NFL Week 9 Pick’Em Picks and Predictions

There are so many different ways to get in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook this NFL season. One of the best ways is by joining a weekly NFL Pick’Em pool. These pools require you to pick every game on the NFL slate against the spread.

You can enter the DraftKings NFL Pick’Em Pools here.

NFL Week 9 Pick’Em Pool Picks, Predictions and Strategy

Here are my five favorite selections to use this week in NFL against-the-spread pools.

NFL Week 9 Picks

Falcons +3.5 vs. Bengals — This is a good spot to back the Falcons. Michael Penix Jr. played a horrific game in a monsoon in Tampa Bay last week. The Atlanta offense had nothing to give, leading to the Buccaneers winning the game without even completing a pass. However, in this neutral-site game, Penix should look much better. Bijan Robinson should also be in for a big game, as the Bengals rank 20th in the NFL in defensive EPA/rush. Robinson should be able to break some long runs and make life easier on Penix Jr.

The Falcons’ defense should be up to the task against Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ passing attack as well. Atlanta ranks in the top-11 in the NFL in defensive EPA/dropback and defensive dropback success rate. Since the start of last season, teams are 7-0 ATS the week after getting shut out. The Falcons should keep that trend going and cover as underdogs in this game.

Jets +9.5 at Chiefs — The Jets suffered another loss last week to the Raiders, but they should be able to keep this game close. The Jets are 2-6, but only one of those six losses has come by double digits. Their average margin of defeat in those six losses is just 6.8 points per game. The offense has not been the problem for the Jets. That unit ranks 12th in the NFL in EPA/play and 10th in success rate. It is the defense that has let them down in recent weeks. However, the Jets could be getting their first-round pick, David Bailey, back this week. That would be a big boost for the defense.

The Chiefs have struggled to cover spreads as big favorites over the last few seasons. Patrick Mahomes is just 26-33-3 ATS as a favorite of seven or more points in his career. Mahomes is also 0-10 ATS in the month of November since the start of the 2024 season. The Chiefs just played a highly emotional game on the road in Denver. This is a bit of an emotional letdown spot for them against the lowly Jets. You might not get the best effort from the Chiefs in this game, and the Jets’ offense should produce enough to cover this big spread.

Saints -2.5 vs. Browns — It seems unlikely that Deshaun Watson will play in this game. He entered concussion protocol Tuesday morning, putting him behind schedule to be cleared in time to play on Sunday. If it is to be Shedeur Sanders starting on Sunday, the Browns’ offense is in trouble. Last season, Sanders ranked 44th out of 45 eligible quarterbacks in adj. EPA/play. Watson has been playing his best football since joining the Browns this season, and he has led Cleveland to a few wins on late-game drives. However, with subpar quarterback play, the Browns don’t have the offensive weapons or running game to put points on the board.

The Cleveland defense is also not the same unit on the road. That is why the Browns are 3-0 at home and 2-3 on the road this season. The Saints are still alive in a really poor NFC South, but they need to win games like this at home to stay in the division race. New Orleans is coming off the bye week, and Kellen Moore should have a great game plan to get his offense going. The Saints should handle business against a Deshaun Watson-less Browns team.

Eagles +3.5 vs. Giants — The Eagles have struggled all season, but particularly since Jalen Hurts went down. The good news is Saquon Barkley is continuing to ramp up his usage over the past two weeks since returning from injury. If Barkley can break some big runs, that could allow new starting quarterback Joe Milton to operate in the play-action passing game. That quarterback change could give the Eagles the spark they need to get some offense going. If the Eagles can just get a couple of scores on the board, they have a good chance to cover this game.

The Giants aren’t built to blow teams out. They beat the Texans in overtime, tied the Commanders, and both the Titans and Cardinals had potential game-winning drives end in interceptions or just shy of the end zone. New York has been quite fortunate to have the record it currently has. There is also now tape out on how this offense looks with J.J. McCarthy and Vic Fangio should have a good plan for him. This should be a very low-scoring game, and the Eagles have a real chance to win outright.

Vikings +3.5 vs. Bills — The Vikings have the best defense in the NFL this season. They finally suffered their first loss last week in Detroit, but even on the road against one of the NFL’s best offenses, they only gave up 19 points. It is nearly impossible to blow out this Vikings team because of how sound they are defensively. Teams are scoring just 13.3 points per game against Minnesota this season. It should defend its home field and make life hard on Josh Allen.

The Minnesota offense should have some success in this game. The Bills rank 27th in the NFL in defensive EPA/play this season. If Kyler Murray can just get the ball to his superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson should be able to turn normal gains into big plays after the catch. Getting over a field goal at home with the best defense in the NFL is an opportunity I won’t be passing up.