NFL Lines Week 9: Bets to Stay Away from on Sunday

NFL's Week 9 action is filled with games that could potentially end in blowouts, but don't be deceived—betting on a few particular games may not be as smart as it seems on the surface.

The lines for Week 9 are all over the place, with the betting odds (courtesy of Vegas Insider) predicting both close games and blowouts. Again, some of these odds are a bit deceptive.

Betting smart is always the key to taking advantage of good odds, so paying attention to trends and other occurrences is a good idea before placing your bet. Consider this before regretting your Sunday bets.

New Orleans Saints (-6) over New York Jets

This game does have the makings of a blowout on the surface, but don't be too comfortable betting on the New Orleans Saints.

The New York Jets have the best rush defense in the NFL and that will hamper New Orleans' ability to move the chains down the field. Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram will essentially be nonfactors on the ground, though each could prove useful in the passing game.

That being said, the Jets defense is too underrated of a unit to put your full stock in the Saints this week. The line is inflated partially because of the beatdown the Jets suffered at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals last week, but that shouldn't be something you take into account.

Literally nothing went right for the Jets in that one, and head coach Rex Ryan will make sure there are no lingering effects this week.

Temper your expectations for the Saints in this one and be careful putting a ton of money down on them. Don't be surprised if the Jets pull off a big-time upset.

New England Patriots (-6.5) over Pittsburgh Steelers

The New England Patriots continue to shock me on a week-to-week basis. They're one of the top teams in the NFL despite the worst season of Tom Brady's career and absolutely no consistency from their wide receivers.

Even if they've been picking up wins, I still don't like betting in favor of the Patriots when playing even semi-decent opponents. The Pittsburgh Steelers qualify as barely decent at 2-5, but their defense still has potential and Ben Roethlisberger is always a candidate to have a good game.

The Steelers boast the NFL's second-best pass defense, and mixing that with a struggling Brady would appear to be a recipe for success for Pittsburgh. It's not fair to count chickens before they hatch, but this contest could potentially be the upset of the week.

Don't take the chance. Do not bet in favor of the Patriots this week. You could be left very, very sorry.

Washington Redskins (-1) over San Diego Chargers

This bet is nearly a push, but don't bet your money on the Washington Redskins. This is one line that has me particularly baffled, as I simply don't see Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers losing to a team with the 27th-ranked pass defense in the NFL.

Rivers has an unbelievable 73.9 completion percentage on the year, as he has hooked up with nearly all of his targets consistently through seven games. Danny Woodhead has done wonders for him as an option in the flat, and he'll be heavily utilized in this one.

Betting on Washington simply isn't safe. Robert Griffin III hasn't led his team to wins over lesser teams this year, and that doesn't give me hope in them to defeat an underrated team in the Chargers.

Stay away from this one. The Redskins could end up pulling out a victory, but I just don't see it happening.