NFL Week 9 Odds: Early Lines for Packers vs. Patriots, Saints vs. Rams, More

Even before Week 8 comes to an end, fans can get excited about a loaded slate of NFL games in Week 9.

The opening lines have been announced, via OddsShark, with nearly every game expected to be decided by a single possession. The highly anticipated NFC battle between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams opened as a pick 'em, while the New England Patriots are six-point favorites against the Green Bay Packers.

Week 9 Lines

Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers (SF -3.5)

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (MIN -5)

Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills (TBD)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (CAR -6.5)

Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns (KC -8)

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (MIA -3)

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (BAL -3)

Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins (WAS -1.5)

Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks (PK)

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos (DEN -2.5)

Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints (PK)

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots (NE -6)

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys (DAL -6.5)

Although it's not a primetime game, the battle between the Rams and Saints seems to stand out as it could potentially decide the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Los Angeles is the last undefeated team left in the NFL, although the squad is coming off a tough test against the Packers on Sunday in which it barely survived with a 29-27 win. Meanwhile, New Orleans is 6-1 with six straight victories behind Drew Brees and an improving defense.

Both teams have shown they are legitimate contenders, but this game will give the winner a mental edge going forward.

The Packers and Patriots will be a fun one to watch thanks to the quarterback battle between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, which Sunday Night Football is already hyping:

The problem is Rodgers hasn't been able to lead his team to better than a 3-3-1 record this season. A tough road game could make things even worse for the Packers' playoff chances.

With the Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins-Atlanta Falcons and other games also having serious playoff implications, fans could be in for potentially the best week of the 2018 season.