Week 9 NFL Picks and Predictions 2009

Week 9 of the 2009 NFL season is upon us and there are some intriguing matchups. The Bengals-Ravens, Eagles-Cowboys, and Steelers-Broncos games have all the potential to be beauties. On the other hand, there seems to be a bunch of games with point spreads that are out of whack. With so many teams playing either over or under their potential, it's impossible to guess what will happen in Week 9 of the NFL season.

Here are some early Week 9 NFL picks and predictions. Please keep in mind that the lines given are subject to change (here are updated NFL odds) Note: Home teams are in ALL CAPS.

JACKSONVILLE -6.5 over  Kansas City Two struggling teams. In the end, you just have to go with the team that  has the best players and that's Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew.

CINCINNATI over Baltimore -3 Should be a good one. Baltimore is coming off a solid win over the Broncos. The Bengals are coming off a bye week. The Ravens defense is good but their secondary can be vulnerable to the long ball. Maybe Carson Palmer and crew can exploit that.

Houston  over INDIANAPOLIS -9 No doubt that the Colts and Saints are the class of the NFL. Still, the point spread on this game is a bit rich. Considering how Ryan Moats played last week, the Texans proved they have more running options than just Steve Slaton.

ATLANTA -10 over Washington Michael Turner was on fire last week. Playing at home against the Redskins should allow Turner and the rest of the Dirty Birds offense to flourish.

TAMPA BAY over Green Bay -10 No one's saying the Bucs are any good, but to give up that many points in the Battle of the Bays is hard to believe. The Pack have really failed to beat a great team all season. Aaron Rodgers has been scrambling around all season trying not to get sacked. The Bucs may not win, but they might make it close.   

CHICAGO -3 over Arizona Two of the most unpredictable teams in the league. They can be great one week and terrible the next week. To decide my pick, I'll flip a coin: Heads: Chicago wins. Tails: Arizona wins. Here we go! Tails it is. Go with the Cardinals.

Miami  over NEW ENGLAND -10.5 Miami is one of those team that is better than their record indicates. Don't be surprised if they give the Patriots fits.

NEW ORLEANS -13 over Carolina Finally, a line that makes sense. The Saints have shown some weaknesses in the last two weeks, but the Panthers don't have what it takes to exploit. Also, you can just consider this simple equation: Jake Delhomme + Darren Sharper = Turnovers galore.

Detroit  over SEATTLE-10 What has Seattle done all year to be such heavy favorites on the road? Sure, it's the Lions, but the Seahawks are riddled with injuries and T.J. Houshmandzadeh is getting a little grumpy.

SAN FRANCISCO -4 over Tennessee The Niners are kind of like the Dolphins in that they've lost a lot of games, but have fought hard. Don't let Vince Young's win last week fool you. The Titans still have a long way to go.

NY GIANTS -5 over San Diego When are the Giants are going to snap out of this? Are they going to snap out of this? If they do, this would be the time. The Chargers have been beating weak AFC opponents all year.

PHILADELPHIA -3 over Dallas The Eagles seem to be hitting their stride. In addition to vets like Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and Asante Samuel, young guns like Brent Celek, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson are the difference. 

Monday Nov. 9

Pittsburgh -3 over DENVER The biggest game of the week. An intriguing matchup: the old reliable Steelers against the young upstart Broncos. The Steelers will be rested and likely ready to take the Broncos down a peg. Plus the Ravens may have created a blueprint on how to beat the Broncos. So Ryan Clark, do yourself a favor and stay home.