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NFL Week 9 Picks Straight Up – Predicted Upsets and Underdogs Showing Value

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Jan 18, 2023 · 11:54 AM PST

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota
Oct 30, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota (1) throws against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
  • Lions poised to run up score in Futility Bowl clash with Green Bay
  • Falcons offer value as home dogs versus inconsistent, injury-hobbled Chargers
  • Read on for this week’s bet bets to pull off upsets

Just one of our three picks to post upset wins came through last week, but opportunities abound as the NFL season reaches the halfway point. Read on for our NFL Week 9 Picks.

The Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons both offer value as home underdogs against struggling marquee opponents, while the Los Angeles Rams get another chance to bounce back from their shaky start, this time against the rapidly fading Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFL Week 9 Upset Picks

Matchup Spread Moneyline Pick Units
Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions GB -3.5 +158 Lions 1
Los Angeles Chargers vs Atlanta Falcons LAC -3 +135 Falcons 1
Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers TB -3 +130 Rams 1

Odds as of November 5 at Caesars Sportsbook.

NFL Week 9 upset picks: Fade Packers in Futility Bowl Clash with Detroit

Division rivals mired in losing streaks clash as the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers in Week 9 as 3.5-point home underdogs in the NFL odds . The Lions are buried at the bottom of the NFL standings after losing five straight capped by last week’s narrow 31-27 loss to Miami.

But while the Lions have surrendered 32 points per game over their current slide, they remain a legitimate offensive threat on home turf, where they have racked up 35.8 points per game.

Maintaining that torrid pace when could be a real challenge considering the injuries the Lions are dealing with. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds did not participate in practice on Thursday or Friday as he nurses a back injury that has made him doubtful for Sunday. Rusher D’Andre Swift remains listed as questionable with multiple ailments but is looking likely to play.

However, the Lions face a struggling Packers squad that has lost four in a row, and facing injury woes of their own. Of greatest concern is the fitness of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has been playing with a badly injured thumb. Despite the injury, Rodgers has managed to connect on seven total scoring passes during the team’s slide.

https://twitter.com/fantasysportsso/status/1588001038921240576?s=20&t=fU0pV5T-ThwzQfFDK5hQ-w

But with the status of injured receivers Allen Lazard and Christian Watson, and offensive linemen Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari still uncertain, engaging in a high-scoring duel with the Lions could go badly for this team.

Falcons Deserve More Respect on Home Turf

The Atlanta Falcons have won four of six to climb to the top of the NFC South standings but still find themselves pegged as 3-point home underdogs going into Sunday’s date with the inconsistent Chargers. Marcus Mariota and the Falcons once again silenced the naysayers with last week’s victory over Carolina.

While far from a dominant performance, the Falcons once again demonstrated character by overcoming a pair of deficits in their overtime win over the Panthers. Marcus Mariota continued to make a case as a candidate for NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors by tossing for three scores in this team’s third straight win on home turf.

The Falcons’ struggles against the pass this season are well documented. Atlanta has been lit up for almost 400 pass yards per game over their past two outings, and its pass defense ranks dead last in the league. However, they may be catching the Chargers at the right time, with receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both injured.

The absence of Chargers’ injured kicker Dustin Hopkins could also be a factor. Hopkins ranked second in team scoring while hitting nine of 10 field goal attempts before suffering a leg injury three weeks ago. And given the Falcons’ tendency to keep things close this season, a missed field goal may be all that separates them from a fourth straight win on home turf.

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Can Cam Akers Spark Rams in Road Date with Faltering Bucs?

Few teams have disappointed this season as much as the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, who travel to Tampa Bay as 3-point underdogs. Faced with an array of injuries, the Rams have mustered just 14.3 points per game while losing three of their past four, capped by last week’s crushing 31-14 loss to San Francisco.

Stripped of their championship aura, the Rams enter the second half of the season far from assured of a playoff spot, and desperate for an offensive spark. That could come in the form of running back Cam Akers, who returned to practice this week after being absent for a month due to a reported dispute with coach Sean McVay.

Akers return would give a massive shot in the arm to a Rams ground game that has massively underperformed against any opponent other than Carolina. His return could also be problematic for a Tampa Bay rush defense that has recently given up big rushing yardage against the Ravens, Panthers, Falcons, and Chiefs.

Losers of three straight, the Buccaneers face a struggle to snap out of a season-long scoring funk that has limited them to 20 or fewer points in five of their first eight outings. And with Tom Brady faced with the prospect of once again working with a receiving corps depleted by injury, it is tough to back the Bucs as betting chalk.

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