NFL Week 9 Staff Picks: Chargers to get back into win column with a bang
Each week during the NFL season, the staff at theScore will put on their prognosticator hats and offer up selections against the spread for each of the week’s games, highlighting several marquee matchups.
| Game | Battaglia | Bottero | Holroyd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saints at Panthers | CAR +2.5 | NO -2.5 | NO -2.5 |
| Chargers at Dolphins | SD +1.5 | SD +1.5 | SD +1.5 |
| Jaguars at Bengals | CIN -11 | CIN -11 | JAX +11 |
| Buccaneers at Browns | TB +6.5 | TB +6.5 | CLE -6.5 |
| Redskins at Vikings | MIN -2.5 | MIN -2.5 | WSH +2.5 |
| Eagles at Texans | HOU +2 | PHI -2 | PHI -2 |
| Jets at Chiefs | KC -9.5 | KC -9.5 | NYJ +9.5 |
| Cardinals at Cowboys | ARI +4 | ARI +4 | ARI +4 |
| Rams at 49ers | STL +10 | STL +10 | SF -10 |
| Broncos at Patriots | NE +3 | DEN -3 | NE +3 |
| Raiders at Seahawks | OAK +15 | SEA -15 | OAK +15 |
| Ravens at Steelers | PIT +1 | PIT +1 | BAL -1 |
| Colts at Giants | IND -3 | NYG +3 | IND -3 |
Unanimous selections: Chargers +1.5, Cardinals +4
Unanimous selections are 15-14 ATS for the season. Last week: 3-1 ATS.
Marquee Matchups
Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys (-4)
Chris Battaglia: Tony Romo’s back injury put a wrench in Dallas’s offense against Washington and he will need to be fully healthy to be effective against Arizona’s fearsome pass defense. The Cardinals have also allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFC, which is bad news for league rushing leader DeMarco Murray. Cardinals +4
Gino Bottero: The Cardinals haven't gotten nearly the level of respect they deserve this season, especially considering that the lone blemish on their record came in Denver. The Cowboys seemed to stray slightly from what's worked for them on Monday night and that's the run game. With either a limited Tony Romo or Brandon Weeden under center on Sunday, the Cardinals will take a lesson from the Redskins and do what they can to take away the run. Cardinals +4
Caitlyn Holroyd: Tony Romo is banged up and the Cowboys are coming off a tough overtime loss to the Redskins, which could work in Arizona's favor. The Cardinals surrendered 110 rushing yards to the Eagles in Week 8, but still boast the NFL's third-best run defense and have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal on either side of the ball. Cardinals +4
Denver Broncos (-3) at New England Patriots
Battaglia: Betting against Tom Brady at home is a very dangerous game. He has 87 victories in 101 appearances at home for New England, which is 4-0 in Foxborough this season. Brady has also won eight of 11 regular-season games against teams with Peyton Manning at quarterback. It’s basically impossible to pass up the Patriots when they’re home underdogs. Patriots +3
Bottero: Tough to stray from the Patriots as home underdogs given how dominant they've been in Foxborough with Tom Brady, but there's no better team in football than the Broncos at the moment. They put up a good showing there last year, even if they couldn't close the deal. With the issues they had on defense resolved, the Broncos will come away with a better result this time around. Broncos -3
Holroyd: Both teams are riding four-game winning streaks and sit at the top of their respective divisions, so this game is bound to be a close one. The last Brady vs. Manning Bowl saw the Patriots eliminated in the AFC Championship Game, but it's New England that holds the series edge. They're also very good at home, especially in October. Patriots +3
Baltimore Ravens (-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers
Battaglia: Ben Roethlisberger carved his name into the NFL record books with his second career 500-yard passing game and that performance could continue against Baltimore, which allows the fourth-most passing yards in the AFC. The Ravens' two road victories came against the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two weaker teams than the Steelers. Steelers +1
Bottero: The Ravens have been playing better on the road this year than they have in recent seasons, but they've endured a lot of travel of late and are playing in hostile territory against a division rival for the second week in a row. The Steelers' offense seemed to figure some things out last week and now they get to face a beatable Ravens pass defense. Steelers +1
Holroyd: The Steelers hold an all-time record of 23-17 against the Ravens, but have won just four of their last 10 matchups against their AFC North rivals. Slowing down Ben Roethlisberger will be key for the Ravens, who rank seventh in run defense and 22nd in pass defense. If they can do that, this game is their's to win. Ravens -1
Wild-Card Selections
New Orleans Saints (-2.5) at Carolina Panthers
Battaglia: New Orleans still cannot win on the road. An 0-4 mark in 2014 overshadows the Saints’ 3-0 home record and gives Carolina a chance to take a clear lead in the NFC South. The Panthers are not the team they were last season, but they are resilient enough to hang around against an opponent like New Orleans and wait for a mistake. Panthers +2.5
San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins (-1.5)
Bottero: The Dolphins may not have had any trouble rolling the Jaguars a week ago, but now they take a major step up in class against a Chargers team desperate to get back into the win column. San Diego will be happy to finally get a reprieve from the AFC West. Chargers +1.5
New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs (-9.5)
Holroyd: Geno Smith and Michael Vick had three turnovers apiece in the Jets' 43-23 loss to the Bills – their seventh in a row since defeating the Raiders in Week 1. Vick was the better of the two, though, and gets a legitimate opportunity to prove himself this week. The Chiefs have won four of their last five, but it's the Jets that need this one more. Jets +9.5
More NFL Betting Resources
TNF Betting Preview (Thursday)
Week 9 Betting Preview (Friday)
Game Day Betting Update (Sunday)
MNF Preview (Monday)
Lines courtesy Scoresandodds.com, Covers.