a white-hot Carolina Panthers team, 51-13. If there was any doubt about the legitimacy of this roster, they eliminated it last week. This team is one of the true NFL superpowers, while the Arizona Cardinals simply aren’t ready to face off against a team of this caliber. Thursday Night Football often leads to unexpected outcomes, but look for the 49ers to win and cover this one.
Pick: 49ers win, cover spread
Over/Under: 44 [Pick: Under]
Houston Texans (-1.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Houston Texans won’t have J.J. Watt for the rest of the year, but they’ll have one of the best offenses in the league powered by Deshaun Watson. Watson is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league and has one of the best supporting casts in football. The Jacksonville Jaguars defense simply isn’t the same without Jalen Ramsey, so the Texans should move the ball at will. Gardner Minshew can keep it close, but it’s going to be hard for him to match blows with Watson for four straight quarters.
Pick: Texans win, cover spread
Over/Under: 47 [Pick: Over]
Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills (-11)
The Washington Redskins haven’t scored a touchdown since the Carter Administration, and they’re facing off against one of the best defenses in the league. The Buffalo Bills should completely eliminate any semblance of offense by Washington, while Josh Allen and company should move the ball easily against Washington’s subpar defense. The Bills are going to win, but asking them to cover an 11-point spread just feels like asking too much.
Pick: Bills win, don’t cover spread
Over/Under: 36.5 [Pick: Under]
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs (Not yet available)
Vegas is taking their sweet time with this one, as the presence of Patrick Mahomes will obviously affect the projected betting lines. Check in later when there’s more clarity regarding Mahomes’ availability.
Over/Under: Not yet available
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the worst secondaries in football, but they should be able to stop Chicago’s anemic passing attack. Mitchell Trubisky is playing like a bottom-five quarterback, and Matt Nagy’s scheme can no longer hide his deficiencies. Chicago’s commitment to the running attack worked in Week 8, but it probably won’t work against Philadelphia’s imposing front seven. The Bears are going to need to move the ball through the air if they hope to win, and all evidence to date suggest they’re not capable of doing that. The Bears defense is still good, but they’ve taken a step back from where they were last year. Carson Wentz and company should be able to move the ball well enough to walk away with a comfortable victory.
Pick: Eagles win, cover spred
Over/Under: 44 [Pick: Under]
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers (EVEN)
This is a surprising spread. The Indianapolis Colts aren’t the 1972 Dolphins by any means, but they’re considerably more talented than this Pittsburgh Steelers squad. While their defense is one of the better units in the league, the offense isn’t good enough to go up against a surprisingly good Jacoby Brissett. Even though they’re on the road, the Colts should win this one.
Pick: Colts win
Over/Under: 43 [Pick: Under]
Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers (-3.5)
The Carolina Panthers are coming off a humbling loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but should bounce back against a weak Tennessee Titans team. Ryan Tannehill makes the Titans better, but the talent disparity between the two units is too jarring. Kyle Allen is still a good quarterback, and the defense should be able to slow Tannehill and company. This game is going to be close to the spread, but the Panthers should beat it by the narrowest of margins.
Pick: Panthers win, cover spread
Over/Under: 41 [Pick: Over]
Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders (-1)
The Oakland Raiders are playing better than anyone thought they would this year, most recently going blow-for-blow with the Houston Texans. Derek Carr is in the midst of his best season since 2016, but this defense is still an absolute wreck. Matthew Stafford has bounced back from a dreadful 2018 and is playing like a top-five quarterback and should have no problem tearing about this defense. Assuming the Lions still have Darius Slay at this point next week, the Lions defense should be able to do their part and come away with the victory.
Pick: Lions win
Over/Under: 51 [Pick: Over]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks (-6)
The Seattle Seahawks live and die with Russell Wilson, and Wilson is playing at an MVP level this year. The former third-round pick should have no problem carving up a secondary which ranks among the worst in the league in just about everything. On the other sideline is the ever-volatile Jameis Winston. You never know what you’re going to get from him, but he should serve up one or two turnovers for the Seahawks defense.
Pick: Seahawks win, cover spread
Over/Under: 53 [Pick: Over]
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (-1.5)
Update: Joe Flacco suffered a neck injury and won’t play in Week 9. Whatever this line changes to, take the Browns and the points.
The Cleveland Browns are the biggest disappointment of the 2019 season. Entering the year with playoff aspirations, they currently sit at a familiar 2-5 and desperately need a win to save their season. The Broncos, meanwhile, are in a similar boat at 2-6. Despite the ugly record, Denver is better than their record suggests. Joe Flacco is playing at an adequate level, and they’ve lost three games by a combined six points. Winning and losing close games like that basically comes down to luck, and the Broncos are due for some positive regression.
Pick: Broncos win, cover spread
Over/Under: 42.5 [Pick: Under]
Green Bay Packers (-3) at Los Angeles Chargers
After four years of mostly good-but-not-great quarterback play, Aaron Rodgers has channeled his 2014 self for most of the past two weeks. The two-time MVP destroyed the Raiders in Week 7 and took down the Chiefs in a thrilling Week 8 matchup. The Chargers, meanwhile, simply can’t find their 2018 form and are battling their usual injury woes. The offensive line is a mess, there’s nobody left on defense, and Philip Rivers just can’t do it all by himself anymore. Green Bay has to travel to Los Angeles for this one, but they’re no such thing as home-field advantage for this Chargers squad.
Pick: Packers win, cover spread
Over/Under: 45.5 [Pick: Under]
New England Patriots (-5) at Baltimore Ravens
After eight weeks, the New England Patriots finally have to face off against a real team. This defense is legitimately amazing, but don’t expect multiple defensive scores against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Bill Belichick historically struggles to contain mobile quarterbacks, and Jackson has considerably improved as a passer since entering the league. New England’s offense, meanwhile, hasn’t looked right all year, and the offensive line is one of the worst in the league. Betting against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is never a smart idea, and this roster is still one of the most talented in the league. New England should win, but it’s going to go down to the wire.
Pick: Patriots win, don’t cover spread
Over/Under: 46 [Pick: Over]
Dallas Cowboys (-7.5) at New York Giants
Daniel Jones had arguably the best game of his career on Sunday, throwing four touchdowns without an interception against the Detroit Lions. Jones is at a stage in his career where he should be improving on a weekly basis, but he’s still a raw, undeveloped product playing in a terrible situation. The Cowboys defense looked fantastic against the Philadelphia Eagles, and they’ve had two weeks to prepare for this matchup. When factoring in Dak Prescott’s fantastic play this season, it’s safe to pick the Cowboys to win and cover.
Pick: Cowboys win, cover spread
Over/Under: 48 [Pick: Under]
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
