We have officially reached the midpoint of the NFL regular season! Personally, I always have to remember to savor the season, because it truly flies by compared to the other major sports. We had an alright week of picks in Week 8, so let’s see if we can build off of that momentum and have a strong showing in Week 9!
PICKS (78-43 Overall)
Baltimore Ravens (2-5) @ Miami Dolphins (2-6)
- Lamar Jackson returns after missing several games with an injury, as his Ravens face a Dolphins team coming off a surprising blowout of the Falcons in Atlanta. The Ravens have to play the rest of the season with their backs against the wall in order to make a charge towards the playoffs, and I think they get one win closer to .500 on Thursday night.
Indianapolis Colts (7-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
- Ooof. As a Steelers fan, I am quite nervous about how the defense is going to look against the best offense in the NFL up to this point. Jonathan Taylor already has 14 (!!!) touchdowns on the season, making an early case for MVP. In order for the Steelers to win this game, I think they need to slow things down on offense and keep the Colts off the field. Unfortunately, I just don’t see that happening.
Atlanta Falcons (3-4) @ New England Patriots (6-2)
- The Patriots are 6-2! This was quite shocking to me looking through the records. This will be a very fun matchup for Bijan Robinson vs. the Patriots run defense, as both have been stellar so far this season. I’ll take the Patriots at home.
Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) @ Tennessee Titans (1-7)
- It’s getting harder and harder to find more wins for the Titans this season. Even their singular win against the Cardinals was flukey. I think the Chargers handle business pretty handily here.
Chicago Bears (4-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)
- I am going to label this a must-win for Caleb Williams and the Bears. I know they are 4-3, but in order for Caleb to prove he is a solid starting QB, he needs to beat up on teams like the Bengals defense.
San Francisco 49ers (5-3) @ New York Giants (2-6)
- The Giants continue to get their hearts broken, as they lost another star rookie last week in Cam Skattebo to a devastating ankle injury. The Giants’ run defense is quite awful, and the Niners prefer to run the ball as much as possible. I’ll go Niners.
Denver Broncos (6-2) @ Houston Texans (3-4)
- This game’s spread is quite confusing. The Broncos have a much better offense and record, but somehow, they are underdogs. Maybe it has a little bit to do with Pat Surtain being injured for a few weeks, but Vegas must know something that we don’t. I’ll take the favorite at home and ride with the Texans’ defense.
Minnesota Vikings (3-4) @ Detroit Lions (5-2)
- After a pretty good start for the Vikings, it’s gone downhill fast in their past several games. The opposite could be said about the Lions, as they have shown themselves to be one of the elite teams in the NFC, and they’re continuing to get healthier. I think this game has the potential to not be very close.
Carolina Panthers (4-4) @ Green Bay Packers (5-1-1)
- I think it’s time for Andy Dalton to retire. He looked very incapable of running an offense last week as he filled in for an injured Bryce Young, and he gets to face a very good Packers team this week. Packers by a lot.
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)
- This game is kind of gross. The Raiders have been terrible, and I don’t really know what to think of the Jaguars so far. I could see this going either way, especially since Las Vegas will have Brock Bowers back, but I will choose the Jags.
New Orleans Saints (1-7) @ Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
- The Saints are starting rookie Tyler Shough at QB, against an incredible Rams defense on the road. With Puka Nacua returning from injury, I think this game also has the potential to get ugly. Rams by a lot.
Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) @ Buffalo Bills (5-2)
- There’s an interesting trend when these two teams meet. Over the past four years, the Bills have won every regular season matchup, and the Chiefs have won every playoff matchup. I think the Bills will win both matchups, as we know they’re inevitably meeting up in the playoffs in January.
Seattle Seahawks (5-2) @ Washington Commanders (3-5)
- It’s been hard to watch the Commanders defense lately. I suspect that pain may continue, as Seattle’s passing offense has been pretty awesome. I think Jayden Daniels and the Commanders put up a worthy fight, but I will pick the Seahawks.
Arizona Cardinals (2-5) @ Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1)
- This has the potential to be an absolute SHOOTOUT. Dak and the Cowboys have all kinds of firepower on the offensive side of the ball, and both of these defenses have seen better days. I will pick the Cowboys at home.
BETS (15-9 Overall) —- 3-0 last week!
Vikings/Lions Over 48.5 Points (-110)
Travis Hunter Anytime TD (+240)
Christian McCaffrey Over 66.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
FANTASY
Last Week’s Pick: Caleb Williams (12.80 points).
Los Angeles Chargers RB Kimani Vidal should be a solid start against a banged-up Titans defense.
See you next week!