NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 9: Opening Lines Report

There was one big upset on the board in Week 8 as Atlanta fell at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I had the Bucs on my fade list early in the year, but it’s very obvious this team is improving every week and they are 2-1 in the last three weeks. This team is now 3-1 ATS against the betting line on the road, where they have scored two big upsets, at New Orleans and now at Atlanta, that have knocked many out of their NFL Survivor Pools. This team got the job done with defense and running game, which is the recipe for teams I try to stay away from playing against when making my weekly NFL Survivor Pool picks.

We still have one popular pick pending tonight for Monday Night Football as the undefeated Panthers host the Colts. Interestingly, the line has dropped during the weekend leading up to this game. Carolina was favored by seven at one point but now has a handicap of 5.5. That indicates some bettors in the know like the Colts tonight. Should be an interesting game.

Now it’s time to look at Survivor Pool picks for Week 9 in our opening line report. My top play last week was St. Louis, and they had little problem dispatching San Francisco. Here I will go down the list of the largest lines of the week with analysis and predictions for each game. This looks like a very easy week for Survivor Pool players as there appears to be many probable one-sided games on the schedule this week.

NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 9: Opening Lines Report

Cincinnati -10 vs. Cleveland

The Browns were a team I liked as an underdog play a few times this season, with mixed results. But this team seems to have regressed the past couple weeks. They were blown out the past two weeks at St. Louis and vs. Arizona on Sunday. The Bengals just keep getting the job done. They scored a very impressive road win on Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Steelers were slight favorites in that one and were a sharp pick in some circles to win the game. With any other team you might expect a letdown in a game like this. But not only is this a division opponent but the Bengals seem to be trying to chase off the ghosts of playoffs past and are on a mission this season to get the No. 1 playoff seed, giving them the best chance to succeed in the postseason. The Bengals are an extremely strong pick this week. Also, the short week normally favors the home team in these situations.

Pittsburgh -4.5 vs. Oakland

Ben Roethlisberger is back for the Steelers, but now Le’Veon Bell has been sidelined for the season with an MCL injury. That is a big blow to this team, which was a middling playoff contender to begin with. The Raiders are better than most people think. Everyone I know bet on the Jets on Sunday in Oakland, and the Raiders came away with another very impressive win. This team looks like a playoff club to me, especially in the watered-down AFC, but I could not really say the same thing about the Steelers, although 9-7 will probably be good enough to get in this season. The Steelers will probably win here, but I don’t feel real comfortable about it and think there are other better picks on the board for Survivor Pools.

New York Jets (OFF) vs. Jacksonville

This line is off the board because of the questionable status of Jets WR Brandon Marshall and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. If both of these guys can go then the Jets will be a sizable favorite in the seven-point range. Of course, we have to wait and see how things shake out with this number during the week. If both guys can go then I would think this could be a decent pick. The Jets are coming off a loss in Oakland and will desperately want to get back on the winning track, while the Jags have not won yet on the road and may not score a road win all season with the Titans and Texans the most winnable road games left on their schedule. The Jets probably win this one even with the injuries.

New Orleans (OFF) vs. Tennessee

Another game that is off the board here as Titans rookie QB Marcus Mariota is listed as questionable. No matter if he plays or not, the Saints will likely be close to a double-digit favorite here. New Orleans has played well the last few weeks after a slow start to the season. They have won three straight and four of their last five. They should make it four straight here on Sunday. Tennessee has lost six straight after looking impressive in their season-opening win against Tampa Bay (do we see a pattern here? Tennessee beat Kansas City in Week 1 last year then looked horrible most of the rest of the season). Whether Mariota plays or not, the Saints will win this game.

New England -14 vs. Washington

Everybody has used New England already so I won’t spend much time on this. If you haven’t used them, however, go ahead and take them here. This may be one of the best Patriots teams we have seen during the Tom Brady era, and they impress week after week. They will post another big win here as the biggest betting favorite on the board this week.

Atlanta -4.5 at San Francisco

The Falcons are probably not the team everyone thought they were after they blazed out to a 5-0 start. But they have now lost two of three and also turned in a very uninspiring performance in a slim win at Tennessee. That being said, the Niners are one of the NFL’s worst teams, and they have not played well at all lately. They aren’t improving as the season wears on, and this is a team near the top of my fade list right now. This looks like a “get right” game for Atlanta. I would not recommend taking them for Survivor Pools this week since this is a road game and there are many better options on the board this week.

San Diego -4.5 vs. Chicago

Yuk. This game proves they should have flex scheduling for Monday Night Football as this one looks like a real stinker. I live in San Diego and can guarantee half the stadium will be filled with Bears fans. Why would you want to risk your Survivor Pool on a 2-6 team here? At some point the Chargers are probably going to throw in the towel for this season. I think the Bears can score an upset here. If you watched the Chargers play on Sunday in their loss to Baltimore you saw half the team leave the field with injuries. This is a very shaky favorite, and I know I will have my money down on Chicago in this Monday Night contest.

Top Picks for the Week:

Cincinnati

New Orleans

New York Jets

Three to Avoid:

Pittsburgh

San Diego

Denver