NFL Predictions Week 9: Every Game's Odds, Lines and Score Predictions

The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league through the first half of the season.

Not disappointing like the 1-7 New York Giants or the 1-6 Oakland Raiders, but many expected the Vikings to be the dominant team in the NFC with new quarterback Kirk Cousins leading the way.

Instead, the Vikings have been limping along with a 4-3-1 record. That's not a championship pace.

The Vikings still have a half-season to turn things around, and they can start to establish themselves against the division-rival Detroit Lions.

Just like Mike Zimmer's Vikings, Matt Patricia's Lions have been somewhat inconsistent through the first half of the season. They appeared to be turning things in a positive direction, but they played a flat game at home in losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8.

Look for both of these teams to start playing much more aggressive and effective football from this point forward.

Cousins has been a huge statistical success for the Vikings, but that has not translated into the team's won-loss record. Cousins has completed 70.4 percent of his passes for an average of 315.4 yards per game with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Cousins has a pair of first-rate wide receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, who have combined for 132 receptions, 1,512 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, the Vikings have become somewhat one-dimensional, as the Vikings rank 29th in running the football.

That issue may not matter against the Lions, since Detroit ranks 31st in stopping the run. That may allow Zimmer to let Latavius Murray have an opportunity to establish the run.

The Lions have been a middle-of-the-road offensive team, ranking 16th in yardage gained with a decent balance between the run and the pass.

That's a big change from previous years because Matthew Stafford and the passing game rarely had any assistance from their running backs.

Rookie Kerryon Johnson has rushed for 466 yards and 6.1 yards per carry, and that's significant production. Additionally, veteran LeGarrette Blount is a solid short-yardage runner who can be a factor around the goal line.

Stafford is the key, and he has thrown for 1,912 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. Veteran Golden Tate has excellent hands and has 44 receptions, including six that have gone for 20 yards or more. Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are fine secondary receivers.

The Vikings have not had the dominant defensive play that was expected, but they should find a way to come up with a winning effort here in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota is a five-point home favorite per OddsShark, and we see the Vikings coming up with a narrow 28-27 victory.

Week 9 Point Spreads and Predictions

Oakland at San Francisco (-3); 49ers 30, Raiders 21
Detroit at Minnesota (-5); Vikings 28, Lions 27
Chicago at Buffalo (NL); Bears 23, Bills 6
Tampa Bay at Carolina (-7); Panthers 38, Buccaneers 24
Kansas City (-8) at Cleveland; Chiefs 44, Browns 17
N.Y. Jets at Miami (-3); Jets 20, Dolphins 17
Pittsburgh at Baltimore (-3); Ravens 24, Steelers 20
Atlanta at Washington (-1.5); Falcons 27, Redskins 23
L.A. Chargers at Seattle (-1.5); Chargers 24, Seahawks 23
Houston at Denver (-2.5); Broncos 27, Texans 17
L.A. Rams at New Orleans (-1); Rams 30, Saints 27
Green Bay at New England (NL); Packers 28, Patriots 23
Tennessee at Dallas (-6.5); Cowboys 27, Titans 24

All point spreads courtesy of OddsShark.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

The Steelers appear to have straightened themselves out after a slow start, but they face a big test this week against the Ravens.

Baltimore went into Pittsburgh earlier this season and handled the home team by a surprising 26-14 score, so the Steelers would like to pay them back. The Steelers won at Baltimore a year ago, but that was their first win at M&T Bank Stadium since 2012.

The Steelers have clearly adjusted to life without Le'Veon Bell, as running back James Conner has run for 599 yards and nine touchdowns. However, the key to the Steelers is the Ben Roethlisberger-Antonio Brown connection, and those two are heating up. 

Roethlisberger is completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 327.1 yards per game with 14 TDs and seven interceptions, while the redoubtable Brown has caught 46 passes for 552 yards and eight touchdowns. JuJu Smith-Schuster (46 receptions) and tight end Vance McDonald (23 receptions in 27 targets) are excellent secondary targets. 

The Ravens have to figure out a way to slow down Brown and the other receivers, and they are equipped to do that since they have the top-ranked defense and the second-ranked pass defense. 

After a 3-1 start, the Ravens have lost three of their last four games and they are in danger of falling down the ladder in the NFC North.

Veteran Joe Flacco (282.4 yards per game, 12 touchdowns) must find a way to hit a few clutch throws in the second half if they are going to sweep the series from the Steelers this season. Wideout Michael Crabtree should be able to get open against the Pittsburgh secondary (24th against the pass), and Flacco is usually able to get away from the first wave of the pass rush. 

Look for the Ravens to handle the Steelers again.

Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks

The Chargers are coming off their bye week, so they should be prepared for the Seattle game plan.

Actually, determining Seattle's strategy is usually not an issue because Pete Carroll's team wants to establish its physical dominance with a strong ground game (5th in rushing yards per game) on offense along with Russell Wilson's ability to hit clutch throws.

Seattle's defensive talent level may be down a couple of notches from its peak years, but the Seahawks still play hard.

The key to slowing down the Seahawks, winners of three of their last four games, is to out-execute them and that will not be easy.

The Chargers are the more gifted and talented team, and they have won four games in a row after a slow start. Quarterback Philip Rivers leads an offense that is averaging 402.7 yards per game, and he has a top-notch receiver in Keenan Allen and a first-rate running back in Melvin Gordon (hamstring, could play this week).

The Chargers have been hurt badly by the loss of defensive end Joey Bosa (foot). They hoped he would be ready to play in this game, but his foot injury has not recovered to the point where he can play in an NFL game.

This is a key game for Los Angeles, and winning on the road against the Seahawks would indicate that the Chargers have the sufficient toughness to make a solid run at the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West during the second half of the season.