NFL Week 9 Picks: Final Overview of Consensus Picks

It's not uncommon for NFL bettors to want to know what the general public thinks of impending matchups. Some even base their final decisions around how much action a team is—or isn't—getting prior to its contest.

Compiling consensus picks allows us to gauge how the everyday person views a certain game. While it can be used as a betting tool, it's also just plain, old-fashioned fun to see if the average Joe likes your team's chances of winning a pivotal matchup.

So, what does the public have to say prior to Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season? Here's a look at each forthcoming contest, its associated game line and the corresponding public consensus selection.

Matchup	Spread	Consensus Pick
Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans	PHI -1.5	Eagles, 64%
Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys	DAL -2.5	Cardinals, 71%
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns	CLE -7	Browns, 61%
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings	MIN -1	Redskins, 54%
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -10.5	Even, 50%
San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins	MIA -2.5	Chargers, 63%
New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs	KC -9	Even, 50%
St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers	SF -9.5	49ers, 55%
Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks	SEA -14	Raiders, 62%
Denver Broncos at New England Patriots	DEN -3	Broncos, 54%
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers	BAL -2	Ravens, 52%
Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants	IND -3	Colts, 66%

All game lines courtesy of Odds Shark and current as of November 2 at 2 a.m. ET.

Consensus Pick Analysis

Arizona Cardinals (71 percent) at Dallas Cowboys

The public is probably liking the Cardinals in this game for two big reasons.

First off, Dallas quarterback Tony Romo suffered what was thought to be a back contusion in Week 8 against the Washington Redskins. The extent of the injury is unknown due to his offseason surgery in the surrounding area. According to SportsCenter, the injury was worse than just a contusion and the veteran is now a game-time decision:

Even if Romo does play, he certainly won't be 100 percent, and the Cowboys offense will have to ride heavily on running back DeMarco Murray. That seems like a great idea due to the ball-carrier's eight consecutive 100-yard performances, but it may not be that simple, considering the Cardinals boast the league's third-ranked run defense, allowing an average of just 77.9 yards per game on the ground.

If the Cowboys aren't able to move the ball effectively, the door swings wide open for Carson Palmer to light up the scoreboard and run away with the game. Since Palmer's return, he's been incredibly efficient, throwing for at least 250 yards and two scores in each game.

At the moment, it sure looks like Arizona has the upper hand in this one.

Indianapolis Colts (66 percent) at New York Giants

The Colts may be coming off a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but this team still owns one of the league's most prolific offenses.

Quarterback Andrew Luck has been on fire this season and leads the league with 336.5 passing yards per game. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has become a very dangerous weapon, and he now leads the league in receiving yards, according to NFL on ESPN:

Adding to the mix is versatile running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who is capable of making big plays as a ball-carrier and receiver. Even Trent Richardson has looked more powerful running the ball recently, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

On the flip side, the Giants have been wildly inconsistent this season. Quarterback Eli Manning has certainly had his moments this season. However, he'll be without star wide receiver Victor Cruz and must hope for very quick growth from rookie Odell Beckham Jr.

Making matters worse, running back Rashad Jennings continues to miss time with a knee injury, and rookie Andre Williams hasn't looked overly spectacular in his stead. The Giants are missing balance in their offense as a result.

The Colts just look like the more steady team in this contest, and it's easy to get behind them.

Philadelphia Eagles (64 percent) at Houston Texans

This game sets up nicely for the visiting Eagles.

While the team is coming off a loss to the Cardinals, Philadelphia still boasts one of the league's most potent offenses, racking up 521 total yards during its trip to the desert.

Quarterback Nick Foles hasn't been overly efficient this season, but he's established plenty of rapport with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. The combo was unstoppable against the Cardinals, connecting 12 times for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Rotoworld's Adam Levitan noted what the receiver was able to do against some good competition:

Add athletic tight end Zach Ertz and rookie Jordan Matthews to the mix, and you have a nice set of offensive weapons.

While running back LeSean McCoy hasn't really been able to get it going this season, there's still no denying his ability to break a big run at any given moment. He showed some flashes in Week 8 against a stingy Cardinals run defense, and that's a great sign going forward.

On the flip side, the Texans feature a great pass-rusher in J.J. Watt who can easily turn the tide of a game and an electrifying running back in Arian Foster who is quietly having a very nice year with six 100-yard performances to his name.

The problem here is the team is incomplete. Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't a quarterback capable of winning games on his own, and the secondary has struggled to contain any opposing aerial attack, ranking 29th in the league. That's bad news against a pass-happy team like Philadelphia.

If Foles lights up the scoreboard early, the Texans will be forced to get away from the run, putting the game in the hands of Fitzpatrick. That's not a winning formula.