NFL Week 9 Picks: Guide for Latest Vegas Odds and Winning Predictions

Football fans have to look no further than Week 8 of the 2016 season to understand just how hard it is to bet NFL games in Las Vegas.

Just three of Sunday's 11 games were decided by double digits, and one of the eight that wasn't ended in a tie (Washington against the Cincinnati Bengals in London). All it takes in those narrow nail-biters is one unfortunate bounce for one side to completely swing the final result.

That won't stop bettors from trying their luck again in Week 9. With that in mind, here is a look at the spreads and predictions for each game as the NFL season gradually approaches the stretch run.

Spreads are courtesy of Odds Shark as of Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Spread	Predicted Winner Against Spread
Thursday, Nov. 3	8:25 p.m.	Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB -1	Falcons
Sunday, Nov. 6	1 p.m.	Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens	BAL -3	Steelers
Sunday, Nov. 6	1 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns	DAL -6.5	Cowboys
Sunday, Nov. 6	1 p.m.	Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs	KC -7.5	Chiefs
Sunday, Nov. 6	1 p.m.	New York Jets at Miami Dolphins	MIA -3	Dolphins
Sunday, Nov. 6	1 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants	NYG -3	Eagles
Sunday, Nov. 6	1 p.m.	Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings	MIN -6.5	Vikings
Sunday, Nov. 6	4:05 p.m.	Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams	CAR -2	Panthers
Sunday, Nov. 6	4:05 p.m.	New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers	NO -3	Saints
Sunday, Nov. 6	4:25 p.m.	Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers	SD -5	Chargers
Sunday, Nov. 6	4:25 p.m.	Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers	GB -7	Packers
Sunday, Nov. 6	8:30 p.m.	Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders	DEN -1	Raiders
Monday, Nov. 7	8:30 p.m.	Buffalo Bills at Seattle Seahawks	SEA -7	Seahawks

Week 9 Game to Watch: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

The AFC West showdown between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders is highlighted as the game of the week because of what is hanging in the balance.

Each side is 6-2 and tied for first place in the division. It is also the first of two head-to-head clashes between Oakland and Denver this season, which gives the victor the opportunity to gain some early ground in potential tiebreaking scenarios.

The upstart Raiders haven't been to the playoffs since the 2002 season, while the Broncos are the defending Super Bowl champions. If Oakland wants to be taken seriously as a contender this year, a victory over the formidable Broncos would be a major statement.

Both teams are riding two-game winning streaks, but the Raiders extended theirs on Sunday in peculiar fashion. They beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in overtime, 30-24, but they committed a league-record 23 penalties in the process, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The thought here is Oakland will clean up the penalty issue as it returns home, even against a formidable Denver defense. The coaching staff will put additional emphasis on it after the debacle against the Buccaneers, as head coach Jack Del Rio suggested, per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle:

The Raiders will need to do just that because they cannot afford to give the Broncos defense any breaks.

After Sunday's slate, Denver ranked fifth in the NFL in points allowed per game and third in yards allowed per game. However, Oakland running backs Latavius Murray and DeAndre Washington will have room to operate in this game against Denver's one notable defensive weakness.

The Broncos were just 24th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game after Sunday's action.

Zack Kelberman of 247Sports called the Broncos run defense "leaky," and that was before it allowed 111 yards on the ground to Melvin Gordon on Sunday during a 27-19 win over the San Diego Chargers.

Murray and Washington don't have to crack the century mark like Gordon as long as they open up the field for the aerial attack featuring quarterback Derek Carr and his top two weapons, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.

Carr has 2,321 passing yards, 17 touchdown throws and just three interceptions on the season. Crabtree has six touchdown receptions, and Cooper has 787 receiving yards. The threesome has propelled Oakland into the postseason discussion but will need Murray and Washington to force additional defenders into the box against Denver's secondary.

On the other side, look for the Raiders to make the Broncos one-dimensional without injured running back C.J. Anderson. Devontae Booker tallied just 2.8 yards per carry on Sunday against San Diego and couldn't pick up the slack for the injured starter.

That will put too much pressure on quarterback Trevor Siemian's shoulders, and the Raiders will earn a marquee victory at home.

Prediction: Raiders 24, Broncos 17