With half of the 2024 season already completed, we bring you the latest NFL betting tips and picks for week nine, including spread bets, TD scorer and player props.
We're left with just one unbeaten team, the Kansas City Chiefs who play on Monday night against the beaten-up Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game which should take them to an 8-0 start.
At the other end of the scale we get to witness a battle between two of the worst teams in the league tonight as the Patriots travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans, I actually think that might be a randomly fun game.
The best game on the slate tonight is in Wisconsin, as the Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions in an NFC clash that could decide the division in January next year.
The Lions have been dominant over the last month, will the roar to success again tonight?
Best NFL week 9 spread: Lions -2.5 @ Packers
There were a few on my shortlist for this week, I like the Browns to win at home, the Rams in Seattle and the Bills to beat the Dolphins, but I've plumped for the biggest match of the evening and the Lions to continue their dominance.
My only reservation on this one is that it's one of the two games that the Lions have to play outside, and that could affect Jared Goff, but the Lions' run game is so far ahead of any other in the league I think they can negate that and David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs will run all over their opponents as they have done in recent weeks.
If Goff does has to pass it we know he trusts Amon-Ra St. Brown in most situations and Sam LaPorta can step up if needed as well.
The Packers will have Jordan Love starting, but I do think the injury he picked up last weekend will hamper him against a good pass rush despite having a good trio of WRs to get the ball to.
Best Total: Patriots vs Titans o38.5
I alluded to this one at the start, I think this could be a strangely high-scoring game between Drake Maye and Mason Rudolph who start at QB for their teams. The Titans defense had been fairly good to start the year but it looks like they've reached their breaking point knowing that the offense can't sustain drives and they've fallen off a cliff in all areas in recent weeks, so they can be exploited by Drake Maye who's had an up-and-down start to his NFL career in a horrible situation.
When your top pass-catcher is Keyshon Boutte it's going to be a struggle but Maye has added a spark to the offense and his mobility helps them sustain drives rather than take sacks as Jacoby Brissett did before him.
Add to that the Patriots' terrible run defense and the Titans' strongest point, Tony Pollard's run game, and I think both teams will be able to move the ball. Will they be able to complete drives? That's tougher, but this is a low total, and I think we'll get at least 40 points.
Best TD scorer: Keon Coleman – 2/1 (PaddyPower)
After giving out three on the post last week I'm going to plump for a longer price one today and go for this emerging rookie on the Buffalo Bills offense. Keon Coleman has nearly 200 yards of offense over the past couple of weeks with Amari Cooper on the team alongside him, and it's the pleasure of softer coverage, which seems to have helped him get the targets he deserves from Josh Allen.
He goes up against a Dolphins defence that has big names, but those names aren't where they used to be. The youngster should be able to take advantage of a game in which I expect the Bills to win fairly comfortably.
I don't like doing odds-on, but at 20/21 (Betfred) and 10/11 (Bet365) Jahmyr Gibbs is only a touch over the line here so I'll put him up as well, as I said above I fancy the Lions to win this one and I'll probably take the highest of he and David Montgomery every week as you can practically guarantee at least one of them will be finding the endzone.
Best player prop: Jermaine Burton longest reception o13.5
If you've read any of my previous posts on here you'll probably have noted that I like this market for players. You're (hopefully) taking away the worry of needing multiple catches and a player racking up the yards, it can be completed in one reception and that's how I think this one will be done.
The Bengals are at a pivotal moment this year, and with Tee Higgins missing another game, there's a spot open on the offense. Andrei Iosivas usually take that, but last week, they gave rookie Burton some more game time, and he finished with three targets, one for 41 yards. He's a “go-route” runner, and against a poor Raiders defense, I think he'll be used in that aspect again as the coverage moves to more established players.
It doesn't help me, but he's had two catches this year, 47 and 41 yards. 100% of his receptions have hit this line! (Admittedly, I'd have preferred 50% of 40 targets, but the Bengals don't tend to trust rookies.) I also think the lack of Zack Moss in the run game will make them lean even more into a passing game they already use as much as anyone else in the league, which helps this pick as well.
Burton is out. I’ll go for Ertz o3.5 receptions