NFL Picks Week 9 – Bears, Bills, Vikes and Cards Have to Overcome

In our Football betting picks for Week 9, we are confronted with a number of teams that have to adapt to and overcome a crisis situation, like the Chicago Bears, who can’t protect their quarterback, the Buffalo Bills, who are trying to avoid a fate as bad as Detroit (if you remember that joke), the Minnesota Vikings, who seem in line for a reality show on the Bravo network, and the Arizona Cardinals, who are playing musical chairs again at the quarterback spot.

These teams will all be in action, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where everything seems to be relatively copacetic after five wins in seven games, led in part by a player who was suspended last season in college for punching out an opponent after the game. See what I’m saying? It’s a wild and wacky league, and we’ve got out NFL picks for Week 9 to offer!

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CHICAGO BEARS at BUFFALO BILLS (@ Toronto)

Odds for NFL Picks Week 9:

Chicago -3

Buffalo +3

Total  40.5

This game is going to be played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, so you know that it is not "home sweet home" for the Bills. Buffalo’s got an 0-7 record, which is obviously the worst in football, but don’t confuse them with the Dallas Cowboys. While the Cowboys may have better personnel, the Bills, based on taking both the Ravens and contending Chiefs into overtime the last couple of weeks, are still in there fighting, and they at least have a lot more confidence in Ryan Fitzpatrick (12 TD’s, 5 INT’s) than they did in Trent Edwards.

Over the last five games, the Bears have converted just FIVE of fifty third down chances. I’m not with the Elias Sports Bureau, but I doubt there have been too many less productive stretches like that since the merger. Can those issues, plus horrible protection (31 sacks allowed) get solved just because they had a bye week?

NFL PICK – WEEK 9:  BUFFALO +3

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at HOUSTON TEXANS

Odds for NFL Picks – Week 9:

San Diego -3

Houston +3

Total  50.5

Remember when all the "geniuses" had Houston one of the two or three best teams in their NFL "power rankings" after they won their first two games of the season? Well, now they’re getting points at home against a 3-5 team. Judging from recent seasons, this might be the time for the Chargers to start making their move. All I know is the following: with no wide receivers last week, Phillip Rivers threw for 305 yards and completed 75% of his passes; that the Houston Texans are permitting 67% completions and for 7.8 yards an attempt; that the Chargers are #1 in offensive yards AND #1 in defensive yards, and are outgaining the opposition by 167 yards per contest. That’s the kind of thing that manifests itself into victory when you take on fundamentally-challenged foes. Houston has already lost decisively at home to Dallas and the Giants, and benefited from a phantom pass interference call that helped them to a home win against Kansas City, so we’re not overly concerned with the Reliant Stadium setting.

NFL PICK – WEEK 9:  SAN DIEGO -3

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ARIZONA CARDINALS at MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Odds for NFL Picks – Week 9:

Minnesota -9

Arizona +9

Total  41

So have the Vikings reclaimed Randy Moss off the waiver wire yet? I kid, I kid! But seriously folks, the Minnesota players are probably so used to daily drama at their training base that they would hardly be moved by stuff like that, although you couldn’t blame them if they started to tune out coach Brad Childress, who may not be long for the Land of 10,000 Lakes. All this unrest could have the effect of completely destroying the Vikes’ season, if it hasn’t already, but Minnesota probably still has a last gasp in it, and this Arizona team, which can’t really settle on a quarterback (Derek Anderson was just named starter for Sunday) and get depressed by air travel. The Cards have lost by scores of 41-7 at Atlanta and 41-10 at San Diego, and their 22-10 loss at Seattle could have been more like 38-10 if Seattle knew how to score when in close. The Vikings are considerably better in the red zone than are the Seahawks (50% TD’s). And at least they know who their QB is (Brett Favre is back from his knockout loss week).

NFL PICKS – WEEK 9:  MINNESOTA -9

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS at ATLANTA FALCONS

Odds for NFL Picks – Week 9:

Atlanta -8

Tampa Bay +8

Total  44.5

Before last week’s game Raheem Morris, coach of the Bucs, called his team "the best in the NFC." Well, we are coming to the halfway mark and the Bucs, who have been laughed at the last two years, are tied for the best record in the conference! They could conceivably own it outright if they beat the Falcons, who have sweated out two of their three home wins. I continue to be impressed by Josh Freeman, who might make a rookie mistake here or there, but has only thrown three interceptions and is largely unflappable; and I was telling you during the pre-season about LeGarrette Blount, who is averaging 5.2 yards a pop and could be the bruising runner this team needs to get to the next level. Tampa Bay’s won its three road games straight-up; they may just be able to carry this sizable number.

NFL PICKS – WEEK 9:   TAMPA BAY +8

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