NFL TV Schedule 2017: Week 9 Channel Guide, Coverage Map and Live Stream

The story of the television schedule for Week 9 of the 2017 NFL season is shaping up to be a handful of prime-time matchups the NFL probably wishes it could flex out of the national broadcasts. 

For instance, though the Buffalo Bills (somehow) have one of the better records in the AFC at 5-2, few people want to see them take on the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football, especially if it means another Color Rush monstrosity like this:

Al Pereira/Getty Images

Prime-time games don't look much better for Sunday night and Monday night, blocks that respectively feature the struggling Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins and the 3-4 Detroit Lions against an Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers team. 

Still, football is football. And for better or worse, we keep watching. 

Here's the television coverage map for the matchups on the slate in Week 9, courtesy of 506 Sports:

Week 9's full television schedule, as well as odds and predictions for each game, is listed below. Predicted winners are indicated in italics. 

If you won't be near a TV, you can live-stream every game on NFL Sunday Ticket or you can catch the CBS games on CBS All Access and the Fox games on Fox Sports Go either on desktop or via the apps. 

NFL Week 9 TV Schedule and Predictions

Thursday

Buffalo (-3.5) at N.Y. Jets: 8:25 p.m., NFLN

Sunday

Atlanta at Carolina (-1.5): 1:00 p.m., Fox 

Baltimore at Tennessee (-4.5): 1:00 p.m., CBS

Cincinnati at Jacksonville (-2.5): 1:00 p.m., CBS

Denver at Philadelphia (-7): 1:00 p.m., CBS 

Indianapolis at Houston (-11.5): 1:00 p.m., CBS 

L.A. Rams (-3.5) at N.Y. Giants: 1:00 p.m., Fox 

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (-7): 1:00 p.m., Fox

Arizona (-1) at San Francisco: 4:05 p.m., Fox

Washington at Seattle (-6): 4:05 p.m., Fox

Kansas City at Dallas (-1): 4:25 p.m., CBS 

Oakland (-2.5) at Miami: 8:30 p.m., NBC 

Monday

Detroit at Green Bay (Even): 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Week 9 Must-Watch Matchups

Broncos at Eagles

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The 3-4 Denver Broncos are shockingly watching their season slip between their fingers after figuring to be a playoff contender prior to the campaign. They didn't help matters by losing a head-to-head matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, who own the AFC West with a 6-2 record, in Week 8.

That Denver team, still licking its wounds, on Sunday has to face off against what is probably the best team in the NFL in the 7-1 Philadelphia Eagles, a team that is riding a six-game winning streak and has shown no signs of slowing down.

At one point this season, Denver could hang its hat on its run defense, which is still No. 2 overall in the league, allowing just 72.9 rushing yards per game.

But that unit will be tested with Philadelphia's trade-deadline acquisition of running back Jay Ajayi, not to mention its varied backfield that features LeGarrette Blount, Wendell Smallwood, Corey Clement and quarterback Carson Wentz's rushing ability.

Speaking of Wentz, he's been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season. But perhaps that's not saying much since we live in a time when Brett Hundley, Josh McCown and Jacoby Brissett are starting football games.

Stil, Wentz has looked impressive at worst and exceptional at best. When the Eagles are running the ball down Denver's throat, Wentz will be finding weapons Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz and Nelson Agholor through the air.

It should be fun to watch.

Chiefs at Cowboys

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

The Kansas City Chiefs are back on track after beating the Denver Broncos to improve to 6-2, tied with the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers for the best record in the AFC.

And while their two losses in recent weeks showed the Chiefs, who started the season 5-0, aren't infallible after all, they can contend with almost anyone in the league, the Dallas Cowboys included.

The Chiefs join the Patriots as one of the only two teams in the league to have amassed more than 3,000 total yards on the season, and Kansas City's 377.9 yards-per-game average is good for third in the league.

Kansas City's offensive attack has been two-pronged, averaging 255.1 passing yards and 122.8 rushing yards per game. That's thanks both to quarterback Alex Smith's career renaissance as a downfield passer and rookie rusher Kareem Hunt's emergence.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys have had weeks to contemplate what life without leading rusher Ezekiel Elliott would look like, and they will finally experience it firsthand, as Elliott's suspension was reinstated Monday after his preliminary injunction was denied.

Unfortunately, these aren't the 2016 Cowboys; it's unclear whether Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and the rest of the passing attack will be able to make up for the loss of production on the ground.

Dallas is only averaging 219.3 passing yards per game, and you have to imagine Elliott was keeping defenses honest and allowing more opportunities than will exist in his absence.

Lions at Packers

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Would this be a must-watch game if it weren't on in prime time? 

Perhaps yes, if only to figure out the answers to two questions. 

The first is whether a bye week will help Brett Hundley take a step and lead the Packers to their first win with him under center.

The second is whether the Lions can make the most of the hand fate has dealt them and rally to conquer the NFC North.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has continued to publicly profess his confidence in Hundley, who was trained within the system for three years for an opportunity just such as this.

However, Hundley's game has left a lot to be desired; in his first start, against the New Orleans Saints, he completed just 48 percent of his passes for only 87 yards, no passing touchdowns (though he did run one in) and an interception.

But the Lions aren't impressing anyone, stringing together three consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.

Scoring hasn't been the problem for Detroit; the Lions have been putting up more than 25 points per game on offense.

But the defense has been allowing almost as many, and even though Green Bay may no longer have Rodgers, it does still have Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb, not to mention budding rookie sensation Aaron Jones in the backfield. 

This NFC North showdown could have major playoff implications. 

All odds according to OddsShark and current as of Nov. 2.