NFL Predictions Week 9: Game Picks, Odds and Complete Matchup Guide

The Minnesota Vikings are starting to get it.

Early in the season, the Vikings looked incompetent on the road, losing to both the San Francisco 49ers and and the Denver Broncos.

But while they were losing on the road, head coach Mike Zimmer's team was playing solid football at home. Since the Vikings were considered to be an improving football team at the start of the season, Zimmer knew that his team was going to have to step up away from home. While they haven't beaten winning teams, the Vikings have recorded back-to-back road wins against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, and have improved to 5-2 this season.

They go back home this week to face the improving St. Louis Rams. Both of these teams are similar in that they have dominant running backs and hard-nosed defenses.

The Rams have an emerging star in rookie Todd Gurley, who has rushed for more than 125 yards in each of the last four games. The Vikings have Adrian Peterson, generally considered to be the best running back in the NFL.

And just as Zimmer has built a first-rate defense with defensive end Everson Griffen and free safety Harrison Smith that ranks seventh in yards allowed, head coach Jeff Fisher has done the same with the Rams.

St. Louis ranks sixth overall in yards allowed, and it has a couple of first-rate pass-rushers in defensive end Robert Quinn (5.0 sacks) and defensive tackle Aaron Donald (4.5 sacks).

The difference in this game could be the play of the two quarterbacks. Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has become a productive QB, completing 64.5 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,526 yards. On the other hand, Rams quarterback Nick Foles is struggling with his accuracy, completing just 58.8 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,310.

Bridgewater is not an All-Pro, but he is a confident young quarterback who is improving. Foles had a brilliant season two years ago with the Eagles, but he has not come close to matching that form since.

The Vikings are 2.5-point favorites at home, according to Odds Shark. They have momentum with three straight wins, and they have the better quarterback.

They will win the game and cover the spread.

Game	Line	Over-Under	Selection
Cleveland at Cincinnati	Cincinnati -12	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 -4.5	48	Oakland; Over
Atlanta at San Francisco	Atlanta -7.5	45	Atlanta: Under
N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay	N.Y. Giants -1	47.5	Tampa Bay; Over
Denver at Indianapolis	Denver -4.5	45	Denver
Philadelphia at Dallas	Philadelphia -2.5	44.5	Philadelphia; Under
Chicago at San Diego	San Diego -4	49	San Diego; Under

Broncos still rolling and will punish Colts

The Denver Broncos did a lot more than win a battle of unbeatens when they took care of the Green Bay Packers 29-10 last Sunday night at home.

Many thought the Broncos were a one-dimensional team prior to that game. Their defense was carrying them, thanks to the speed of Von Miller and Demarcus Ware. But they were not getting anything of substance from quarterback Peyton Manning and the offense.

That seemed to be the way the season was going to unfold. Manning, clearly one of the greatest quarterbacks the game has ever known, was getting older. After struggling with injuries in the second half of the 2014 season, the 39-year-old Manning was unable to get the Denver offense to fire late in the year or in the playoffs.

While he shook off the injuries in the offseason, he no longer seemed like the kind of quarterback who could escape the rush or put enough zip on the ball to make big plays on a consistent basis. It seemed the Broncos and Manning would get their comeuppance against the Packers and Aaron Rodgers.

Manning heard all the talk, and he was only willing to keep competing. He responded with his best effort of the season against Green Bay, completing 21-of-29 passes for 340 yards. For the first time all season, the Broncos had no problems moving the ball up and down the field, and Denver rolled.

The Broncos did not let it all go in an effort to win the battle of unbeatens; they simply found their offense.

Now they go into Indianapolis against the struggling Colts. While Manning goes into the heartland to play against his old team, this is not a passion play to prove something to his old employers.

Well, at least that's not the full story. The Broncos are just starting to find themselves, while the Colts have been struggling all season. Quarterback Andrew Luck, who had been deemed the best young quarterback in the game during his first three seasons, has struggled this year. Injuries are a factor, but he is not playing well.

The Broncos are five-point favorites, and the Colts don't have the consistency to stay with them. Look for Denver to continue to play stifling defense, and Manning will show his old team that he still has something left.

The Broncos get the win and the cover.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Raiders, Steelers renew rivalry in explosive battle

The Raiders are finally winning games with regularity. After losing 10 or more games in 10 of the past 12 seasons, the Raiders are 4-3 and have a chance to challenge for a playoff spot this year.

Head coach Jack Del Rio has his team playing tough and consistent football, and the key to its early success has been the improvement made on the offensive side of the ball.

Derek Carr is one of the top young quarterbacks in the league, Latavius Murray is a fast and powerful running back, and Amari Cooper is an explosive rookie wide receiver who has big-play ability.

Oakland has a tough assignment at Pittsburgh, and it faces a Steelers team that has dropped two games in a row and fallen to 4-4. The Steelers need this game badly, and they have Ben Roethlisberger back under center for the second straight game.

Roethlisberger struggled in his return from a knee injury last week against Cincinnati, throwing one TD pass and three interceptions.

Look for Roethlisberger to come back to form in this game. He has one of the game's top receivers in Antonio Brown, and the rest of the Steelers WR crew is excellent.

The oddsmakers have set the total in this game at 48 points. That does not appear to be a problem because the offenses are ready to function at a high level, while the defenses have issues.

Look for the Raiders and Steelers to combine for at least 50 points as the over comes through.