Week 9 NFL Picks: Spread Tips, Odds Predictions, Prop Bets and More Advice

The Carolina Panthers are a far cry from the team that won the NFC South last year with a 7-8-1 record.

While they nearly blew it Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts when they gave up a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, they managed to win their seventh game in a row when Graham Gano came through with his second field goal in overtime and third in the game to give his team a 29-26 victory.

The Panthers will be put to the test again when they host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Packers tasted defeat for the first time this year when they were beaten 29-10 by the Denver Broncos in a battle of unbeatens.

Normally, you might expect Aaron Rodgers to come out firing after a defeat to get his team back on track. But something strange is going on with the Green Bay offense. The passing game is struggling. 

It's one thing for the superb Denver defense to slow down Rodgers and the Packers offense, but it's quite another to stop them cold. Rodgers could muster only 77 passing yards in the game at Denver, and the Green Bay offense was never in sync.

It wasn't shocking that the Packers lost a road game to a fired-up Broncos team, but it was almost unbelievable that the prolific Green Bay passing game all but disappeared.

While that was the Packers' worst offensive showing of the year, it is not the only indication of problems with the passing game. The Packers rank 26th in passing offense, and Rodgers is throwing for 210.1 yards per game. Tampa Bay rookie Jameis Winston is throwing for 11-plus more yards per game than Rodgers.

There's a reason for the slump, and that reason is the preseason injury that knocked No. 1 receiver Jordy Nelson out for the year. That's at least a partial explanation, but Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy have to find a way to fix the issue.

The Panthers are going to make life very difficult for Rodgers. They have one of the hardest-hitting defenses in the league, and they rank 10th overall on defense and seventh against the pass. Carolina will try to pressure Rodgers with defensive tackle Kawann Short (five sacks) and linebackers Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly. They are sure to make life challenging for him.

The Packers are 2.5-point road favorites in this game, according to Odds Shark. The linemakers are under the impression that Rodgers is at the top of his game and the Packers will find their form after tasting defeat for the first time.

Don't believe it for a second. Go with the undefeated home underdog to come through with a big win.

Game	Line	Over-Under	Selection
Cleveland at Cincinnati	Cincinnati -12.5	45.5	Cincinnati; Over
Miami at Buffalo	Buffalo -3	44	Buffalo; Over
Green Bay at Carolina	Green Bay -2.5	46.5	Carolina
St. Louis at Minnesota	Minnesota -2.5	39.5	Minnesota; Under
Washington at New England	New England -14.5	52	Washington; Under
Tennessee at New Orleans	No line	--	New Orleans
Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets	No line	--	N.Y. Jets
Oakland at Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh -4	48	Oakland; Over
Atlanta at San Francisco	Atlanta -7.5	45	Atlanta: Under
N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay	N.Y. Giants -1	48	Tampa Bay; Over
Denver at Indianapolis	Denver -5	45	Denver
Philadelphia at Dallas	Philadelphia -2.5	44.5	Philadelphia; Under
Chicago at San Diego	San Diego -4	49	San Diego; Under

Giants, Bucs ready to light up the scoreboard

This is a good week to be Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. He may not be a finished product yet, but he has played three games in a row without throwing an interception.

Winston also played a key role in the Bucs' upset at Atlanta in Week 8, as he threw for a touchdown and ran for another before leading the Bucs to the go-ahead field goal in overtime that eventually proved to be the winning points.

The Bucs improved to 3-4 with the win, and they are becoming a respectable team.

Tampa Bay hosts the 4-4 New York Giants, who scored 49 points at New Orleans last week but did not win the game. That's because the New York pass defense is just a rumor at this point. Drew Brees threw seven TD passes against them as the Saints pulled off a 52-49 victory. The Giants rank 32nd in yards allowed.

Eli Manning nearly overcame his defense's miserable showing. He threw six TD passes of his own, and he is having a wonderful season with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions.

This is a game where both quarterbacks should light it up, and the scoreboard may spin out of control. The total in this game is listed at 47.5, and while that may seem high, look for the two teams to score 35 points in the first half and cruise by the 47.5-point mark in the third quarter.

This game is an excellent play for over bettors.

Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Pats, Packers most likely conference champions

With the season at or near the halfway point for all teams, Odds Shark has the undefeated New England Patriots and the Packers as the teams most likely to win their respective conference championships.

The defending Super Bowl champions are plus-110 to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals are also undefeated, but they are listed at much higher prices. The Broncos are plus-400, while the Bengals are plus-550. The 4-4 Pittsburgh Steelers, at plus-900, are the only other AFC team listed with odds lower than plus-2,000

The Packers are the NFC favorites at plus-220, followed by the Arizona Cardinals at plus-400 and the Carolina Panthers at plus-450. The Seattle Seahawks, who have represented the NFC in the Super Bowl for the last two years, are plus-750. 

No other NFC team is below plus-1,400.

For those looking for value, the 5-2 Atlanta Falcons may be worth some consideration. While the Falcons have cooled considerably since their hot start, they command plus-1,400 price.

They have talented offensive weapons in Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, and they should not be dismissed. They have the players to get hot again and make a run at the Super Bowl.