NFL Predictions Week 9: Upset Picks and Projections

With so many matchups on tap for NFL Week 9 that are sure to come down to the wire, there aren't many upset picks, but some decent surprises are on the horizon as we get ready for another crazy weekend of football.

This weekend figured to be one of the best slates of the season before 2014 began, and it has lived up to the hype, with the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots both atop the AFC. But that's only the beginning of a Week 9 schedule that will go a long way in deciding the playoff outlook for each conference.

Upsets are guaranteed each and every week in a league with as much parity as the NFL, and Week 9 should be more of the same. 

Let's break down projections for every Week 9 matchup and highlight the best upset picks.

Time (ET)	Matchup	Spread	Pick
8:25 p.m. (Thu.)	New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers	CAR -2.5	Panthers 27-21
1 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns	CLE -6	Browns 21-13
1 p.m.	Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys	DAL -4	Cardinals 30-27
1 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans	PHI -2.5	Texans 23-17
1 p.m.	New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs	KC -7.5	Chiefs 31-20
1 p.m.	Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -13.5	Bengals 31-10
1 p.m.	San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins	MIA -1.5	Chargers 24-20
1 p.m.	Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings	WSH -1	Redskins 20-16
4:05 p.m.	St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers	SF -7.5	49ers 30-24
4:25 p.m.	Denver Broncos at New England Patriots	DEN -4	Broncos 27-24
4:25 p.m.	Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks	SEA -15.5	Seahawks 28-21
8:30 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers	BAL -1.5	Steelers 34-28
8:30 p.m. (Mon.)	Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants	IND -3	Colts 28-17

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

Upset Picks for Week 9

Houston Texans over Philadelphia Eagles

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They may have lost three of four, but the Houston Texans seem to be back to early-season form, and they are peaking at the right time as they approach a big Week 9 matchup with the Eagles.

After three straight comeback opportunities were thwarted, Houston had no such trouble against Tennessee, breaking off a big lead before cruising to a 30-16 win.

J.J. Watt had two sacks, one of which was a forced fumble. Regardless of whether Nick Foles takes selfies before Sunday's game, Watt will continue wreaking havoc against an Eagles offensive line still battling injuries.

Of course, Philadelphia is reeling after a late loss to the Arizona Cardinals on the road, but the focus has already shifted to Week 9, per the team's official Twitter:

"

Headlines: 24 hours is up. #Eagles are on to #PHIvsHOU. http://t.co/gqem2PeBOi pic.twitter.com/18iaEhQp2r

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 28, 2014"

Foles wasn't sacked in Week 8, but he had pressure in his face for many of his 62 throws. He won't have the same success evading the likes of Watt and Jadeveon Clowney.

A potent run game has kept the Eagles strong even when Foles hasn't been clicking, but that will be easier said than done against the Texans. They have allowed just four rushing touchdowns all season, seventh-best in the league.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has been managing games well as of late, and Arian Foster is finally healthy—knock on wood. With the quarterback getting both DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson involved aerially, the Texans have enough complementary pieces around to put up points against a suspect Eagles defense.

Prediction: Texans 23, Eagles 17

San Diego Chargers over Miami Dolphins

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The Chargers beating the Dolphins may not seem like much of an upset, but with Miami hosting San Diego and assuming early favorite status after a recent surge, it figures to be just that.

Joe Philbin's Dolphins have made quite the case for themselves since starting 1-2. They're now 4-3 and coming off two straight victories, playing with the confidence this team has lacked for years.

But save for a recent two-week stretch that included a last-second loss to Kansas City and a tough defeat to the Broncos, the Chargers have been virtually unstoppable. They rattled off five straight wins prior to that, and Philip Rivers (five touchdowns, one interception) hasn't played poorly by any means during the two-game losing streak.

The Dolphins have an emerging secondary (third against the pass) that could pose problems, but Rivers put up points against the Chiefs' and Broncos' stingy pass defenses. 

The Chargers are the real deal in the AFC, but they'll need to start rattling off wins to keep pace in the playoff hunt. On Sunday in Miami, that's exactly what will happen.

Prediction: Chargers 24, Dolphins 20

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