NFL Predictions Week 9: Last-Minute Picks and Advice for Sunday's Schedule

Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season is chock-full of bye weeks, limiting the number of games for football enthusiasts to enjoy. But don't fret. While the schedule lacks in quantity, it has plenty of quality contests set to provide some compelling action on the gridiron.

At 1 p.m. ET, the Arizona Cardinals take on the Dallas Cowboys in a battle for NFC supremacy. At 4:25 p.m. ET, the Denver Broncos take on the New England Patriots in another epic bout between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Even Sunday Night Football has a great game, as the Baltimore Ravens meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in a clash of AFC North heavyweights.

It's tough to beat that slate of games.

Before all of these impending showdowns commence, let's first take a look at some last-minute picks against the spread.

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

All game odds courtesy of Odds Shark and current as of November 2 at 3 a.m. ET.

Matchup to Watch

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys

This contest marks a battle between arguably two of the NFC's best teams. However, there's more than meets the eye in this one.

Dallas has been one of the most consistent teams this season; although, the team is coming off a less-than-stellar performance against the Washington Redskins that led to a stunning loss. Quarterback Tony Romo performed well in that game, earning a 95.7 passer rating, but that came with an unfortunate result.

Late in the game, Romo was hit in his surgically repaired back and needed to come out for a brief period of time. He did finish the game, and the injury was deemed a contusion thereafter. Well, according to SportsCenter, it's a lot more serious that that:

Now, Romo is a game-time decision entering Week 9, and even if he does play, he certainly won't be at 100 percent.

If Dallas' passing attack begins to struggle, the team will have to rely heavily on running back DeMarco Murray. That's not a bad thing considering the career year the ball-carrier is having. In fact, Murray is currently attempting to extend his own NFL record of eight consecutive 100-yard games to start the season.

Pro Football Focus noted one reason why he's been so effective:

"

DeMarco Murray has forced 53 missed tackles so far this season . Lynch led NFL with 86 in 2013

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) October 30, 2014"

He'll definitely need to be in top form against Arizona on Sunday. After all, the Cardinals have been incredibly stingy against the run this season, ranking third in the league and allowing an average of just 77.9 yards per game on the ground.

Murray may be the NFL's current rushing leader, but he'll have his hands full on Sunday.

The Cardinals have been prolific on the offensive side of the ball since the return of Carson Palmer from an injury to his throwing shoulder. In the three games that Palmer's been back in action, he hasn't thrown for less than 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Palmer teed off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8, tossing a 75-yard score to John Brown and an 80-yard touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald en route to a 329-yard, two-touchdown performance.

Considering the Dallas secondary previously allowed Washington quarterback Colt McCoy to complete 25 of his 30 passes for 299 yards, Arizona's signal-caller could be poised for a field day in Week 9.

Adding to Arizona's offensive talent is the versatile Andre Ellington. This shifty running back can contribute both as a ball-carrier and a receiver out of the backfield, causing matchup issues for opposing defenses and allowing other members of the offense to see more favorable coverage as a result.

NFL Philosophy tweeted this reminder about the running back:

So, which team has the upper hand in this impending clash?

Plenty has to do with the availability of Romo. If he doesn't play, the Cardinals will have an enormous advantage with Brandon Weeden at the helm for Dallas. Although, this Cowboys offense can't be expected to produce quite as well as it has in the past given the quarterback's condition.

Meanwhile, Arizona's offense is chugging along at full steam and shows no signs of slowing down. The Cardinals have the talent on both sides of the ball to come into Dallas and leave with a victory. That's exactly what they're going to do.

Prediction: Cardinals 27, Cowboys 23