It’s hard to believe, but we’ve hit the midway mark of the schedule with our NFL Week 9 picks and predictions.
Gone are the “guessing games” of September, and by the time things kick off on Sunday, October’s proving grounds will also be in the rearview. Welcome to November football.
Whatever the month, the top priority for your NFL picks is to get the best number to back up your opinion. That’s where I come in.
Here, I run down the opening Week 9 odds, highlighting the spreads and totals to jump on and those that offer value after the market moves later in the week.
Here’s the NFL Week 9 “Bet Now, Bet Later” lines.
NFL predictions: Week 9 bet now, bet later picks
- 49ers (-2.5) at Giants: Bet Now
- Falcons (+5.5) at Patriots: Bet Later
- Saints at Rams (Under 44.5): Bet Now
- Broncos at Texans (Under 40.5): Bet Later
San Francisco 49ers (-2.5) at New York Giants: Bet Now
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a one-sided loss to a very stout Houston team, and while they stay on the road — travelling all the way to New Jersey for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff — they're in a much better spot than the New York Giants.
New York suffered a gutting loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, not just getting slammed by a vengeful defending champion but watching electric rookie RB, and unofficial mascot, Cam Skattebo go down with a gruesome ankle injury.
While the G-Men are losing bodies, the 49ers are getting them back. Quarterback Brock Purdy has a good shot at returning under center after another week of practice.
New York’s defense was already dealing with injuries in Week 8 and could be down two starting defensive backs. The Giants have allowed 26, 33, and 38 points in three of their last four contests.
If you’re confident in the Niners finding their stride, bet them below the field goal now.
Best odds to bet 49ers -2.5 right now
Atlanta Falcons (+5.5) at New England Patriots: Bet Later
Nothing looks worse in the eyes of the public than getting shit-stomped by the Dolphins on your own turf.
So, it shouldn’t be surprising to see the Atlanta Falcons open as 5.5-point underdogs in Foxborough in Week 9, and it wouldn’t be a shocker to see this spread hit the key stop of the New England Patriots -6 later in the week.
We do have to cut Atlanta some slack in that 34-10 home loss on Sunday, given QB1 Michael Penix Jr. was out and Kirk Cousins reminded us all to check the expiration date on the milk in the fridge. Sour.
New England has an impressive five-game winning streak going, but that was built on the backs of turds, knocking off basement dwellers like Cleveland, Tennessee, New Orleans, and Carolina.
Should this spread creep to New England -6 or higher, there could be value buying back the skewed market perception on the Pats.
Covers NFL betting tools
- NFL odds
- NFL picks
- NFL player props
- Super Bowl 60 odds
- Best NFL betting sites
- This week’s NFL matchups
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (Under 44.5): Bet Now
The Los Angeles Rams are fresh off the bye and ready to make a run to the top of the NFC West.
Los Angeles’ defense has been exceptional in recent games, giving up scores of only three, seven, 20, and 23 in the past four. The Rams are tied for the third-fewest yards allowed per play (4.7) and are the top red-zone defense in TD rate (40%).
The New Orleans Saints offense is a mess. Quarterback Spencer Rattler was given the hook for rookie Tyler Shough in the loss to Tampa Bay in Week 7, in which NOLA managed a measly field goal. New Orleans is the least explosive attack and has cracked the 20-point plateau only twice in its eight games.
As for the Saints defense, it’s better than it looks on the surface. New Orleans checked Tampa Bay to just 212 yards this Sunday and is surprisingly stout in the red zone, holding its last four foes to a collective 6-for-14 in terms of TD success inside the 20-yard line.
If you wonder about this Under, grab it now on the right side of the key O/U number of 44.
Best odds to bet Under 44.5 right now
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans (Under 40.5): Bet Later
For two teams that pride themselves on defense, the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans sure put up a lot of points in Week 8. That has this low opener of 39 points trending upward, as high as 40.5 O/U in the hours after opening on Sunday night.
Could we see opinion push this total to the key of 41? If so, think about buying back the Under.
The Broncos’ offensive output has been puffed up by some bad defenses, such as the Cowboys, Giants, and Bengals. Houston is by far the best stop unit Bo Nix & Co. have faced this season.
The Texans have seen a similar uptick in offense thanks to facing injury-ravaged defenses like the 49ers and Ravens, as well as the toothless Titans.
Houston did run into a legit stop unit versus Seattle in Week 7 and managed only 3.7 yards per play.
Be patient with the Under and see if it continues ticking upward before getting involved.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
