NFL Week 9 Picks: Predictions for Vegas Odds Before Thursday Night

The Buffalo Bills are swimming along at 5-2, just one-half game behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East.

Yes, the Bills have played quite well, but just how good a team does first-year head coach Sean McDermott have on his hands? The question needs to be asked because Buffalo appeared to be in a rebuilding mode as the season got underway.

They let wide receiver Robert Woods get away through free agency and then traded fellow wideout Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams during the summer. They traded Marcell Dareus to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, and those moves did not seem to be ones a team headed for the playoffs would make.

But if you go by the Bill Parcells credo—you are what your record says you are—the Bills are in position to go to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

With that record top of mind, Buffalo made a slight move to improve its wide receivers crew by trading for Kelvin Benjamin of the Carolina Panthers. This gives quarterback Tyrod Taylor a potentially explosive, if somewhat inconsistent, target.

The Bills have won two games in a row since their bye week and have a winnable game Thursday night against the New York Jets.

After starting the season with a surprising 3-2 record, the Jets have dropped three in a row and are in danger of falling woefully behind in the division.

The Bills are three-point favorites for Thursday's game at MetLife Stadium according to OddsShark. This game is crucial for Buffalo because its schedule will take a difficult turn in the second half of the season. The Bills will face the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots twice down the stretch.

The key for McDermott is to make sure his players respect the Jets. This is a game in which they could easily fall into a trap by believing it will be an easy win.

However, the Jets have fought hard this season, as signal-caller Josh McCown has been able to connect with his receivers on short- and medium-range throws. Unheralded Richie Anderson and Jermaine Kearse have been dependable, and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has become a key red-zone player.

The belief here is that while the Bills have done a nice job, they are not close to being a great team and will go downhill as the season progresses.

Don't expect them to come with their best effort here. The Jets will win the game straight up, thereby covering the three-point spread.

NFL Week 9 Schedule, Odds

Buffalo (-3) at N.Y. Jets; O/U 42.5

Indianapolis at Houston (-13); O/U 49

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (-7); O/U 50.5

Baltimore at Tennessee (-4.5); O/U 43

Atlanta at Carolina (-1.5); O/U 43.5

Cincinnati at Jacksonville (-4.5); O/U 39.5

Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) at N.Y. Giants; O/U 42

Denver at Philadelphia (-8); O/U 43.5

Arizona (-2.5) at San Francisco; O/U 39

Washington at Seattle (-7); O/U 45

Kansas City at Dallas (Even); O/U 51

Oakland (-3) at Miami; O/U 43.5

Detroit (-2.5) at Green Bay; O/U 43

Point spreads according to OddsShark.

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4 TD, 452 pass yards, and the game-winner.

CLUTCH performance for @Seahawks' Russell Wilson. pic.twitter.com/I1WvPaPgC8

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 29, 2017"

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks

The Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks are going in opposite directions as the teams prepare to meet Sunday at CenturyLink Field, and that's bad news for the Redskins.

Washington had high hopes at the start of the season that it could wrest the NFC East title from the Dallas Cowboys, but the Redskins were beaten 33-19 at home by their archrivals in Week 8, and now they face an opponent that has put together one of the most the most explosive attacks in the league.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins continues to throw the ball accurately and with confidence, as he is completing 67.4 percent of his passes while throwing 15 TDs and just four interceptions.

However, he does not have a lot to work with this season outside of running back Chris Thompson, who is the team's leading ground gainer and receiver. The Redskins have been expecting more from wideouts Jamison Crowder and Terrelle Pryor, but neither one has played consistently.

Jordan Reed was a breakout player at tight end last year, but injuries have prevented him from playing his best football this season.

The Seahawks have won four games in a row, and quarterback Russell Wilson is on top of his game, as he has thrown for 2,008 yards with 15 TDs and four interceptions. Wideouts Doug Baldwin, Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett have all been big-play makers, while tight end Jimmy Graham is starting to make a key contribution with four touchdown receptions.

It's a good thing the Seattle passing game game has made such a big jump because the defense has slipped to 17th in the league. While middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is at the top of his game, the once-formidable Legion of Boom secondary has fizzled.

The Seahawks are seven-point favorites, and the total in this game is 45 points. Seattle will cover the spread, and the two teams will put more than 45 points on the scoreboard. Take the Seahawks and the over.

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are both sliding. Detroit has dropped three straight games, while Green Bay has lost two in a row.

The Packers' losing ways are a little easier to understand. All-Pro signal-caller Aaron Rodgers is sidelined with a broken collarbone, meaning the Packers are still trying to figure things out with Brett Hundley at quarterback.

The Lions had high aspirations at the start of the year after winning three of their first four games, but they showed a major defensive deficiency in a 52-38 loss against the New Orleans Saints and an offensive weakness in the 20-15 loss Sunday night to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Detroit had the ball with a 1st-and-goal at the Pittsburgh four-yard-line midway through the third quarter, and after gaining three yards on first down, they were stopped on three straight plays from the one-yard line.

That's not going to lead to wins often, especially against what may be the most talented team in the league. Nevertheless, the Lions are 2.5-point favorites at Lambeau Field.

While this spread seems a bit unlikely but somewhat defensible—quarterback Matthew Stafford is healthy and playing well for the Lions—it makes no sense from a historical perspective.

The Packers defeated the Lions in 24 straight home games between 1992 and 2014 before the Lions won at Lambeau Field in 2015. The Packers returned to their winning ways last year, as they hammered out a 34-27 victory.

The Lions desperately need the win, but it won't happen at their House of Horrors. They have been beaten too many times, and they will find a way to lose this one as well.

Green Bay wins as the underdog.