NFL Week 9 odds, picks: Ravens cover at home vs. Vikings; Cardinals bounce back with win vs. 49ers

We’re at the midway point of the regular season and it’s has been one heck of the year so far in the NFL. At each turn, the league is keeping us on our toes, including during Week 8 where there were a couple of bad beats. We were on the losing end of the Jets upset victory over the Bengals, and completely missed the mark on predicting the Lions would earn their first win of the year against Philadelphia, who would proceed to dominate on the ground. While it wasn’t a hot week with our picks, we still managed to float around .500 at 7-8 ATS and are still sitting pretty on the year with our locks of the week that are 24-12-4 overall. 

Below, we’ll look to rebound in Week 9 with 13 games on the upcoming slate to sink our teeth into. Of course, we’ll kick things off with our five locks of the week. 

2021 record

Locks of the Week ATS: 24-12-4
ATS: 61-57-4
ML: 76-46

Vikings at Ravens 

Latest Odds:

Baltimore Ravens
-6

Baltimore is coming off a Week 8 bye and had to take the break with the sour taste in its mouth after falling to the Bengals in Week 7. Prior to that loss to Cincinnati, the Ravens were rolling over their previous three games, outscoring opponents 88-38. So far this season, Lamar Jackson and Co. are averaging 6.2 yards per play (fourth-most in the NFL) and look to be a mismatch against Minnesota, particularly in the running game. Baltimore is averaging the fourth-most rushing yards per attempt (4.9) in the league this season and the Vikings defense is allowing the sixth-most yards per rush. Simply put, Minnesota — fresh off a loss to Cooper Rush and the Cowboys — don’t have the horses to keep up with the talent Baltimore is bringing on the opposing sideline. 

Projected score: Ravens 30, Vikings 21
The pick: Ravens -5.5

Which picks can you make with confidence, and which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $7,800 since its inception, and find out.

Broncos at Cowboys 

Latest Odds:

Dallas Cowboys
-10

After being a game-time decision last week, it looks like Dallas will get Dak Prescott back in Week 9, which makes laying a near-double-digit spread way more palatable. Despite the win last week, Denver’s offense only managed 273 total yards and 17 points against a poor Washington secondary. The Broncos defense — that just lost Von Miller — has also left much to be desired, allowing 6.1 yards per play since Week 4, which is the fifth-most in the NFL over that stretch. That won’t be good enough against a Dallas team that is still undefeated ATS at 7-0. 

Projected score: Cowboys 30, Broncos 20
The pick: Cowboys -9.5

Cardinals at 49ers 

Latest Odds:

Arizona Cardinals
-1

I like the Cardinals in a bounce-back spot here after falling to the Packers on Thursday for their first loss of the season. Arizona still has a high-powered offense led by Kyler Murray and has the second-highest margin of victory in the NFL at 13.5. San Francisco (2-5 ATS), meanwhile, did have an impressive win over the Bears where they dropped 33 points and ran for 145 yards and three touchdowns, but the Cardinals are a top-10 defense in DVOA against the run. 

Projected score: Cardinals 24, 49ers 21
The pick: Cardinals (PK)

Titans at Rams 

Latest Odds:

Los Angeles Rams
-7.5

Tennessee lost its heart and soul in Derrick Henry for the remainder of the season and will now look to find a new offensive identity going forward. That’ll be no easy task in Week 9 as they’ll have to travel to L.A. to face a Rams team that just acquired pass-rusher Von Miller as they look to make a serious run for a Lombardi. The Rams offense leads in the NFL in 6.5 yards per play and is second in the NFL in yards per attempt (9). That’s tough to match up against when you just lost a player in Henry that accounted for 36% of the team’s scrimmage yards this season. 

Projected score: Rams 33, Titans 21
The pick: Rams -7.5

Patriots at Panthers 

Latest Odds:

New England Patriots
-3.5

Don’t look now, but the Patriots are starting to get some mojo after back-to-back wins, including a road upset over the Chargers in Week 8. They’ll now go on the road to face the Panthers, who have a quarterback situation that is still up in the air with Sam Darnold (concussion). If he’s unable to go, P.J. Walker is a capable backup but will have the tough task of facing a New England defense that is allowing opponents to complete just 61% of passes (third-lowest in the NFL). 

Projected score: Patriots 27, Panthers 21
The pick: Patriots -4

Rest of the bunch

Jets at Colts 
Projected score: Colts 30, Jets 17
The pick: Colts -10.5

Browns at Bengals
Projected score: Bengals 24, Browns 21
The pick: Bengals -2.5

Texans at Dolphins
Projected score: Dolphins 23, Texans 17
The pick: Texans +6.5

Falcons at Saints
Projected score: Saints 28, Falcons 21
The pick: Saints -6

Raiders at Giants
Projected score: Raiders 24, Giants 20
The pick: Raiders -3

Bills at Jaguars
Projected score: Bills 33, Jaguars 14
The pick: Bills -14.5

Packers at Chiefs 
Projected score: Chiefs 30, Packers 21
The pick: Chiefs -7.5

Bears at Steelers
Projected score: Steelers 28, Bears 21 
The pick: Steelers -6.5 

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