NFL Week 9 Picks: Predicting the 3 Safest Bets

You can never really be too sure when placing a bet, because no matter how safe it may seem, not having any control over the outcome yourself while leaving everything up to chance is difficult.

However, going with the safest pick when placing a bet is always a good and obvious choice. That said, here are the three safest bets for the NFL in Week 9.

Click the link for a full view of the NFL Week 9 line.

Atlanta Falcons (Favorite) at Indianapolis Colts (Underdog) -7

The Colts have yet to win a game. Their offense is incapable of moving the ball against almost any defense, and their defense has trouble against even the most average of offenses.

Now yes, Atlanta does struggle on the road, but winning over the Seahawks and Lions away from the Georgia Dome is worth noting. The Falcons won't blow out Indianapolis because the Colts do give a vehement effort each week.

But the Falcons simply have too much talent and are playing with a lot more tenacity than early in the season.

Take the Falcons against the spread.

Houston Texans (Favorite) vs Cleveland Browns (Underdog) -11

The status of WR Andre Johnson is still uncertain, but regardless of whether he suits up or not, the Houston Texans will defeat the Browns by more than 11 points.

For starters, Cleveland only managed six points against the Seattle Seahawks at home, and both of their other wins came against the winless Dolphins and Colts. Houston, on the other hand, is playing very well despite being without Johnson and LB Mario Williams.

Houston has a top-10 defense and a top-10 rush offense that complements their passing game very well. Cleveland plays tough throughout as they do have a respectable defense, but they're still not good enough to stay within the spread.

Take the Texans against the spread.

Cincinnati Bengals (Underdog) at Tennessee Titans (Favorite) -3

If there's one underdog you want to take this week it's the Cincinnati Bengals. They have a top-10 defense that's very good at forcing punts. This means they're not completely relying on turnovers, which is a good thing.

Additionally, Tennessee has disappointed offensively and their defense is just underachieving. Their home win over the Colts wasn't all that impressive because it was the Colts, and Cincinnati has road wins over Seattle, Jacksonville and Cleveland.

Sure, those aren't stout opponents, but the Titans were obliterated by an Andre Johnson-less Texans team 41-7, and the Bengals are arguably just as good as Houston right now.

This game isn't going to be a lopsided disaster for The Music City, but Cincinnati will beat the spread regardless.

Take the Bengals and the points.

Be sure to check out John on Bleacher Report. 

And you can follow him on Twitter @ Sportswriter27.