Betting Recap – Week 9

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

9 minute read

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Chiefs (+5.5, ML +200) vs. Vikings, 26-23
Broncos (+4, ML +175) vs. Browns, 24-19
Chargers (+4, ML +180) vs. Packers, 26-11
Dolphins (+3.5, ML +165) vs. Jets, 26-18
Ravens (+3, ML +140) vs. Patriots, 37-20

The largest favorite to cover
Bills (-10.5) vs. Redskins, 24-9
Cowboys (-6.5) at Giants, 37-18
Eagles (-5) vs. Bears, 22-14
Seahawks (-4) vs. Buccaneers, 40-34 (OT)
Panthers (-3.5) vs. Titans, 30-20

Brown Out

-- The Cleveland Browns (-4) entered the season with a ton of hype, centering around the addition of WR Odell Beckham, while QB Baker Mayfield is frequently seen on commercials, while taking on critics at every turn. There is a lot of attention surrounding the Browns, and a lot of noise, but very few wins on the actualy playing field. The Denver Broncos turned to QB Brandon Allen for his first NFL start with QB Joe Flacco reportedly dealing with a neck injury which will keep him out four to six weeks. It looked like a stroke of luck for a Cleveland team desperately in need of some noise on the field. They didn't get it. It was more of the same...silly penalties and a lack of results in the red zone. Hey, at least they didn't turn the ball over, and won that battle 1-0.

Anyway, the Browns have now dropped four in a row, and they're 0-4 ATS during the span since opening 2-2 SU/ATS. The defense hasn't been up to snuff, allowing 20 or more points in six straight games, and 24 or more in each of the past five. They're now 0-3 SU/ATS on the road, posting just 11.7 PPG and 27.3 PPG allowed during that three-game span on the road.

London Falling

-- The Houston Texans (+1) made their first-ever trip to London in Week 9. They might ask the NFL to make the trip more often, as they throttled the Jacksonville Jaguars by a 26-3 victory at Wembley Stadium, moving to 6-3 SU overall, including 2-0 SU against the Jags. No DE J.J. Watt? No problem. The Texans have posted 23 or more points in each of their past five games, but they snapped a two-game mini-skid against the number. The Jags saw their record slip to 4-5 SU, but they're still a solid 5-3 ATS across the past eight games.

Total Recall

-- The highest total on the board was the Detroit Lions-Oakland Raiders (51.5), and while things settled down a bit in the third quarter, both QBs Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr were tossing the pill around early and often. Both teams were poor against the pass coming in, and it showed frequently during the game. The second-highest total on the board was also a high-scoring affair.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Seattle Seahawks (51) battle was a seesaw affair with plenty of offense. There were more than 11 points in each quarter, and the game was tied 34-34 before heading to overtime where Seattle ended up with the win.

The other game with a closing total at or over 50 was the Green Bay Packers-Los Angeles Chargers (50) game, which closed at exactly 50. The Pack offense never got on track, at least until a late, meaningless touchdown in the fourth quarter, as the Chargers defense finally showed up.

-- On the flip side, the lowest total on the board was the Washington Redskins-Buffalo Bills (37) game. Buffalo's offense did their part, posting 24 points, but the defense held the 'Skins and rookie QB Dwayne Haskins to just nine points in his first NFL start. The Redskins have totaled nine or fewer points in five of the past six games, averaging 7.5 PPG. Needless to say, the 'under' is a perfect 6-0 for the 'Skins during that span.

The Cleveland Browns-Denver Broncos (39) game was the second-lowest on the big board, mainly due to the presence of Allen under center, and Denver's re-emerging defense. They scored 24, and the total inched over the mark with a late Cleveland touchdown. The only other game with a total under 40 was Indianapolis Colts-Pittsburgh Steelers (39.5). The Colts lost QB Jacoby Brissett early in the game to a knee injury, but veteran backup QB Brian Hoyer more than held his own, tossing three touchdowns. The Colts fell 26-24, but the game went well 'over'. 

-- The 'over' hit in all three primetime games of Week 9, with the Monday Night Football contest between the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants (48) cashing with six seconds remaining thanks to a fumble by QB Daniel Jones and a scoop and score. The 'over' is just 9-19 (32.1%) during the 2019 primetime schedule, a stark change from previous seasons when the games under the lights were high-scoring affairs. The 'under' was a perfect 8-0 for Sunday Night Football this season, but the New England Patriots-Baltimore Ravens (44.5) game went over in the SNF game for the second consecutive weekend.

Officially, the 'over' finished 26-25 (51.0%) in 51 games under the lights.

In 2017, the 'over' finished 25-23-1 (52.1%) in 49 primetime games.

In 2016, the 'over' in night games went (52.9%) through 51 games.

In 2015, the 'over' finished 20-28-1 (41.7%) in 49 primetime games. 

In 2014, the 'over' went 33-17 (66.0%) in primetime games, and the 'over' was 28-22 (56.0%) in 2013.

Injury Report

-- Colts QB Jacoby Brissett (knee) is likely to be sidelined for some game time due to what is believed to be a sprained medial collateral ligament.

-- Vikings WR Adam Thielen (hamstring) aggravated his hamstring injury and was forced back to the sldelines.

Looking Ahead - Divisional Battles

-- The Chargers and Raiders square off on Thursday night in what is expected to be the final primetime game at 'The Black Hole' before they move to Las Vegas. The Bolts are 4-0 ATS in their past four appearances on Thursday, and they're 9-2-1 ATS in the past 12 games on the road while going 8-1 ATS in the past nine in the month of November. That includes their 26-11 win over the Packers in Week 9. The Raiders are 6-1 ATS in their past seven at home, however, including their Week 9 win against the Lions. The Bolts might be sad to see the Raiders leaving Oakland, as they're 4-0 ATS in their past four trips to the East Bay.

-- The Ravens are coming off an emotional win against the previously unbeaten Patriots, now they have to face the winless Bengals. Will there be a dropoff in intensity and focus? The Bengals are starting QB Ryan Finley, using the bye week to prep him for his first NFL start. The Ravens are 0-7 ATS in their past seven inside the division, and 0-6 ATS in the past six against losing teams. While the Bengals are 1-8 ATS in their past nine home games, they have covered eight of the past 11 against divisional foes. Baltimore hasn't covered in four straight meetings, and they're 4-10 ATS in the past 14 trips to Paul Brown Stadium. Of course, the Bengals haven't been this bad before.

-- The Lions and Bears square off in Chicago in a tale of two teams. The Lions are a pass-happy offense which cannot stop anyone defensively. The Bears are a defensive-minded side who cannot pass against anyone. Some might find it curious then that the Bears opened as three-point favorites. well, Chicago is 4-1-1 ATS in the past six meetings, and 3-1-1 ATS in the past five home meetings with the Lions. The 'under' is also 5-2 in the past seven at Soldier Field between these combatants.

-- The lowly Falcons are back from their bye week, and they're facing a Saints team which is also coming off a rest. Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in the past seven following a bye, but just 5-17 ATS in the past 22 on the road and 1-5 ATS in the past six games overall. New Orleans has covered six in a row, and they're 10-2 ATS in the past 12 following a bye week while cashing in 17 of the past 25 inside the division while going 6-2 ATS in the past eight against losing teams. The Falcons are 1-4 ATS in the past five meetings, and 2-6 ATS in the past eight trips to NOLA.

-- The fifth and final divisional battle will take place on Monday in a highly anticipated game between the Seahawks and unbeaten 49ers, the last unbeaten in the NFL. How many people had that prediction? The Seahawks are 8-2 ATS in the past 10 on the road, while going 9-4-1 ATS in the past 14 meetings on Monday Night Football. The 49ers blasted the Browns earlier this season on MNF, and they're 27-7 ATS in their past 34 appearances on MNF. The Seahawks are 11-3-1 ATS in the past 15 in this series, and 5-2 ATS in the past seven trips to San Francisco, but these 49ers are a completely different animal, and it's a good idea to ignore those trends.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

VegasInsider Staff

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