Week 9 NFL Best Bets, Picks and Predictions from Matt Youmans:

Sometimes, it pays to give a slumping, underachieving team one more shot. There were countless reasons to give up on declining quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets, but I stuck with Rodgers and his crew of dysfunctional misfits again Thursday and started the week with an ugly win. In a terrible game, the Texans proved to be worse in a 21-13 loss. The 6-2 team was the underdog to the 2-6 team for a reason. The bad news is my bet on the Jets to win the AFC East still has no shot. And speaking of ugly, don’t put the rent on my five Week 9 NFL best bets:

 

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New England Patriots at Tennesee Titans (-3.5)

Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

Aside from a 31-point outburst in a win at Miami, the Tennessee offense averaged 14.8 points in the other six games. Brian Callahan, the former offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, has been unable to make a difference, mostly because Will Levis was a mistake-riddled quarterback. Mason Rudolph is no Joe Burrow, but Rudolph would give the Titans (1-6 ATS) a better chance to win. Callahan has not said whether the starter will be Rudolph or Levis, who’s listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. New England’s starting quarterback — either rookie Drake Maye or veteran Jacoby Brissett — is also a mystery. I bet the Titans early at -3 and won’t lay 3.5 with a bad team, but the home favorite is hungry and should beat the weak Patriots.

Week 9 NFL Best Bet Best Bet: Titans -3 (-135)

Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5) at Cleveland Browns

Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)

It’s not easy to get excited about betting the Browns, but Jameis Winston has energized the Cleveland offense and his teammates, so hopefully, he can do it again. Winston passed for 334 yards, and the Browns totaled 401 yards against the Baltimore defense last week. The Chargers have been sluggish offensively, and coach Jim Harbaugh’s plan to grind it out with the running attack is unlikely to get the job done in this matchup. The situation favors Cleveland, which is playing its third consecutive home game.

Week 9 NFL Best Bet Best Bet: Browns +1.5

Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons (-3)

Sunday, 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

The home field is not much of an advantage in the NFL, especially for these teams. Atlanta’s 2-3 home record includes a two-point win over the Saints, a lucky overtime victory against the Buccaneers and a 20-point loss to the Seahawks. Dallas is 3-1 on the road and 0-3 at home. Instead of overanalyzing how the teams match up, I’ll simply follow the trends here. For some reason, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys play better on the road. Prescott passed for 352 yards and two touchdowns in a win at Pittsburgh in Week 5. The line has moved to 3.5 at DraftKings and appears headed that way at Circa and some other books.

Week 9 NFL Best Bet Best Bet: Cowboys +3.5

Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals (-1)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

It’s now obvious the Bears are who we thought they were — a team that will hang around .500 with an erratic rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, and a clueless head coach, Matt Eberflus. How can Eberflus get his flustered team off the mat after being flattened by clumsy mistakes and a Hail Mary in last week’s loss at Washington? Meanwhile, the Chicago defense must contend with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who’s 3-1 in the past four games after passing for a season-high 307 yards in a comeback win at Miami a week ago.

Week 9 NFL Best Bet Best Bet: Cardinals -1

Detroit Lions (-3) at Green Bay Packers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

I would bet on quarterback Jordan Love, listed as questionable with a groin injury, making the start in this important division game for Green Bay. But even if Love opts out, the Packers are not hopeless with backup Malik Willis. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur did an excellent job of designing a run-heavy offensive game plan for Willis in the two starts he has won. The defense is strong enough to control Lions quarterback Jared Goff. The Detroit defense misses the presence of injured end Aidan Hutchinson.

Week 9 NFL Best Bet Best Bet: Packers +3

Last week: 3-2 against the spread
Season: 17-20-3

For more NFL Week 9 analysis and best bets, visit the NFL Week 9 Hub exclusively on VSiN.

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