NFL Picks Week 9: Advice on Latest Vegas Odds and Spreads for Upcoming Schedule

The NFL season is rapidly approaching the halfway mark as Week 8 action wrapped up Monday with the New England Patriots' 25-6 road win over the Buffalo Bills.

Attention now turns to Week 9, which is highlighted by a marquee matchup featuring the 8-0 Los Angeles Rams and 6-1 New Orleans Saints.

Here's a look at the latest Week 9 odds, per OddsShark, as well as some picks. We'll also take deeper dive into one of the matchups below.

Week 9 Vegas Odds and Picks

Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers (-3, 46.5 O/U): Raiders +3

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-5, 50.5 O/U): Vikings -5

Chicago Bears (line not posted) at Buffalo Bills: Bears

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (-6.5, 54 O/U): Panthers -6.5

Kansas City Chiefs (-8, 51.5 O/U) at Cleveland Browns: Chiefs -8

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-3, 45.5 O/U): Dolphins -3

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (-3, 47 O/U): Ravens -3

Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins (-1.5, 47.5 O/U): Redskins -1.5

Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks: Seahawks -2.5

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos (-2.5, 46 O/U): Texans +2.5

Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints (-1, 60 O/U): Saints -1

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots (-6, 57.5 O/U): Packers +6

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys (-6.5, 41 O/U): Cowboys -6.5

Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills

As the above score implies, the Bills offense continued to struggle Monday, as it only managed two field goals. Buffalo was also on the wrong end of a pick-six.

The Bills have more problems on their hands as their Week 9 quarterback is unknown. Rookie Josh Allen is recovering from an elbow injury and is week to week. Backup Derek Anderson was removed from the Pats game in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a right arm injury. 

That may mean another Nathan Peterman start. The second-year pro has completed just 44.3 percent of passes in six appearances while throwing three touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Buffalo is in trouble regardless of whom calls the signals, as the Chicago Bears arguably have the NFL's best defense. Chicago has held five of seven opponents to 17 or fewer points on offense, and edge-rusher Khalil Mack (five sacks) is one of the NFL's best defensive players.

Mack is dealing with an ankle injury that hindered him for Weeks 6 and 7 and prevented him from playing in Week 8, but he may have added incentive to play Sunday, as noted by ex-NFL scouting director Greg Gabriel:

Head coach Matt Nagy offered some insight into the team's thoughts regarding Mack's status moving forward: "The hope is that he can play against Buffalo. But again, this is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour situation. It's just one that I really haven't been a part of before just because of where he's at, and so, you know, it could be a similar situation."

As Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com wrote in the above link, the team may be wise to rest Mack another week, as it should be a clear favorite against a Bills team that is last in the league in points per game.

Buffalo does have a wild card in its pocket, and that's a defense that has held most of its opponents to below-par performances. It held the Patriots offense to 19 points on Monday night, although that followed a curiously poor performance in a 37-5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Still, the defense had allowed just 53 points from Weeks 3 through 6, which included a 27-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings on the road. 

Buffalo is also first in the league in forced fumbles with 14, so its aggressive defense could conceivably force the Bears offense into some turnovers and make life easier for the struggling offense.

However, there are two problems.

First, Bills rookie linebacker Tremaine Edmunds suffered a concussion against the Patriots, and his status for the Week 9 game is now in doubt until he clears protocol. The 20-year-old is a sensational talent who leads the team in tackles.

Second, the Bears offense has been excellent since Week 4, posting point totals of 48, 28, 31 and 24. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has accounted for 14 touchdowns (13 passing, one rushing) in those games while running back Tarik Cohen has 488 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. Trubisky's mobility and Cohen's elusiveness out of the backfield provide matchup problems for any team.

While Western New York isn't always an easy place to play due to the weather conditions and raucous Bills Mafia, the Bears have the significant edge, especially if Mack returns and/or Edmunds can't play. While a line hasn't been released as of yet, a double-digit victory for Chicago seems most likely.