NFL Week 9 Picks: Latest Predictions for Updated Spreads

It's like the NFL schedule-makers knew that by Week 9 some sorting out would need to be done atop each conference, because there are a slew of top matchups between elite teams over the weekend that will have massive implications moving forward.

Six teams may be resting on much-needed byes, but that won't make the 13 matchups on tap for Week 9 any less great. Anytime you have Tom Brady facing Peyton Manning, the overall slate can't be bad, but the weekend features much more than a battle between the AFC's biggest heavyweights.

Elsewhere, a couple of reeling playoff contenders will get the chance to right the ship against squads that won't make things easy.

Here's a look at odds for every Week 9 game and a prediction for which side of the spread the final score will fall on.

Time (ET)	Matchup	Spread	Prediction ATS
8:25 p.m. (Thu.)	New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers	CAR -2.5	Panthers
1 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns	CLE -6	Browns
1 p.m.	Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys	DAL -4	Cardinals
1 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans	PHI -2.5	Texans
1 p.m.	New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs	KC -7.5	Chiefs
1 p.m.	Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -13.5	Bengals
1 p.m.	San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins	MIA -1.5	Chargers
1 p.m.	Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings	WSH -1	Redskins
4:05 p.m.	St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers	SF -7.5	49ers
4:25 p.m.	Denver Broncos at New England Patriots	DEN -4	Patriots
4:25 p.m.	Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks	SEA -15.5	Raiders
8:30 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers	BAL -1.5	Steelers
8:30 p.m. (Mon.)	Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants	IND -3	Colts

Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. ET

Best Spread Picks

New England Patriots (+4) over Denver Broncos

Uncredited/Associated Press

They've been at it for a while now, but Brady vs. Manning has yet to lose its luster with both the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots wrecking the AFC en route to Sunday's showdown.

After starting a wobbly 2-2, the Patriots have been on fire with a whopping 158 points scored in their last four games. As for Denver, its only blemish of 2014 was an overtime defeat in Seattle, and the Broncos have won their last four games by an average margin of victory of more than 18 points.

Head coach John Fox talked about the Broncos' preparation for the big game, per the team's official Twitter:

Manning is firing on all cylinders with a 14-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio since that Week 4 Seahawks loss, playing the primary role in the Broncos emerging as four-point favorites.

That's one of the Broncos' lowest lines of the season, but it's not low enough.

For the first time pretty much all season, Manning will have his hands full with a secondary performing among the NFL's best. New England' pass defense ranks second in the NFL, giving up just 211 yards through the air, and has eight picks on the year.

The story entering Sunday's game is all about the quarterbacks, but these defenses will both make statements to prove they're capable of making a Super Bowl run. That will drive the score down and keep things tight.

Denver will win on the road, but it will be tight as can be down the stretch. That will leave the Broncos unable to cover the spread.

Prediction: Broncos 27, Patriots 24

Cincinnati Bengals (-13.5) over Jacksonville Jaguars

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Even without A.J. Green in the fold, the Cincinnati Bengals took care of things against Baltimore in Week 8 and are set for a dominant performance against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Jacksonville looked set for a midseason emergence after getting its first win of the season against Cleveland, but came crashing back down in a 27-13 loss to Miami at home. Blake Bortles threw two interceptions, both of which were returned for scores.

Those came against a Dolphins defense that had forced four picks all season prior. The Bengals, on the other hand, have more interceptions (nine) than passing touchdowns conceded (eight) and rank fifth in the league in team picks.

To make matters worse for the Jaguars, Green—a game-changing wideout every time he is healthy enough to play—is expecting to suit up Sunday, according to Richard Skinner of Cincinnati.com.

The Jaguars have given up the sixth-most passing yards in the league, and that should only get worse as Green and Mohamed Sanu look to gash their secondary in Week 9.

Prediction: Bengals 31, Jaguars 10

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.