Top NFL Week 9 SU Picks

Playoff races are already building intrigue as we pass the midway point of the NFL’s regular season. Some teams are dealing with big injuries at their skill positions, while others are dealing with changes in their coaching staffs. Which SU NFL betting picks make the most sense for this week? As always, home teams are in all caps.

Top NFL SU Picks of the Week

 

Can’t wait for Sunday. #TBT #DoItTuitt pic.twitter.com/veZpoE824k

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 3, 2016

BALTIMORE over Pittsburgh

A couple of days ago, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin came out and said that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a chance to play on Sunday. That news doesn’t sound encouraging, and no updates had come out as of this writing, so it looks like Landry Jones will lead the Steeler “O” again down in Baltimore. Despite the fact that the Ravens lack true talent at tailback or wide receiver, they have the defensive talent to control Pittsburgh under a backup quarterback (or even under a less-than-healthy Roethlisberger).

KANSAS CITY over Jacksonville

Blake Bortles had a huge game last week, but he wasn’t playing against a defense as solid as the one in Kansas City. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has become a master at managing long, clock-draining drives using short throws and a mixture of runs as the Chiefs work down toward score after score, and the Jaguars don’t have the defense to control them over the course of a full game. I like the Chiefs to use that same style to grind out a home win here.

Carolina over LOS ANGELES

The Panthers answered a lot of doubters last week with a 30-20 home whipping of the Arizona Cardinals. Now they had out to Los Angeles to take on a Rams team that refuses to move to the future by letting their top draft pick, Jared Goff, get on the field. Carolina moved the ball at will against a Cardinal defense that held Seattle to a 6-6 tie the week before, and their defense held Carson Palmer and a talented Cardinal offense in enough check to get the win. I like Carolina to head west and make Case Keenum look silly.

OAKLAND over Denver

The line in this game is dead even, and the winner of this game gets a huge boost in the AFC West race. Derek Carr has led his team to five huge road wins so far this season, and while the team has faltered in some big home tests (Atlanta and Kansas City), Denver does not have the offense that those other two opponents bring. I like Oakland to find some openings against a solid Denver defense, and I like Oakland’s pass rush to force Trevor Siemian into just enough mistakes to pull off the win.

SEATTLE over Buffalo

Buffalo took a hide-tanning from New England last week, and Seattle has a defense that plays much more physically than the Patriots do. LeSean McCoy will still play at less than 100% at tailback, which means the Bills have to rely on the passing game — a trend that plays right into the hands of the Legion of Boom.