NFL Predictions Week 9: Can't-Miss Picks and Matchup Guide

The NFL oddsmakers are starting to hit their stride with half the 2014 season in the books, but the ever-changing landscape of the league means there is still money to be made in Week 9.

Much of the schedule is dominated by heavy favorites taking on seemingly overmatched underdogs, which can be a tricky endeavor for bettors. With that said, there are plenty of games on the slate observers can feel comfortable about.

Locks are difficult to come by at any juncture during the NFL season, but here is a closer look at picks for every Week 9 game, along with a few you can take to the bank.

Point spreads courtesy of Odds Shark.

Date	Away Team	Home Team	Spread	Pick Straight Up	Pick ATS
Thursday, Oct. 30	New Orleans Saints	Carolina Panthers	NO (-3)	NO	NO
Sunday, Nov. 2	Philadelphia Eagles	Houston Texans	PHI (-2)	PHI	PHI
Sunday, Nov. 2	Arizona Cardinals	Dallas Cowboys	DAL (-4)	ARI	ARI
Sunday, Nov. 2	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Cleveland Browns	CLE (-7)	CLE	TB
Sunday, Nov. 2	Washington Redskins	Minnesota Vikings	WAS (-1)	MIN	MIN
Sunday, Nov. 2	Jacksonville Jaguars	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN (-12)	CIN	CIN
Sunday, Nov. 2	San Diego Chargers	Miami Dolphins	MIA (-1)	SD	SD
Sunday, Nov. 2	New York Jets	Kansas City Chiefs	KC (-10)	KC	KC
Sunday, Nov. 2	St. Louis Rams	San Francisco 49ers	SF (-10)	SF	SF
Sunday, Nov. 2	Oakland Raiders	Seattle Seahawks	SEA (-15.5)	SEA	SEA
Sunday, Nov. 2	Denver Broncos	New England Patriots	DEN (-3.5)	DEN	DEN
Sunday, Nov. 2	Baltimore Ravens	Pittsburgh Steelers	Even	PIT	PIT
Monday, Nov. 3	Indianapolis Colts	New York Giants	IND (-3.5)	IND	NYG

San Francisco 49ers (-10) vs. St. Louis Rams

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Divisional games are rarely easy, especially in the NFC West. The 4-3 San Francisco 49ers have had their share of struggles this season, and the St. Louis Rams shocked the Seattle Seahawks a couple of weeks ago, but their Week 9 encounter has a blowout in favor of the Niners written all over it.

After ripping off three straight wins, including a 31-17 triumph at St. Louis in Week 6, the 49ers were dominated by the Denver Broncos in Week 7. It can be argued that San Francisco was exposed in a 42-17 shellacking, but few teams have had much success against Denver in 2014.

The 49ers had a Week 8 bye to help with the regrouping process, and head coach Jim Harbaugh seemed confident that his team would be able to put the loss behind them, according to The Associated Press, via USA Today.

"Onward," Harbaugh said. "We'll rally. Our team will be good at that."

There is no question that the Niners have far more talent than their record suggests, and the Rams figure to find that out Sunday. As inspiring as St. Louis' win over Seattle was, it was little more than an aberration. The Seahawks were the better team statistically, but the Rams managed to steal a win through trickery and deception.

That can only work so many times in a season, and it certainly didn't help them in their 34-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Per Jim Thomas of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Rams were basically inept on offense for almost the entire game:

It is tough to imagine things getting much better on the road against a determined 49ers team in Week 9. The Rams also have lost two key offensive players for the season in wide receiver Brian Quick and left tackle Jake Long, according to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner:

The Rams also have the NFL's No. 31 rush defense, which means running back Frank Gore and dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick promise to have a big day.

Everything is working against St. Louis entering Week 9, which means there is a perfect storm brewing in favor of the 49ers. San Francisco has a fairly favorable schedule coming up over the next month, and it will get the second half of the season started off right with a dominant victory.

Cincinnati Bengals (-12) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

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Many considered the Cincinnati Bengals to be the best team in football through three weeks, but they have struggled since returning from the bye. Cincinnati was decimated by both the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, with a tie against the Carolina Panthers in between, but it seems to be rounding back into form.

The Bengals scored a huge 27-24 victory in Week 8 over the Baltimore Ravens, which gave them a clean sweep over their AFC North rivals on the season. That wins seems to suggest Cincinnati has gotten its groove back, and that should lead to a strong showing in Week 9.

Not every win can be a masterpiece in the NFL, and the Bengals' Week 8 triumph certainly wasn't, but it was applauded by many, including former Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson:

With just one win to their credit, the Jacksonville Jaguars will travel to Cincinnati in hopes of pulling off an upset. The Jags have certainly shown some flashes in recent weeks, but beating the Bengals in The Jungle after a big divisional win seems highly unlikely.

Jacksonville's offense has received a big boost over the past couple of weeks from running back Denard Robinson, who had back-to-back 100-yard games. That is something Cincinnati must be mindful of, as it is allowing over 140 yards per contest, but the Bengals have a significant advantage in most other areas.

That is especially true on the passing side of things, as the Jaguars give up nearly 270 yards per game through the air. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is having a solid season and is capable of exploiting that. 

Dalton and the Bengals have been without superstar wideout A.J. Green for the past couple of weeks, but he expects to play in Week 9, according to Richard Skinner of Cincinnati.com.

"I'll practice this week and see how it goes, but I think I'll be fine," Green said. "I was at 40 percent last week and I feel about 80 percent today. I haven't had any soreness after I've worked out."

Green suiting up would be a major boost to a Bengals passing game that already has another rising target in the form of Mohamed Sanu and a great pass-catcher out of the backfield in Giovani Bernard.

With his full allotment of weapons in place, Dalton could very well have his best game of the season against a weak defense. This week also offers a great opportunity for Cincinnati's defense to get back on track, and that is precisely what it will do.

Arizona Cardinals (+4) at Dallas Cowboys

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In a battle of surprising six-win teams, the Arizona Cardinals will travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in Week 9. The Cards are coming off a huge win over the Philadelphia Eagles, while Dallas is reeling to some degree after getting upset by the Washington Redskins at home.

Aside from a loss to the Denver Broncos, Arizona has been flawless this season. The defense is playing surprisingly well despite myriad injuries, and quarterback Carson Palmer has effectively bounced back from a shoulder injury that could have prematurely ended his season.

As for the Cowboys, they were on an absolute roll until last week due largely to the play of running back DeMarco Murray, who has topped 100 yards rushing in every game. The Dallas defense allowed over 400 yards of total offense against the Redskins, though, and there is now a great deal of concern regarding quarterback Tony Romo.

The Cowboys signal-caller left Monday's game with a back contusion, only to return late in the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen if he will play in Week 9, but owner Jerry Jones acknowledged on 105.3 The Fan that his quarterback is potentially dealing with a large amount of pain, according to ESPN.com's Todd Archer:

"

We have nothing medically that would prevent him from playing. What I mean by that is there is nothing to his injury that won't function. ... This is a function of pain tolerance, (and) it is a serious issue. You could look at people who had similar-type contusions or a similar-type injury and haven't played the next week, so that would cause you some concern.

"

If Romo does play, there is no telling how effective he will be. If he doesn't play, the Cowboys will have to lean on backup Brandon Weeden. Either way, it works in Arizona's favor.

The Cowboys may very well lean heavily on Murray, but he may meet his match when he takes on the NFL's No. 3 rush defense. The Cardinals are allowing a mere 78 rushing yards per contest, so they may be equipped to hold Murray to fewer than 100 yards for the first time this season.

Palmer should have a field day after Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy threw for 299 yards against Dallas in Week 8. The Cowboys also have only 10 sacks on the season, and the Cardinals happen to have an elite offensive line, per NFL Network's Albert Breer:

Even though Dallas has shown some resilience and an ability to win close games this season, the Cardinals have shown even more. There are many factors working against the Cowboys, and Arizona has a ton of momentum, which will lead to a huge road victory.

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