Ricky Dimon
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The Week 9 NFL slate is not exactly going to blow anyone’s socks off, but it could get seriously intriguing toward the tail end of Sunday’s action. The marquee 4:00 game pits the Rams against the Saints, while Sunday Night Football features the Packers and the Patriots. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has a favorable matchup on his hands, while Houston should be able to continue its hot streak and Dallas has a decent chance of picking up a much-needed win. Here are some bold nfl predictions for Week 9.
Titans at Cowboys will be the worst Monday night game of the year
The Cowboys’ schedule so far reads loss, win, loss, win, loss, win, and loss. That trend should continue as -6.5 home favorites over Tennessee on Monday. The Titans have lost three straight, including to the awful Bills and also via a 21-0 decision against Baltimore. This one may not be competitive and it certainly won’t be interesting to anyone outside of Dallas, Tex. and Nashville, Tenn. It’s nothing more than a snooze-fest between two 3-4 squads.
Cam Newton will throw for 400 yards and four touchdowns
In the early going of this season, Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was the NFL’s 400-and-4 machine. But it is Newton who is more likely to rack up those kinds of statistics against Fitzpatrick’s team on Sunday. Tampa Bay is second-to-last in the league in passing defense at 318.4 yards per game and coordinator Mike Smith recently got fired. A red-hot Newton, whose team is a -6.5 home favorite, has thrown multiple touchdown passes in each of his last six games.
The Texans (+1) will beat the Broncos by at least one touchdown
Houston is an underdog—albeit a slight one (+1)—at Denver. Don’t bother taking the one point or even the money line; go big and tease this spread to something like Texans -7 and you won’t be disappointed. Deshaun Watson and company are going to win this one on the road and they will likely win it going away. Houston has won five in a row, while the Broncos’ only victory during their last six contests has come against lowly Arizona.
Aaron Rodgers will have a better game than Tom Brady
Brady has the benefit of playing at home and Green Bay just dealt CB Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix to the Redskins, so it would only make sense for the ageless wonder to go off on Sunday night. However, the Packers are fifth in the NFL in passing defense at 221.7 yards per game and New England (-5.5) will probably enjoy a decent lead most of the way and can therefore run the ball while the visitors air it out. Rodgers will be eager to make an individual statement that he isn’t backing down despite his team’s recent trades of Clinton-Dix and RB Ty Montgomery.
Both the Saints and LSU will lose by double-digits
All eyes will be on the state of Louisiana this weekend, where LSU is hosting Alabama at Death Valley on Saturday night before New Orleans entertains the undefeated Rams at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday afternoon. A fun cross-league bet has the two Louisiana teams at +800 to go 2-0, +130 to go 1-1, and +150 to go 0-2. LSU is a +14.5 underdog against the Crimson Tide, while the Saints are actually -1.5 favorites over 8-0 Los Angeles. But New Orleans’ defense stinks and it is now facing touchdown machine Todd Gurley II.
