Week 9 of the NFL football seasonmeans we are past the midpoint.
The week starts with a rematch of last year's NFC championship game between the Packers and 49ers, a key game for both teams in this year's playoff race.
The Sunday schedule features five matchups between teams with winning records, andall ofthose games have intrigue. The cross-conference matchups between, Chicago andTennessee,Seattle and Buffalo and Miami and Arizona should be fun.Baltimore and Indianapolis meet in a battle of AFC contenders, and it builds up toward the Sunday Night Football rematch between New Orleans and Tampa Bay. These are games that should impact the playoff picture later.
Last week was an unpredictable mess in our picks – the first losing record in a single week. We'll try to bounce back to start the second half of the season.
- Last Week: 5-8 (Before Monday's game)
- Season: 40-28 (before Monday's game)
With that as the mind, below are our picks and predictions for Week 9 of the NFL season.
NFL POWER RANKINGS:
Packers, 49ers, Browns slip after ugly losses; Saints, Bills trending up for Week 9
Green Bay Packers (-2.5) at San Francisco 49ers
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX/NFL Network
This is a tricky game for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is 4-6 against the 49ers (including playoffs) and Aaron Jones, Allen Lazard and David Bakhtiariare battling injuries. San Francisco will be without Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle, among others. That should lead to an unpredictable finish.
Pick:Packers 27, 49ers 24
Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons (-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Falcons are 0-4 S/U and ATS as a favorite this season, and they play a hot-and-cold Broncos team led byDrew Lock, who led a thrilling comeback against the Chargers in Week 8. Atlanta's defense has improved a touch with interim coach Raheem Morris.So why are we feeling a small upset?
Pick:Broncos 27, Falcons 25
Seattle Seahawks (-3) at Buffalo Bills
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Seattle is a slight road favorite in another show-case home game for the Bills.Russell Wilson is completing 73.9 percent of his passes on the road this season, and he will make enough plays to keep the Seahawks ahead in a fun early shootout.
Pick:Seahawks 31, Bills 28
Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans (-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Bears are good play here knowing they are 5-2 ATS as an underdog this season, but will Nick Foles be able to generate enough offense to keep up with the Titans? Tennesseaverages 34.8 points per game at home and breaks a two-game losing skid.
Pick:Titans 28, Bears 23
Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Philip Rivers is heating up – and he's passed for three TDs in each of Indianapolis'last two games.Lamar Jackson's completion percentage has stayed under 60 percent the last three weeks, and the Colts match up well on defense. At least we think they do.
Pick:Colts 28, Ravens 27
Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs (-11.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Teddy Bridgewater avoided a serious injury in a loss to the Falcons last week, and Christian McCaffrey might be able to return to the lineup. That will help against the Chiefs,but it won't be enough. Kansas City has won their last two games by an average of 26.5 points per game.
Pick:Chiefs 34, Panthers 21
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Dalvin Cook put on a show against the Packers, and the Vikings have won the last three meetings with Detroit.Kirk Cousins is 4-0 against Detroit since coming to Minnesota, and he averages 250 passing yards with nine total TDs and one interception in those games. Stay with the track record.
Pick:Vikings 30, Lions 24
New York Giants at Washington Football Team (-3.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Giants won an ugly first meeting between these teams,but Daniel Jones will have to do more in the passing game to win on the road.Even in a short week, we think New York makes enough plays to win.Bad NFC East football breeds ugly games, and this won't be an exception.
Pick:Giants 20, Redskins 17
Houston Texans (-6.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Both teams had bye weeks to preparefor this battle of 1-6 teams. The Texans have won the last five meetings in this series, and the Jaguars have scored 14 points or less in those games. The spread still looks too high somehow.
Pick:Texans 27, Jaguars 23
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
The Chargers have become meme material for blowing second-half leads, and that has overshadowed the play of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. If the Raiders truly are a playoff contender, then they win this game. Las Vegas is 3-1 S/U on the road.
Pick:Raiders 31, Chargers 28
Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals (-4.5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
TuaTagovailoaand Kyler Murray meet for the first time since the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal, but this time it's a matchup to stay in the playoff race.Miami is 4-2 S/U and ATS as an underdog this season, and they have given up 17 points or less in their last three wins. Their unexpected success against the NFC West continues.
Pick:Dolphins 28, Cardinals 24
Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
There isn't a line yet, which is a nod to how ugly this could be. These franchises have played head-to-head in three Supers Bowls. Dallas'season of misery continues against Pittsburgh, whichmatches its win total from last season with an eighth victory.
Pick:Steelers 31, Cowboys 13
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
The two hottest teams in the NFC meet in a rematch from Week 1. Drew Brees didn't make the big mistakesin the first meeting, and it's on Tom Brady to even the season series.This Sunday Night Football thriller atones for last week's debacle between the Eagles and Cowboys.
Pick:Buccaneers 34, Saints 31
New England Patriots (-7.5) at New York Jets
Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
The Patriots have lost four in a row, and they have failed to score more than 21 points in a single game in that losing stretch. The Jets, meanwhile, haven't scored more than 10 points in a single game in their last four losses. New England and New York quarterbacks have combined for seven TD passes and 18 interceptions this season.
Pick:Patriots 20, Jets 10
