The twist and turns of a wild NFL season continued in the ninth week of games. Only 12 contests ended in results between bye weeks, pushes and games with no listed lines. Overall, the week was a positive one, led by a strong slate of Sunday morning games. The 7-5 mark against the spread raised our season total to 57-72. With over half the season in the books, we’re really going to need to pick up the pace to get back over .500 and into the black.
There a lot of bad football games on the schedule in week 10, which makes sense because there are a lot of bad football teams, but at least Monday Night will be exciting when the undefeated San Francisco 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks. Go Hawks!
Chargers @ RAIDERS +1
The Chargers were surprisingly impressive last week knocking off the Green Bay Packers in L.A. Both of these teams are coming off wins that kept them alive in the AFC West hunt. This game feels like an elimination game in the division with the Kansas City Chiefs at 6-3. If the Chargers play like they did last week, they’ll come away with a victory, but I’m not banking on history repeating itself. Raiders win 28-24
LIONS @ Bears -2.5
Da Bears are heading in the Da wrong direction. Rumors are circulating that Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky requested all TVs to be turned off at Chicago’s facilities, to prevent the team from being exposed to criticism. The Bears seem to be deep in their feelings right now. That’s bad for football. Lions win 24-13
RAVENS @ Bengals +10
With recent wins over the Seahawks and New England Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens may be the hottest team in football. Defenses can’t seem to solve the problems presented by unique Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. The Bengals have not won a single football game this season. This has all the makings of a blowout. Ravens win 31-13
BILLS @ Browns -2.5
It’s incredible that the 2-6 Browns are favored over the 6-2 Bills. Cleveland has yet to win a home game this season, Buffalo has yet to lose a road game. That Cleveland is laying points shows just how popular the Browns are with the public. Siding with the Bills feels like a sucker bet. The number is too good to be true, but we’re going to do it anyways. Bills win 23-16
Chiefs @ Titans (no line)
Another week, another Chiefs game without a point spread. The gambling world waits on the injury status of Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes.
Falcons @ SAINTS -13
Somebody fire Falcons coach Dan Quinn and put him out of his misery. Quinn’s job is hanging by a thread and now he gets a matchup with the red-hot Saints in New Orleans. Quinn voodoo dolls are being stabbed with pins as we speak. Saints win 38-17
GIANTS @ Jets +2.5
If animal mascots were involved in this game surely PETA would be stepping in to protest the cruelty of this contest. Honestly, does anyone even care about this game? New Yorkers don’t even care! The Jets are the home side, but share the same stadium, so who knows which fan base will show up. The Jets are slightly more awful than the Giants. Giants win 23-17
CARDINALS @ Bucs -4.5
Tampa Bay seems both capable and helpless at the same time. The Bucs can put points on the board, led by a pair of great receivers, but QB Jameis Winston is a lock for three or four turnovers a game, and Tampa’s defense isn’t good enough to overcome those mistakes. Turnovers will be the difference in this game. Cardinals win 31-28
DOLPHINS @ Colts -10.5
Incredibly, we’ve played nine weeks of football, and not a single Colts game has been decided by more than a touchdown. The Canned Tuna may have blown their chances at the number one pick with a win over the Jets last week. Will we see a better Miami team now that they’re not trying to lose? The Colts may be without QB Jacoby Brissett. Why would we expect anything but another close game in Indianapolis? Colts win 21-20
Panthers @ PACKERS -5
The Cheese-heads are trying to rebound, and keep pace in the NFC playoffs race, after last Sunday’s dismal performance in L.A. The Panthers season took an unexpected turn when the team placed injured QB Cam Newton on IR this week, ending his season. Is that a good or bad thing for Carolina? Packers win 30-24
RAMS @ Steelers +3.5
The Steelers have clawed their way back into playoff contention in the AFC and the Rams have sputtered a bit through the first half of the season. Still it feels like the Rams are a class above this injury-riddled Pittsburgh team. For Los Angeles, this game is a must win to have any hopes of remaining in the NFC West hunt. Rams win 35-20
Vikings @ COWBOYS -3
The Vikings have struggled away from Minnesota this year having lost three of five road games. You don’t have to look any further than last week to see an example of that as the Vikes lost to a Chiefs team in Kansas City without Patrick Mahomes. The Cowboys always seem to fall flat in big spots, but they’re usual hard to beat in Jerry’s World. Cowboys win 27-21
Seahawks @ 49ERS -6
Let’s just be really clear… I hate the 49ers! I’m still siding with the home team this week though because I’m also incredibly superstitious and it seems like every time I pick the Seahawks, they don’t cover. This is the ultimate anti-jinx maneuver. I’m terrified of this game. The 49ers are really good. This rivalry is super intense dating back to the Harbaugh days. I may not sleep until Monday. 49ers win 30-23
