Share 
Best Bets: Bengals () , Dolphins () & Cowboys ()
Up to $1,000 Back in Bonus Bets Over First 10 Days*
*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms. 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET
Up to $1,000 Back in Bonus Bets Over First 10 Days*
*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms. 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET
Best NFL Week 9 Picks Against the Spread
- Bengals ()
- Dolphins ()
- Cowboys ()
Cincinnati Bengals () vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 9 brings us another international game: the Falcons and Bengals live from Madrid, Spain.
Heading into this game, these teams are coming off two wildly different Week 8 performances. The Bengals put up 43 points and beat the Tennessee Titans in overtime. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw five touchdown passes and ran for another. Meanwhile, the Falcons lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-0 despite the Buccaneers not completing a single pass.
Even more concerning was Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who completed just 8 of 24 passes and had four interceptions. Now he faces a Bengals defense that ranks third in defensive snaps in Cover-1. Against Cover-1 this season, Penix Jr. has completed just 44.4% of his passes for 174 yards and one touchdown.
The Falcons could look to lean on their running back, led by Bijan Robinson, which could be a good strategy. After all, the Bengals did allow two rushing touchdowns to Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. That said, Titans quarterback Cam Ward had a great performance, and while Penix Jr. certainly is capable of that, his Week 8 performance was startling. So, that, coupled with these numbers against Cover-1, is concerning.
Looking further at his passing numbers, the Bengals also play a lot of Cover-3. Against that, Penix Jr. has three interceptions.
Detroit Lions vs. Miami Dolphins ()
Don’t look now, but the Dolphins have been playing pretty solid football recently. They’re 4-3 against the spread, and quarterback Malik Willis has thrown four touchdown passes over the last two games. The Dolphins lost to the New England Patriots last week by just five, and the week before, they beat the New York Jets outright as an underdog.
Now, at home, they’re a touchdown underdog against the Lions. The Lions have a potent offense, ranking third in points (29), seventh in rushing yards (131.4), and fourth in passing yards (264) per game. However, their defense ranks among the worst in the league. They’ve allowed 297.7 passing yards and 2.6 touchdown passes per game.
The Lions held Kyler Murray to 210 passing yards last week, but otherwise every quarterback has thrown for at least 248 yards against them. So, a lot is working in favor of the Dolphins right now: They’re at home, Willis has played well, they’re covering spreads, and the Lions defense has been abysmal.
Dallas Cowboys () vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Cowboys had an utterly disastrous Week 8, losing to the Arizona Cardinals outright, 33-30. That loss certainly stings, but they have a strong chance to make it up in this game. The Colts’ season might as well be over. They were completely overwhelmed in Week 8, losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars 42-7. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones completed 19 of 28 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Running back Jonathan Taylor had just eight carries for 23 yards, and wide receiver Josh Downs had four catches for 23 yards and a touchdown. That being said, those two players are likely on the trade block, so their playing time could be significantly impacted. On top of that, the Colts defense will have to contend with a Cowboys offense that ranks inside the top nine in scoring and passing yards per game.
The Colts primarily play Cover-3, and Prescott has completed 65.9% of his passes for 580 yards and two touchdowns. Now, as for the Cowboys’ defense, yes, it’s terrible. However, just watching this Colts team, I don’t think the porous defense from the Cowboys will matter; they’re simply that bad.
Photo Credit: REUTERS
