NFL Picks Week 9: Stone-Cold Locks Against the Spread

Week 9 of the 2013 NFL season is rapidly approaching, making this an ideal time to get to the sportsbook and place your bets down on the upcoming slate of games.

Whether you are looking to back a home underdog that almost always covers the spread or take a risk on a road team that is getting points, there are plenty of intriguing matchups to bet on.

Let’s take a look at the latest lines for every game, check out my picks for the winner of each and then highlight a handful of lead pipe locks against the spread.

*Trends courtesy of VegasInsider.com

Away Team	Home Team	Line	Prediction (ATS)
Cincinnati Bengals	Miami Dolphins	CIN -1.5	MIA
Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	CAR -7.5	CAR
Minnesota Vikings	Dallas Cowboys	DAL -10.5	DAL
New Orleans Saints	New York Jets	NO -4.5	NO
Tennessee Titans	St. Louis Rams	TEN -3	STL
Kansas City Chiefs	Buffalo Bills	KC -3	KC
San Diego Chargers	Washington Redskins	PK	WAS
Philadelphia Eagles	Oakland Raiders	PHI -3	OAK
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -16.5	SEA
Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland Browns	BAL -3	CLE
Pittsburgh Steelers	New England Patriots	NE -6.5	NE
Indianapolis Colts	Houston Texans	IND -1	IND
Chicago Bears	Green Bay Packers	GB -11	CHI

 

New Orleans Saints (-4.5) over NEW YORK JETS

The Saints may be 6-1 on the season, but they are a mere 1-2 ATS away from the Superdome. This team hasn’t played as well on the road as it has at home, but that should change against Gang Green on Sunday.

New Orleans is looking to build on the offensive clinic it put on against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, with Drew Brees tossing five touchdowns in a 35-17 blowout victory. The Saints are firing on all cylinders and should only get better as the season drags on.

That shouldn’t be hard against the lowly Jets, who conceded five scores to Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals in a 49-9 drubbing this past Sunday. The defense is clearly out of sync, and rookie quarterback Geno Smith tossed a pair of pick-sixes during the contest.

Considering the Saints defense is much better than it has been given credit for—recording 15 takeaways in 2013—it should be a one-sided affair at MetLife Stadium in Week 9.

Back the chalk and cash your ticket when New Orleans moves to 7-1 and wins by at least double digits.

 

OAKLAND RAIDERS (+3) over Philadelphia Eagles

Anyone who has been fading the Raiders at home is going to have a lighter wallet. This squad is 3-1 ATS in the Black Hole, with the sole loss coming with Matt Flynn under center back in Week 4 against the Washington Redskins.

Oakland is undefeated in the O.co Coliseum with Terrelle Pryor starting at the quarterback position and should continue that run on Sunday. This team recently beat another Pennsylvania-based team that came all the way out to the West Coast as an improbable favorite.

Don’t expect a better performance from the Eagles than the one that the Pittsburgh Steelers put on last week in a 21-18 loss to Oakland.

One reason for that is the quarterback situation in Philly. It is far from figured out, as Michael Vick is injured and may have lost his starting job, Nick Foles is still coming off a concussion, and Matt Barkley is just plain terrible.

With so much uncertainty at the most important position on the field, the Raiders are poised to have a field day against whoever winds up starting and/or finishing the game.

Oakland has a great shot of outright winning this one, as it is a tough squad to beat at home and is looking to get a streak going after dispatching the Steelers last week. The Eagles have too many question marks and shouldn’t be favored in a game that they will likely lose.

Back the underdog and watch as the Raiders coast to an easy “W.”