Week 9 NFL Picks: Full Lines, Best Odds, Spread Advice and Predictions

NFL bettors might feel a tad lost right now.

Other than everyone running around in weird costumes thanks to Halloween, the Week 8 slate ended on an odd note. Sometimes favored by as many as six points, the Minnesota Vikings went and got whipped 20-10 by the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Bears entered the affair with one win on the year.

Indeed, one of the surest-looking factors of the week went bottom-up in a hurry. The good news, though, is Week 9 looks like one of the easiest slates of the year. 

The trick? Jumping on the simple lines early in the week before they shift. Don't hesitate now, folks. The treat awaits as a reward.

NFL Week 9 Odds

Matchup	Spread	O/U	Predicted Winner
Atlanta at Tampa Bay	TB -1	51.5	ATL 33-24
Dallas at Cleveland	DAL -6.5	47	DAL 30-14
Pittsburgh at Baltimore	BAL -3	43	PIT 28-20
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants	NYG -3	43	PHI 21-20
Detroit at Minnesota	MIN -6.5	41	MIN 27-23
N.Y. Jets at Miami	MIA -3	44	MIA 20-17
Jacksonville at Kansas City	KC -7.5	45.5	KC 33-20
New Orleans at San Francisco	NO -3	51	NO 27-20
Carolina at L.A. Rams	CAR -2	45	CAR 23-20
Tennessee at San Diego	SD -5	47	SD 26-17
Indianapolis at Green Bay	GB -7	54	GB 30-17
Denver at Oakland	DEN -1	43.5	OAK 24-20
Buffalo at Seattle	SEA -7	44	SEA 24-21

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay (-1)

Yeah, this one will change in a hurry. 

A spread of a single point seems like oddsmakers were trying to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the benefit of the doubt as the home team against the Atlanta Falcons.

What it really hints, though, is Tampa Bay's Week 1 upset of Atlanta doesn't mean much given how the teams have played since.

The Buccaneers have only won two games since Week 1, and they weren't pretty—taking down iffy Carolina and San Francisco squads isn't anything to write home about. Nor is Jameis Winston completing less than 60 percent of his passes or the offense rushing for less than four yards per carry. Feel free to squeeze in the defense allowing an average of 27 points per game.

Atlanta doesn't have these problems. Matt Ryan led the team on a four-game tear after the opening-week loss, then the team lost by two points on the road in Seattle and in overtime against San Diego before getting back on track with a win against the Green Bay Packers.

Ryan looks like an MVP candidate with his 19 touchdowns to four interceptions, and his efficiency has helped two running backs sit on three or more rushing scores. The biggest problem is the defense allowing 28.9 points per game, but Ryan has a way of tipping the scales back in the right direction.

Week 1 always leads to some odd happenings, so bettors shouldn't bank on Winston tossing another four scores in an upset. It's more likely that Ryan boasts such a number with his team now all on the same page. This line will move in favor of the Falcons in a hurry, though it will take a huge swing for bettors to blink.

Prediction: Falcons 33-24

Dallas (-6.5) at Cleveland

The good old Cleveland Browns always seem around and willing to help bettors out.

Fans and bettors are now on what should be called something like "Browns Watch" because the team sits on an 0-8 record. Which team will give the Browns the first win of the year? It's almost more entertaining than watching the good teams play.

Bettors shouldn't think twice about this one, though. It's more likely that Cleveland's first win, if it's going to happen at all, comes in a gritty AFC North contest.

The Dallas Cowboys just don't look like a team ready to slip up. Jerry Jones' club has now won six in a row behind the smart play of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, whose nine touchdowns to two interceptions have received help from rookie back Ezekiel Elliott, a man with 799 yards and five scores.

NFL on ESPN showcased why it doesn't much matter if Tony Romo returns healthy anytime soon:

Granted, the Browns would be the perfect opponent to break Romo back in against. But there's no reason—a team shouldn't break up something like this, something that has the Cowboys as the surprise of the year, first in the NFC East and arguably looking like the best team in the league.

The Browns, well, it is hard to know who will pop up on the quarterback carousel next. Cleveland came close in Week 8, losing 31-28 against the New York Jets. But the Jets are 3-5 and a similar laughingstock, so it's not saying much.

Even on the road, look for Elliott to have a monster day close to where he played college ball. Heck, it might resemble a home game for the Cowboys, all things considered.

Prediction: Cowboys 30-14

Pittsburgh at Baltimore (-3)

This line seems to suggest a couple of things. 

For one, it hints at a strong AFC North encounter between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens even though the hosts have lost four consecutive games.

It also seems to imply Pittsburgh's two-game skid is something to worry about.

But step back—Baltimore has lost to Oakland, Washington and both New York teams. So, three iffy teams and a great one. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, dropped a weird game to the Miami Dolphins as Ben Roethlisberger suffered an injury and then shockingly (sarcasm) dropped a game to the New England Patriots while he watched from the sidelines.

Bettors can see where this is going.

As the Steelers' official Twitter account pointed out, two of the team's biggest stars have returned to action: 

The Steelers have healed up over a Week 8 bye. It's all systems go for Big Ben, who has 16 scores to six picks. Baltimore somehow allows less than 20 points per game on average, but over its past four outings, it has managed to cough up 10 passing touchdowns.

Baltimore's offense can't save it here. Joe Flacco looks...odd at best. He's thrown five touchdowns to six picks, while his offense can't rush for four yards per carry. His best receivers are an inconsistent deep threat (Mike Wallace) and a tight end who has problems staying healthy (Dennis Pitta).

Formerly one of the best rivalries in the NFL, this one looks more like a formality. Bettors know what to do.

Prediction: Steelers 28-20

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.