NFL Week 9 Preview | Expert Picks

Week 9 of the NFL season is upon us, and it begins with Thursday Night Football between the Houston Texans and New York Jets. Yes, the Jets are playing again in primetime. The Sunday schedule promises to deliver much more entertainment, headlined by a showdown in the NFC North featuring the 6-1 Detroit Lions and the 6-2 Green Bay Packers. Let’s take a look at some of the NFL best bets to be made for Sunday’s slate.

Predictions 

• Pick #1: Washington Commanders -3.5 (-108) over New York Giants 
• Pick #2: Cleveland Browns +1.5 (-110) over Los Angeles Chargers 
• Pick #3: Arizona Cardinals -1.5 (-106) over Chicago Bears 

PICK #1: Commanders look to build on Maryland Miracle 

The Commanders roll into Week 9 at 6-2, which is a surprise not merely due to relatively low expectations heading into the season. They were all but 5-3 at the tail end of last weekend’s contest against the Chicago Bears, but a Hail Mary -- or Maryland Miracle -- from Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown on the last play of the game turned defeat into victory. With that, head coach Dan Quinn’s crew has more momentum than ever.

It is true that the Commanders mostly underwhelmed offensively aside from the final-play heroics, but don’t forget that Daniels was questionable to even play due to a rib injury. He should be much more effective from start to finish this weekend. Meanwhile, the Giants are 2-6 and in the midst of a three-game losing streak. During this stretch, they have scored a grand total of 28 points. Daniel Jones has been struggling and it doesn’t help that left tackle Andrew Thomas is on injured reserve. Even on the road, a spread of -3.5 in Washington’s favor should make for a routine cover. 

PICK #2: Will the Browns have a resurgence behind Jameis Winston? 

It looked like the Browns were never going to bench Deshaun Watson, but a season-ending torn ACL forced their hand and has turned them to Jameis Winston. Unsurprisingly, early returns indicate that the quarterback change will be good news in Cleveland. In his first start of the year, Winston led his team to a shocking upset over the high-powered Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. The Florida State product threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, while three different receivers racked up at least 79 yards. Combine that with Nick Chubb getting better and better upon his return and the Chargers’ defense is going to be presented with some problems. Given that Cleveland has also boasted one of the NFL’s best defenses all season long, it should be able to pull off a minor upset on Sunday.

PICK #3: Bears may not be able to recover from Week 8 heartbreak 

On the other side of the spectrum from the Commanders are the Bears. Chicago should, of course, be 5-2. It is still a decent 4-3 through seven games, but it’s safe to say that bouncing back from last week’s Hail Mary failure could be difficult. Moreover, head coach Matt Eberflus’ team will once again have its hands full with a dual-threat quarterback – this time in Kyler Murray. The former No. 1 overall pick has led his club to three wins in its last four games, which includes a road victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals’ losses have come to the Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Murray is sporting an 11-to-three touchdown-to-interception ratio and has also rushed for a pair of TDs so far this season. He should be good enough to pile on Chicago’s current woes.

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