NFL Week 9 Picks: Predicting Winners for Most Intriguing Matchups

Week 9 of the NFL season is very interesting. Two of the best teams in the league, the Broncos and the 49ers, are on their bye while most of the Week 9 matchups are extremely lopsided on paper, as the 7-1 Seahawks take on the 0-7 Buccaneers and the 8-0 Chiefs face the 3-5 Buffalo Bills.

While many of Sunday's games seem a little unfair, there are a few that stick out as good matchups in this week's schedule.

Here are a few of the most intriguing games on the docket for this week in the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns

The Ravens plaing the Browns wouldn't normally jump off the page as intriguing, but in the 2013 season, it certainly does. The Ravens (3-4) and Browns (3-5) are second and third, respectively, in the AFC North. That makes this game extremely intriguing. Not only are they both trying to inch closer to .500, but they're also trying to gain some ground in a division that the Bengals are running away with this season. 

In their first clash in Week 2, the Ravens put up 14 points unanswered in the second half to take home a 14-6 win. What was key in that one was what went down, or rather didn't go down, between Ravens running back Ray Rice and Browns defensive lineman Phil Taylor. 

 According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Taylor accused Rice of spitting in his face after a play in that meeting, which Taylor thought warranted a hearty head-slap to the undersized running back. Rice had this to say of the situation, via Hensley:

"

It was two guys jawing at each other, I had my mouthpiece in, so when I went to say something back to him it looked as if I projected toward him. But I had my mouthpiece in. I was saying something, he was saying something. Obviously, that's what happened. We'll leave it at that.

"

Whether the Browns or the Ravens care to admit it, incidents like this are great bulletin-board material for coaches. What's going to get your team fired up more than seeing your next opponent disrespecting one of your teammates? In this case, it works for both sides.

That's not where the intrigue ends for this matchup, however. Another interesting element is how both teams stack up on paper. The Ravens are 12th in the league in passing and 28th in rushing yards per game. The Browns are 16th in passing and 26th in rushing. In addition, both teams are on losing streaks, with the Ravens dropping their last two games and the Browns losing their last three.

This matchup might not look exceptionally interesting, but once you see just how well these teams match up and the recent history between them, Sunday's game gets a lot more intriguing. 

Prediction: Browns 21, Ravens 14

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Oakland Raiders

The Eagles come into this AFC/NFC matchup at 3-5 and on a two-game losing streak following a 17-3 loss last week to the New York Giants. The Raiders are 3-4 and coming off a hard-fought victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

This game has a few major similarities to the Browns-Ravens contest. The Eagles average 150 yards rushing while the Raiders average just under 140 yards rushing. While both teams are ranked among the top five in the NFL in rushing, they both struggle in the passing game. 

The same comparisons can be made on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders and the Eagles both have top-10 running defenses, but also have issues against the pass, especially the Eagles' secondary, which is ranked 31st in the league.

The two teams' similarities on paper makes this mirror matchup pretty interesting. Both offensive units have also been dealing with injuries all season—the Eagles at quarterback and wide receiver, and the Raiders at running back. This could turn out to be a pretty solid game, especially with Nick Foles getting the quarterback nod for the Eagles after he put up 296 yards passing and three touchdowns a few weeks back against the Buccaneers. 

 Prediction: Raiders 27, Eagles 24

Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers

Even with Jay Cutler standing on the sidelines at Lambeau Field as he nurses his groin injury, this game has "intrigue" written all over it.

First of all, it's the Green Bay Packers vs. the Chicago Bears, one of the most storied rivalries in the NFL. These two teams have been battling in the Midwest for decades and, as Packers coach Mike McCarthy knows, these games are usually barnburners.

However, the NFC North implications are what truly make this one a game to watch in Week 9. The Packers are in first place in the NFC North at 5-2, with the Detroit Lions second at 5-3 after their miraculous win over Dallas in Week 8. The struggling Bears hold down third at 4-3. The division race might seem a bit boring, but with a Bears' win on Sunday, we got a stew goin'. 

If the Packers advance to 6-2 and the Bears fall to 4-4, with Detroit on its bye week, Green Bay will no longer have the bye in its favor in the rankings, but will move up another win on the Lions and still have its Week 5 win over Detroit in its back pocket.

However, if the Bears somehow win without Cutler, they will pull even with both the Lions and the Packers for the division lead, so this game is huge.

Prediction: Green Bay 35, Chicago 17

Date	Matchup	Prediction
Sunday, Nov 3	Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills	KC 35, BUF 14
Sunday, Nov 3	Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings	DAL 45, MIN 13
Sunday, Nov 3	Tennessee Titans vs. St. Louis Rams	TEN 21, STL 9
Sunday, Nov 3	New Orleans Saints vs. New York Jets	NO 28, NYJ 17
Sunday, Nov 3	San Diego Chargers vs. Washington Redskins	SD 17, WSH 14
Sunday, Nov 3	Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers	CAR 24, ATL 17
Sunday, Nov 3	Philadelphia Eagles vs. Oakland Raiders	OAK 27, PHI 24
Sunday, Nov 3	Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Seattle Seahawks	SEA 28, TB 3
Sunday, Nov 3	Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns	CLE 21, BAL 14
Sunday, Nov 3	New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers	NE 27, PIT 21
Sunday, Nov 3	Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans	IND 35, HOU 13
Monday, Nov 4	Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears	GB 35, CHI 17