NFL Week 9 Preseason Preview: Some Key Games on Tap
San Francisco Gets Well-Deserved Bye Week

The ninth week of the NFL season doesn’t feature any of the marquee games of the last couple of weeks, but there are still several solid games. This week’s action starts on Halloween with the Texans facing the Jets and ends with Tampa Bay facing Kansas City. We’ll rundown all of the games on this week’s slate in NFL Week 9 preseason preview.

Texans vs Jets 
⏰Day/Time: Thursday, Oct. 31, 8:15 p.m. ET
Odds: New York -3 (Even)
Total: 45
A pretty decent game to kick-off the week, as Houston visits the Jets. The Texans are a more proven commodity than the Jets with Aaron Rodgers. The Texans were a good team last year and should be so again this season. New York is getting the benefit of the doubt regarding improvement with Rodgers. There’s a good chance he could lead the team to a strong season. Rodgers is definitely an improvement over what the Jets had at quarterback last season. It’s still not easy to trust New York as a favorite, so the Texans deserve a look for one of the NFL Week 9 upsets.
Colts vs Vikings 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Minnesota -1 (-105)
Total: 46.5
The Vikings get the nod as the slightest of favorites against the NFL Las Vegas odds Week 9. The game is -110 both ways on the moneyline. The question for both teams is going to be at the quarterback position. The Colts need to see if Anthony Richardson can stay healthy, but continue to play his style. The Vikings need either Sam Darnold or JJ McCarthy to step up and take control of the offense. Last year’s QB play wasn’t very good after the injury to Kirk Cousins. The Vikings need to do better than 2-6 straight-up at home.
Saints vs Panthers 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: New Orleans Even (-120)
Total: 40.5
This game is even, although the Saints are -120. It’s a chance for the Panthers to get a victory, while the Saints can earn a road win. There’s little question New Orleans is entering the season as the better team. What transpires over the first eight weeks probably won’t be enough to change that. The NFL expert picks against the spread Week 9 will probably be on New Orleans. There are other games that are more appealing from a betting standpoint, however.
Chargers vs Browns 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Cleveland -3 (-120)
Total: 43.5
The NFL spreads seem a little bit light in this game. The Chargers are expected to be better this season, but Cleveland was without Deshaun Watson for the majority of last year. It shouldn’t be a surprise to see the Browns show some improvement if Watson bounces back. Cleveland should have a big advantage on defense, so will have to take the Browns as an NFL Week 9 point spread play.
Patriots vs Titans 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Tennessee -2.5
Total: 41
Another one of the early NFL Week 9 matchups that might you looking for yardwork to do instead of watching it on television. Tennessee is favored by 2.5 points and you can make a case the line should be a field goal. Even if Drake Maye isn’t starting yet, Jacoby Brissett is a better option than New England had last year. Will Levis went through some growing pains last year, though that was to be expected. The Patriots should be a better team this season, but the Titans had a head start and should be better this year. The Titans have to get a slight lean laying less than a field goal.
Raiders vs Bengals 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Cincinnati -7
Total: 45
The NFL point spreads for Week 9 have the Bengals favored by 7 points and the total is 45. The spread sounds about right considering the Raiders tend to struggle a little bit on the road. Las Vegas was just 2-6 on the road last year, but did manage to go 4-4 against the spread. The Bengals are coming off a game with the Eagles and have a big game with Baltimore up next. This might be a spot where the Raiders manage to keep things close, so take Las Vegas +7.
Cowboys vs Falcons 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Dallas -1
Total: 48
The NFL Week 9 preseason preview sees the Cowboys as small 1-point favorites in this game, which could be a shade low. While the Falcons are expected to be better, Dallas has much lower Super Bowl odds than the Falcons. The Cowboys were much better at home last season, however, so the line may not be off much. If Cousins is getting the job done for the Falcons, this one could turn into a bit of shootout, so the over may be worth a look.
Dolphins vs Bills 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Buffalo -3
Total: 51
The weather may not be too bad this time of year for Miami, as temperatures still should be close to 50 degrees. This game is one of the better NFL Week 9 matchups. Buffalo has won the last four contests between these two teams and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t win this one. The Bills have the better defense and the offense is capable of coming up with a big effort. Take Buffalo in your NFL picks and parlays for Week 9.
Broncos vs Ravens 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: Baltimore -10.5
Total: 43
Baltimore is going to be the top play in the NFL confidence picks Week 9 and you can’t blame anybody who selects the Ravens No. 1. There’s a big difference between winning a game and winning a game by at least 11 points. From that perspective, it’s not easy to take the Ravens in this spot. Baltimore is coming off a key division game with Cleveland and has Cincinnati waiting in the wings. Nobody can blame Baltimore if they’re not up for this game, which it can win even with a relatively poor performance.
Commanders vs Giants 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1:00 p.m. ET
Odds: New York -1.5
Total: 42
This one isn’t one of the better games from a fan’s perspective, although it could be fairly close. The Giants aren’t going to be favored often in 2024, but this is one of those times. The NFL Week 9 predicted scores have the Giants winning roughly 22-20 based on the NFL betting odds. New York is one of those teams that’s tough to take in any sort of favorite role. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels may take a few lumps this season, but he has enormous potential. Washington in a teaser looks to be pretty tempting, as you can move the line to Washington +7.5.
Bears vs Cardinals 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 4:05 p.m. ET
Odds: Chicago -1.5
Total: 46.5
The NFL points spreads for Week 9 have the Bears favored by 1.5 points on the road. Much like the last game, that does give Arizona some appeal in a teaser. The Bears didn’t get very good quarterback play last year from Justin Fields, but there’s no guarantee Caleb Williams will have immediate success. Kyler Murray also has some talent and he’s also the more proven quarterback at this stage.
Lions vs Packers 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 4:25 p.m. ET
Odds: Green Bay -1.5
Total: 49
The third straight game with a 1.5-point favorite and the third straight game that is going to attract the attention of teaser bettors. Anytime the potential is there to move a line across the numbers 3 and 7, teaser players are interested. This one could be a big game as far as the playoff implications for both teams. Detroit is favored to win the NFC Central, although Green Bay has playoff aspirations of its own. The NFL results Week 9 from this game will help determine the NFC playoff picture.
Rams vs Seahawks 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 4:25 p.m. ET
Odds: Los Angeles -1.5
Total: 46.5
The NFL Week 9 preseason preview notes it’s more of the same for teaser players in this game. The Seahawks +7.5 doesn’t look bad at all even if Seattle hasn’t been itself at home the past few years. Asking the Rams to win at Seattle is a pretty ask. San Francisco is the best team in the division, which should leave these two in the hunt for a wild card berth. Neither team can afford many of the NFL injuries that take place this time of the season, as neither is particularly deep. This one should be a closely contested game that could go either way.
Jaguars vs Eagles 
⏰Day/Time: Sunday, Nov. 3, 8:15 p.m. ET
Odds: Philadelphia -3.5 (-105)
Total: 47
The Sunday night game is a decent matchup between the Jaguars and Philadelphia. Jacksonville is still looking to make amends for its late-season collapse a year ago. The Eagles weren’t any happier with how its season ended at Tampa Bay. Jacksonville did a few things in the offseason to improve the team, but its fortunes are going to be decided by Trevor Lawrence taking another step forward. When the Eagles are healthy and clicking they’re a tough team. We didn’t always see the best the Eagles have to offer a year ago. The NFL line on this game doesn’t offer a lot of value, but it’s probably easier to make a case for the Jaguars plus the points.
Buccaneers vs Chiefs 
⏰Day/Time: Monday, Nov. 3, 8:15 p.m. ET
Odds: Kansas City -7 (-120)
Total: 47
The Buccaneers visit Kansas City in the final game of the week. The Chiefs are favored by 7, which sounds about right. Tampa Bay is going to have its hands full if it wants to win a fourth straight division title. The Bucs may not be a great team, but they haven’t had to be to win the NFC South. The key for Tampa Bay is again letting Mayfield play his game and hope for the best. Mayfield did a good job of protecting the football least season. The Chiefs are saying they’re going to throw more deep passes this season, but it remains to be seen. The over under Week 9 looks to be a shade high in this game and there is fair value on the under 47.
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