I had another lackluster week last week as I went 9-6 with my Week 8 picks. None of my four upset picks came to fruition. This week, though, I’m picking five upset picks. Here are my picks for Week 9.
49ers 34, Cardinals 10
Kyler Murray will have Nick Bosa in his face all night long. The only question is when Kyle Shanahan will call off the dogs and stop running up the score.
Upset: Texans 20, Jaguars 24
Gardner Minshew brings his magic to London. The Texans’ defense has struggled in the past without J.J. Watt, and I see that being the case against their division rivals. The Jaguars’ defense will limit Deshawn Watson and co.
Upset: Titans 31, Panthers 17
The Titans’ opportunistic defense will contain Christian McCaffrey enough to force Kyle Allen to turn the ball over. Also, look for Derrick Henry to have a solid game on the ground with over 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Redskins 10, Bills 24
The Bills will rebound off their loss to the Eagles and win this game handily.
Vikings 41, Chiefs 30
Matt Moore will not be able to keep up with Kirk Cousins on the scoreboard. His playmakers will keep it close at halftime.
Upset: Jets 20, Dolphins 24
The Dolphins will temporarily halt their losing (and tanking) and eke out a victory against their division rivals.
Bears 17, Eagles 24
Matt Nagy will opt to go for it on a few fourth downs to avoid his kicker missing more field goals. That will ultimately cost the Bears in this one.
Colts 27, Steelers 21
I was flirting with the upset in this one but then remembered the Steelers struggled a bit against the Dolphins. Jacoby Brissett will throw three touchdowns, including two to T.Y. Hilton.
Lions 30, Raiders 27
Matthew Stafford and the Lions will get the better of Derek Carr and the Raiders in this one. They will both throw for a pair of touchdowns and flirt with the 300-yard mark.
Buccaneers 10, Seahawks 31
This may be the week Bruce Arians benches Jameis Winston. Russell Wilson will have another MVP-caliber performance.
Browns 24, Broncos 13
If Joe Flacco were to start, I would’ve picked the upset here … but Flacco is out. The Browns will bounce back after loss to the Patriots.
Packers 41, Chargers 17
Aaron Rodgers will throw for 400 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Los Angeles already relieved their offensive coordinator of his duties, so could the quarterback be next?
Upset: Patriots 27, Ravens 30
I’ve picked against the Patriots before. The Patriots’ defense has been dominant but Lamar Jackson is a whole different beast. He will lead his team on a late game-winning drive to pull off the upset win.
Upset: Cowboys 20, Giants 24
Saquon Barkley will outperform Ezekiel Elliott on Monday night. Daniel Jones will play mistake-free football while Dak Prescott will throw a late-game interception, sealing the upset win for the home team.
