Week 9 NFL Picks: Spread Advice, Best Odds and Full Game Predictions

The Carolina Panthers may not be getting a lot of attention, but they may be the team that has the best chance of slowing down the Los Angeles Rams express as the season moves along.

Those teams don't meet during the regular season, so such an assignment would have to come in the playoffs. If the season ended today, the 5-2 Panthers would be in the top wild-card spot.

However, the Panthers are looking for a lot more than that. They are going to try to bypass the New Orleans Saints and win the NFC South. The Panthers and Saints play in Weeks 15 and 17, so the story of that battle is still to be written.

But Sunday, the Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccnaeers.

The Panthers have the 19th-ranked offense and the 25th-ranked passing game, and those numbers are not unusual for this team. Cam Newton remains the kind of quarterback who can escape the pass rush and either run with the football or throw it downfield as he gets away from the pressure.

Newton has completed 66.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 235.1 yards per game, and he has 13 TD passes and four interceptions this year. Newton has also rushed for 309 yards with 5.0 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns.

The Carolina signal-caller has an excellent weapon in versatile running back Christian McCaffrey, who proved himself as a receiver out of the backfield last year and is doing a solid job (423 yards, 16 carries of 10 yards or more) as a runner this season.

The Panthers would like to get more out of their wide receivers, among whom Devin Funchess is the team's leading receiver, with 32 catches for 401 yards and three touchdowns. The X-factor may be veteran tight end Greg Olsen, who can be a game-changing factor in the red zone when he is healthy.

The Bucs are going back to Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, as Jameis Winston is coming off a four-interception game. Head coach Dirk Koetter saw his team get off to a strong start offensively, but the defense has been miserable since the start of the year.

Wideouts Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson are both dangerous playmakers (combined for 194.9 receiving yards per game and eight touchdowns), but the running game is not dependable. The Panthers, led by linebacker Luke Kuechly (team-leading 57 tackles), seem capable of winning the battle.

Carolina will have little trouble covering the 6.5-point spread, per OddsShark.

Week 9 Point Spreads and Predictions

Oakland at San Francisco (-2.5); 49ers 30, Raiders 21
Detroit at Minnesota (-4.5); Vikings 28, Lions 27
Chicago (-10) at Buffalo; Bears 23, Bills 6
Tampa Bay at Carolina (-6.5); Panthers 38, Buccaneers 24
Kansas City (-8.5) 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 (-1); Broncos 27, Texans 17
L.A. Rams at New Orleans (-1.5); Rams 30, Saints 27
Green Bay at New England (-5.5); Patriots 30, Packers 23
Tennessee at Dallas (-6.5); Cowboys 27, Titans 24

All point spreads according to OddsShark.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens went into Pittsburgh and handled the Steelers with relative ease in Week 4, and that gave them a 3-1 record and put them at the top of the AFC North.

However, the Ravens have not performed as well in the second quarter of the season, and they are just 4-4 as they prepare for this game.

The Steelers have not found their stride, but they have gotten better and are in first place in the AFC North with 4-2-1 record.

They have a solid running back in James Conner, who has rushed for 599 yards and nine touchdowns in place of Le'Veon Bell. Conner is not better than Bell, but he has been a decent alternative in his absence.

Ben Roethlisberger want to get the ball to Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, and the Ravens usually do a decent job of keeping Brown from dominating.

The Ravens need quarterback Joe Flacco to come through with a steady effort here. When Flacco is right, he usually hits one or two medium- to long-range passes fairy early in the game. John Brown and Michael Crabtree are both capable of coming up with those plays.

Pittsburgh managed to win at Baltimore last year, but that was their first win in Babe Ruth's hometown since 2012. Look for the Ravens to find a way to win this game and cover the three-point spread.

Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints

This is the heavyweight matchup in the NFC to this point in the season, as the undefeated Rams will try to flex their muscles against Drew Brees and Co.

The Rams are short underdogs here, but they simply do more things well than the Saints. Both teams have excellent offensive attacks, but Todd Gurley has the edge over Alvin Kamara, and that should allow the Rams to get the lead in this game.

The Rams are a much more difficult team to play when they have the lead because they are so effective with their balance. That takes quite a bit of pressure off of signal-caller Jared Goff, who is throwing for 303.1 yards per game and has 17 touchdowns.

Los Angeles is a better defensive team, as Aaron Donald is capable of taking over any game and living in the offensive backfield.

If that happens, he will make life difficult for Brees. If the Saints can keep Donald away from the quarterback, the combination of Brees to wideout Michael Thomas will determine the outcome of this game.

The belief here is Donald will not be stopped and that the Rams continue to roll.