By the time the final whistle sounds in the last game of NFL Week 9, every team in the league will have reached the midway point in their year. As is the case with every season in this league, some teams will be exactly where we expected them to be, while others will be excelling beyond expectations or failing to live up to the hype. Part of the fun of this league is that we are never really sure where any team will be until they all start playing the games for real.
For now, though, all we can do is speculate on which games are the best to wager on, and Week 9 certainly has a few that fall into that category.
NFL Week 9 Must Bet Games – 2018 Season
Oakland Raiders vs San Francisco 49ers
The Week 9 schedule gets off to what could potentially be an explosive start on Thursday night, with a pair of teams from the west coast going head to head. It has been a very long time since the Raiders and 49ers were relevant at the same time, but the expectation is that both of them will be playoff candidates this season. The Raiders had a great 2016 but faltered last year. Coach Gruden will be trying to turn their fortunes back around, while the hopes of the 49ers faithful fall heavily in QB Jimmy Garoppolo, as he came in last season and won all 5 games he started.Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens
If you are looking for a rivalry that tends to ooze legitimate hatred, then look no further than this one. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens play twice a year in the AFC North, with every meeting ending in bruises and heated words. These meetings tend to be of the low-scoring variety, but even if you are a fan of gun-slinging offensive football, you can’t help but be sucked into the hard-hitting, smash-mouth style of football that these two play when they face each other. This game may be the highlight of Week 9.Atlanta Falcons vs Washington Redskins
The Atlanta Falcons finished last season with 10 wins and were one of 3 teams from the NFC South to make it into the playoffs. It’s going to be another tough battle for division supremacy, but the Falcons will also have some tricky non-conference games to deal with this season. One such game is a trip to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Redskins, a team that figures to be better this season with Alex Smith as their QB. While this is a game that you might expect the high-powered Falcons to one, it is one of those potential banana peels that could hurt Atlanta’s quest to win the division.Green Bay Packers vs New England Patriots
Don’t expect to be in bed early on Sunday night in Week 9 if you live on the east coast, as we have a beauty on tap. The Green Bay Packers are considered by many to be the biggest challenger for the Eagles in the NFC, while the Patriots once again look to make another run to the Super Bowl. There are a lot of rumors swirling the Patriots camp heading into the season, with some believing that they could be in trouble this year. The Patriots have survived through tougher crises than this one, so look for them to come out strong against an NFC titan.Rest of the Schedule for NFL Week 9
- Chicago Bears vs Buffalo Bills
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers
- Kansas City Chiefs vs Cleveland Browns
- New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins
- Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings
- Houston Texans vs Denver Broncos
- Los Angeles Chargers vs Seattle Seahawks
- Los Angeles Rams vs New Orleans Saints
- Tennessee Titans vs Dallas Cowboys
