NFL Spreads Week 9: Last-Minute Lines and Odds Sure to Pay Dividends

NFL spreads and odds can be a tricky thing, especially close to kickoff, but Week 9 is interesting with some no-brainers on the slate.

It's not always advisable to bet with a major favorite, as will be suggested for two lines below, but parity is not exactly rampant in the NFL this year and has made things rather easy from an odds perspective.

Whether it's a horrific team going against a contender, an injury-laden roster facing a hostile environment or other factors, here is a breakdown of obvious lines to bank on at the last second with Week 9 on the horizon.

Note: Odds courtesy of Vegas Insider.

Away Team	Home Team	Line	Prediction (ATS)
Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	CAR -7.5	ATL
Minnesota Vikings	Dallas Cowboys	DAL -10.5	DAL
New Orleans Saints	New York Jets	NO -5.5	NO
Tennessee Titans	St. Louis Rams	TEN -3	TEN
Kansas City Chiefs	Buffalo Bills	KC -3	KC
San Diego Chargers	Washington Redskins	PK	SD
Philadelphia Eagles	Oakland Raiders	PHI -3	OAK
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -16	SEA
Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland Browns	BAL -3	CLE
Pittsburgh Steelers	New England Patriots	NE -6.5	PIT
Indianapolis Colts	Houston Texans	IND -1	IND
Chicago Bears	Green Bay Packers	GB -11	GB

New Orleans Saints (-5.5) over New York Jets

Forget home-field advantage—the New York Jets are on a downward spiral at precisely the wrong moment in the schedule with the New Orleans Saints on the way to MetLife Stadium.

Words cannot describe how bad the Jets were last week in a 49-9 loss to Cincinnati, but head coach Rex Ryan put it aptly when he told Rich Cimini of ESPN that "If we don't play better pass defense than we played this past week, [Drew Brees] will throw for 700 yards..."

Ryan did not even allow his team to watch film of the loss. Andy Dalton threw for 325 yards and five touchdowns. Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith was intercepted twice and had both returned for touchdowns. 

Now the Jets must find a way to stop the Saints and an offense that ranks fifth in the league with 28 points per game. Smith must also find a way to rebound against a Saints defense that ranks fourth in the NFL with just 17.1 points per game allowed.

Five of New Orleans' six wins this season have come by six or more points. This is as easy as it gets.

Seattle Seahawks (-16) over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A college-esque spread such as this will often deter most, but now is the time to capitalize on a massive line.

Yes, Seattle escaped by just five points last week against St. Louis and comes into the matchup with Tampa Bay on a short week, but Greg Schiano's circus does not stand a chance in CenturyLink Field, where the Seahawks have not lost since December of 2011.

Russell Wilson and Co. average 25.6 points per game and two of their three home victories this year have come by 26 and 28 point differentials. The defense has allowed opposing teams to score an average of 11 points in CenturyLink this year.

Conversely, winless Tampa Bay averages just over 14 points per game and has met that total in its three road games. The Buccaneers will start rookie quarterback Mike Glennon, who has completed less than 60 percent of his passes in three out of four contests, and star running back Doug Martin will miss the game with a shoulder injury.

It's a wide line, but Seattle will make bettors who choose to throw down cash very happy on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers (-11) over Chicago Bears

Monday Night Football will be an ugly affair, but that is nothing but good news for fans who make the right decision on the line.

A depleted Chicago Bears roster does not stand a chance in Green Bay under the national spotlight. Chicago will be without quarterback Jay Cutler, and as Bleacher Report's Zach Kruse illustrates, the Bears will have plenty of green rookies in action against Aaron Rodgers:

Green Bay also holds a six-game winning streak over Chicago as ESPN's Jeff Dickerson reports:

Rodgers and Co. have not lost since Week 3, and four of their five victories have come by 13 or more points. The Bears rank fourth worst in the NFL as they give up an average of 29.4 points per contest.

It's going to be another show of dominance for the Packers over their heated rivals, and bettors must jump on board for the ride.

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling.