Week 9 NFL Picks: Over/Under Advice, Final-Score Predictions and Odds

Procrastinators sure look like winners this week when it comes to NFL Week 9 picks. 

Those who waited around to see the lines adjust saw major swings for a few different games. The contest between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers swung all the way in favor of the visitors, while the Deshaun Watson injury cut the spread between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans by five. 

Lines changing over the course of a week isn't anything new, and it's often a viable strategy to play spreads throughout the week with those adjustments in mind. It's not often, though, we see such big swings. 

To help aid in spread plays before the kickoffs, here's a look at the updates and some matchups to know. 

NFL Week 9 Schedule, Odds

Atlanta (-2) at Carolina | O/U 43.5

Baltimore at Tennessee (-3.5) | O/U

Cincinnati at Jacksonville (-6) | O/U 39.5

Denver at Philadelphia (-8) | O/U 43.5

Indianapolis at Houston (-7) | O/U 49

L.A. Rams (-4) at N.Y. Giants | O/U 42

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (-7) | O/U

Arizona (-2) at San Francisco | O/U 39.5

Washington at Seattle (-7.5) | O/U 45

Kansas City at Dallas (-2) | O/U 51

Oakland (-3) at Miami | O/U 44 43.5

Detroit (E) at Green Bay | O/U 43

Denver at Philadelphia (-8)

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Say hello to one of the hardest lines of the week.  

This one might seem easier than it is given the completely different directions the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles appear to be traveling. The former have lost three in a row and sit below .500, while the latter looks like the best team in football at 7-1. 

But there's still a line of thinking here making this one seem difficult—the Broncos still have an elite defense. Von Miller's unit is only allowing 72.9 rushing yards per game (second in the league) and 21 points (13th). It's no secret in Denver where the problem is. 

"There's high tension. We're not winning. We're giving the ball away," cornerback Chris Harris said, according to the Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala. "We're tired of losing the same way. We have to score some points. You can't win if you can't score. … We've been fighting uphill the last two years."

This either makes the Broncos a dangerous desperate team or one set to fall apart on the road in a gut check. These Eagles are the team in front of the Broncos against the run this year (70.4 yards allowed) and surrender just 19.5 points per game. 

There aren't any problems on offense, though. Carson Wentz is an MVP candidate with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, and he's thrown multiple scores to a potent trio consisting of Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor.

Home, away, winning team, losing team—it hasn't really mattered. Until an opposing coaching staff can find a way to best the most balanced team in the league, it doesn't make sense to pick against the Eagles. This is especially the case against an offense going back to Brock Osweiler.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Broncos 17

L.A. Rams (-4) at N.Y. Giants

Here's one of the easiest lines would-be bettors will get all year. 

The Los Angeles Rams come out of a Week 8 bye on a two-game streak at 5-2. The New York Giants are 1-6. 

Sometimes it just writes itself. 

These Rams are one of the best teams in the NFC because a change at head coach, upgrades in the offensive trenches and improvement from Jared Goff (nine touchdowns, four interceptions) and a strong defense (19.7 points per game permitted) have combined to create a formidable new culture. 

The Giants have gone the complete opposite direction, getting a freak win in Denver in Week 6 but otherwise not putting up much of a fight while losing six games and watching as Eli Manning has suffered 17 sacks while throwing just 10 scores against five interceptions. 

Manning's side also happens to be one of the most injured in football, too, as Pro Football Weekly's Eric Edholm noted: 

Road game or not, this is a simple game-flow situation for the Rams. Todd Gurley and his 627 yards and five touchdowns gets to beat up on a defense ranked 23rd by coughing up 120.7 rushing yards per game. 

The ripple effect here is obvious. Goff's Rams are simply more physical and hungrier. 

Prediction: Rams 24, Giants 13

Washington at Seattle (-7.5)

While talking about easy lines, we'd be remiss not to mention this one between the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks. 

The hosts in this matchup don't just have one of the NFL's best home-field advantages going for it—the Seahawks have won four games in a row, two of them in blowout fashion.

In fact, Russell Wilson's side has lost two games overall, a pair of close games on the road against quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Marcus Mariota. 

So far, Washington's Kirk Cousins hasn't played at a similar level, throwing 13 touchdowns against four interceptions but being unable to elevate his team. The Redskins are 3-4, have dropped two in a row and it'd be four in a row if the team hadn't been able to escape at home against the still-winless San Francisco 49ers, 26-24. 

Yes, things are that bad for the Redskins right now, owners of a defense allowing 25.7 points per game (28th) and an offensive line injured to the point of the team signing three new faces over the past week. 

"I'm sure that Seattle may be even louder than anywhere else," Cousins said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "We'll be ready for it the best we can. We understand what we're walking into from that standpoint, and we know we have to communicate very well, verbally and visually, and be ready to go, from the first snap to the last."

This one is as predictable as it sounds. Wilson's offense should dominate the pace at home while the defense—boasting 18.9 points per game allowed, 17 sacks and eight interceptions—should feast against a hobble, away-from-home line. 

Prediction: Seahawks 30, Redskins 17

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Odds according to OddsShark.