NFL Week 9 Picks: Breaking Down Sunday's Best Over/Under Bets

Coming into Week 9, it's safe to say that the offensive revolution in the NFL isn't stopping anytime soon.

Though there were some curious struggles early in the season, teams are back to scoring at the same exorbitant rates we saw in 2011. There are a whopping 18 teams scoring more than 23 points per game thus far, which is actually up from the 15 that did so last season. 

For oddsmakers, that makes creating the over/under lines a tricky proposition on a weekly basis. And for bettors, the oddsmakers' struggles open up some obvious logistical mistakes that essentially become free money.

The only problem is looking at the matchups and finding the correct lines to bet on. With that in mind, here is a look at the best bets for Sunday's slate of over/unders.

(Note: All over/under lines are courtesy of Bovada.)

Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars (Over/Under: 44)

It took nearly half of a season, but it seems like the Detroit Lions' vaunted passing attack has returned to form.

Facing off against the Seattle Seahawks' vaunted secondary, which has already held Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers (among others) in check this season, Matthew Stafford caught fire last Sunday. The Lions signal-caller threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns against one interception and led Detroit to a critical fourth-quarter comeback.

The Lions' hot streak should continue on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars—a team that boasts one of the NFL's worst defenses. Coming into Week 9, Jacksonville is 23rd in the league against the pass, giving up 251.3 yards per game. 

On paper, this contest screams for a 30-plus point effort from Detroit.

One might have some hesitation considering that Calvin Johnson missed practice for much of the week. Nonetheless, Johnson seems to be optimistic that he'll play on Sunday, saying that the rest was more precautionary than anything (per the Detroit Free Press).

Even if Megatron sits, it might not hurt Stafford against the Jaguars. Despite throwing the ball all over the field with ease last week, Stafford and Johnson connected just three times for 46 yards. 

For that reason, I'll stick with the initial 30-plus point prediction for the Lions and bank on the fact that they'll give up more than 14 points on the road as well. 

Pick: The Over.

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (Over/Under: 38.5)

Quite easily the lowest over/under number of the week, the oddsmakers have seemingly caught on to the fact that neither of these teams like the end zone.

Well, and the fact that they don't like allowing other teams to score, either. Coming into Sunday's game, the Vikings and Seahawks have combined to hit the over just five times this season, going under in 11 games. 

Being that half of a season is still a relatively small sample size, we obviously cannot use that to simply rubber-stamp our under and move on with our day. However, we can use that and couple it with the recent trends of both teams to make our conclusion. 

In short, things aren't going too swimmingly for the Vikings or Seahawks offensively. Minnesota quarterback Christian Ponder has looked putrid in each of the last two weeks, while Seattle signal-caller Russell Wilson has settled into a mostly-competent-yet-frustratingly-inconsistent role. 

When factoring in the strength of both secondaries, it seems rather apparent that this will be a points struggle. 

Even at such a low number, I can't recommend betting on anything but the under here. With these two offenses, it seems like the first to hit three scores will come out on top.

Pick: The Under.

Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins (Over/Under: 47.5)

Of the seemingly bevy of games we have this week between two non-contending teams, Carolina vs. Washington obviously carries the most intrigue.

Sunday will see the first matchup between Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III, two of the more electrifying quarterbacks in the NFL who are seemingly on differing paths.

Newton is in the midst of a massively disappointing second season, as his numbers have dropped down across the board. Once thought to be revolutionizing the quarterback position, Newton has become the brunt of a cavalcade of scorn.

Meanwhile, Griffin has become the NFL's golden boy this season, blending scintillating runs with pocket awareness far beyond his years. 

Needless to say, fans across the nation will be glued to this game, hoping to see a renaissance from Newton and continued greatness from Griffin. Look for them to get their wish this week.

Coming into Week 9, the Redskins boast the worst pass defense in the league, giving up a whopping 314.3 yards per game. That means if there is one game where Newton can come back and perform at his 2011 level, it's Sunday.

As for Washington, it seems safe to say that the offense will step up from last week's embarrassing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Redskins receivers dropped an NFL season-high 10 passes in Pittsburgh, just one fewer than they had all season coming into the contest.

Look for the receivers to hold onto the ball and for this game to turn into a shootout on Sunday. 

Pick: The Under.

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