Nfl football game picks week 9

Someone has to win this game and we have to go with the home team, who has at least looked better than the Texans. The Raiders have had an extra week to get ready for this game, while the Giants will be on short rest after Monday Night Football in Week 8. Advantage: Las Vegas. Los Angeles Chargers at Philadelphia Eagles, p. The Chargers are going to be very motivated after their loss to the Patriots in Week 8.

The Eagles' run game could give Los Angeles problems. Expect a close one in Philly. We see no reason why they can't beat the Chiefs in Week 8. Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers, p.

The Cardinals should be able to bounce back against the 49ers after the tough loss to the Packers. Will they? Kyler Murray's status will obviously be key.

Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Rams, p. This game had the potential to be among the season's best before the news broke about Derrick Henry's injury. It could still be good, but the Rams' defense will be too much for the Titans.

Chicago Bears at Pittsburgh Steelers, p. The week ends with another less than stellar matchup on Monday Night Football. The Steelers' defense will be able to slow down Justin Fields on their way to a big win. Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy. But it will need a lot more than that for any chance at an upset, given Prescott has essentially been a TD factory this season. The Chargers are the only team to hold him to fewer than three touchdown passes in a game this season. The Broncos will need to defend far better in their nickel package on defense, and their own offense will have to be something more than the stuck-in-neutral group it has been for much of the year.

Stat to know: The Cowboys have 3, total yards this season They could become the fifth team with 3, total yards through the first eight games of a season in the Super Bowl era and first since the Colts. Lamb is attempting to become the first Cowboys player with receiving yards in three straight games since Terrell Owens did it in , while Cooper is seeking back-to-back yard games for the first time since he was with the Raiders.

Injuries: Broncos Cowboys. What to know for fantasy: Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton has three top weeks this season but has finished outside the top 60 at the position in both games in which teammate Jerry Jeudy was active.

See Week 9 rankings. Read more. Matchup must-reads: Broncos to the Rams: How the Miller trade went down The story for Cowboys' Gregory now about football, his future With no excuses, Cowboys' ride appears to be just beginning Rookies Surtain, Parsons 'as advertised' for Broncos, Cowboys. Humphrey is a two-time Pro Bowl corner, but he's coming off one of his worst games, giving up yards in coverage the most allowed by a nearest defender since NFL Next Gen Stats started tracking the stat in Bold prediction: Cousins will attempt at least six deep passes and the Vikings' offense will gain at least yards.

Their test against the Ravens will bring out the best of the Vikings' offense. The Vikings might lose this one, but the offense will actually take chances and look like it can contend with one of the top teams in the NFL. That would be the most fitting outcome for a team that has been on a roller-coaster ride every week of the season. Stat to know: The Ravens' The Vikings, however, have the worst run stop win rate in the NFL Injuries: Vikings Ravens.

What to know for fantasy: Jefferson is the bigger name at this point, but Thielen has scored in five of seven games and has seen at least eight targets five times this season. Betting nugget: All three of Minnesota's road games have gone over the total this season.

Matchup must-reads: The Vikings keep coming up short; here are some of the reasons why Ravens linebacker Harrison shot in leg by stray bullet; injury not life-threatening Vikings DE Hunter out for season with torn pectoral muscle.

What to watch for: This outcome of this game will be determined by the ground attack. The Browns are the best rushing team in the NFL at 5. Cleveland will look to impose its ground game and control the clock, while the Bengals will try to test the Browns through the air. Bold prediction: The Bengals will load the box and hold running back Nick Chubb to fewer than 50 yards rushing, taking advantage of the turmoil surrounding the Browns' passing game.

Chubb had a season-low 61 rushing yards last weekend against the Steelers. Stat to know: Cincinnati receiver Ja'Marr Chase 's receiving yards this season are the third most in the NFL this season and second most all-time in a player's first eight career games Harlon Hill had in He needs 84 more on Sunday to pass Marques Colston in for the most receiving yards through a player's first nine games.

Injuries: Browns Bengals. What to know for fantasy: Bengals QB Joe Burrow has three straight games with three touchdown passes tied for the longest streak in franchise history with Carson Palmer in and Andy Dalton in Betting nugget: Cleveland is ATS against divisional opponents since the start of last season and ATS against teams with winning records this season.

Matchup must-reads: OBJ excused from Browns practice for second straight day Francis is Bengals' one-man analytics staff. So this game could get ugly pretty quickly if Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets rolling. Allen has six straight games with at least two touchdown passes. Bold prediction: Allen will have at least two rushing plays of plus yards in Jacksonville and score on a run as well.

The Jaguars have allowed only one rush of plus yards to quarterbacks this season tied for the fewest in the league , but Allen has nine such plays and three rushing scores. Against the league's fourth-worst passing defense Stat to know: Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence has four interceptions when pressured this season, tied for second most in the NFL.

Injuries: Bills Jaguars. What to know for fantasy: The Bills have had three top fantasy receivers in each of their past two games. Betting nugget: Buffalo has covered games by an average of plus Jacksonville has a minus Matchup must-reads: Bills make smart second-half adjustments, but need to start faster What to watch for: How will the run game play out?

Both teams will want to take away the run and force the quarterback to beat them. Carolina has been efficient with that against a pair of rookie QBs this season, and the Panthers face another in the Patriots' Mac Jones. New England will likely face P. Walker with Sam Darnold in the concussion protocol, and Walker is prone to mistakes when he has to make a play. Bold prediction: Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore will pick off Jones in his first game against his old team, and the kickers -- New England's Nick Folk and Carolina's Zane Gonzalez -- will ultimately be the top storyline in a low-scoring game.

Folk is of on field goals and of on extra points, while Gonzalez is of on field goals and of on PATs. Just don't expect it to be easy; these Saints love drama and the downgrade at quarterback is real. The Broncos' defense, given a one-game reprieve from Taylor Heinicke , just isn't equipped to deal with this Cowboys' offense, assuming Dak Prescott returns to the starting lineup. If Prescott is out, I'd make the score closer, because Teddy Bridgewater could still put up points for Denver, especially if the Broncos are trailing throughout.

Bill Belichick must have cracked a smile watching the film of the Panthers running 47 times and throwing it only 25 last week in a tight game -- at least until the game-sealing interception by ex-Patriot Stephon Gilmore.

Carolina's defense is different with Gilmore in the mix, and with linebacker Shaq Thompson continuing his torrid season after missing three games to injury. Whether Sam Darnold or P. Walker is at quarterback, the Panthers are built to slow down the pace of play -- and they're built to slow the improving Patriots offense.

This figures to look like a game that a young Matt Rhule , decked in Giants gear, would have enjoyed watching Belichick coordinate back in the late s. The Week 8 bye didn't solve all of Baltimore's injury problems, with wideout Sammy Watkins , starting tackle Patrick Mekari and a trio of starting defensive linemen out of practice Wednesday. But vital blocking tight end Nick Boyle is coming back , and there's reason to believe the Ravens will learn how to cover up their weak spots, because they always have in the past.

Losing pass rusher Danielle Hunter for the season, on top of cornerback Patrick Peterson 's absence , limits what Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer can do defensively. This feels like a spot where the Vikings play better than most people expect, yet find a way to lose painfully.

The bad vibes in Cleveland got worse this week, with Odell Beckham Jr. The Browns entered the week with more injury questions than their opponent, as usual, and with the inferior quarterback in a Cleveland-Cincinnati game for the first time in a long time. Yet I still trust their coach and roster more overall than those of the frisky Bengals.

An energy-and-execution defense like Cincinnati's has smaller margins for error, and Cleveland's running game is built to steamroll.

This is the year of the double-digit favorite in the NFL. More times than not, the double-digit favorite has covered.

Somehow, the Jaguars haven't been involved in any of these games. That speaks to their easy schedule, which also speaks to their reasonable claim to being the league's worst team. That's a long way of saying the Bills have the most trustworthy defense in football, and there isn't a number big enough to convince me to take the Jaguars on Sunday.

When I was under the impression Davis Mills would start this game for Houston, I wasn't willing to take the 6. So, at initial publishing, this space predicted a Dolphins win. The line changed -- dropping a point to 5. Taylor looked terrific in his six quarters of play before injury. He dramatically upgrades this Texans offense, so I'm not comfortable giving away too many points in a matchup of one-win teams.

I write these picks on Wednesday, when Giants player availability is total guesswork. Even if I know, there's no way to identify which four Giants will leave with new injuries in the first half on Sunday. I've believed that New York is better than its record for a while now, and Daniel Jones is mostly holding up, but the fact Joe Judge's squad has been outscored in the final two minutes of first halves is an indictment of his coaching ability.

The Giants are bad in all the situational football ways he's supposed to be good. The Eagles keep getting these opportunities to return to relevance in the wide-open NFC race for the seventh seed, and they keep coming up short.

Meanwhile, the Patriots have allowed the second-most yards per rush on scrambles in the past 10 years. Bold prediction: Ben Watson will catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady.

The Patriots have struggled to run consistently, so the odds are greater that the offense will once again need to rely more on the passing game. And over the past five seasons, his 37 rushing scores trail only Todd Gurley II Four such games. But over the past six seasons, Baltimore is ATS in prime time. Matchup must-reads: Bets pouring in on Patriots to finish unbeaten Patriots add kicker Nick Folk to replace Mike Nugent Monday, p. That could spell trouble for a Giants defense that ranks 25th against the pass.

Prescott has thrown 13 touchdowns passes and no interceptions in his past five games against the Giants. Bold prediction: The Cowboys will hold Saquon Barkley to fewer than rushing yards. Barkley has two yard outings in three games against the Cowboys, but he has needed runs of 68 and 59 yards to reach and yards in those. The Cowboys' run defense has been only OK, but it is as healthy and as confident as it has been all season.

They are averaging an NFL-high 7. Only the Chiefs have scored more touchdowns using 11 personnel this season What to know for fantasy: The Cowboys have won five straight over the Giants, and Prescott is a big reason why, averaging passing yards and Betting nugget: Over the past three seasons, Dallas is outright and ATS in division games, including covering seven straight. It has covered all five meetings against New York in that span.

Matchup must-reads: Even without Jamal Adams, Cowboys show they're all-in Sunday, a. What to watch for: How do the Texans cope without defensive end J. Jacksonville has allowed 18 sacks this season, which ranks 17th in the NFL. Bold prediction: The Jaguars will hold running back Carlos Hyde to less than 40 yards rushing. Stat to know: Houston's DeAndre Hopkins has at least five receptions in 11 straight games dating back to last season, the second-longest active streak in the NFL Michael Thomas , What to know for fantasy: Leonard Fournette leads the NFL in touches and owns the longest active streak of games with at least 75 total yards eight in a row.

Matchup must-reads: Replacing J. Watt won't be a one-man option for Texans Nick Foles or Gardner Minshew? Jaguars' quarterback decision looms. Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Week 9 NFL game picks, schedule guide, fantasy football tips and more. Steelers open window for JuJu to return from IR. Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas Cowboys. Mercilus makes surprise return to Pack practice. Green Bay Packers. Ex-Eagles coach Pederson interviews with Bears. Chicago Bears. Irsay on Colts' collapse: 'Buck stops with me'.

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