We kick off Week 9 with a game that, on paper, seems like it may be a stinker. The Jacksonville Jaguars travel to face the Baltimore Ravens, who will have Joe Fagnano, Kedon Slovis, and Austin Reed as their quarterbacks, as the Jacoby Brissett trade will not be finalized before Thursday night. So, with that as the opener, let’s jump right into the ClutchPoints NFL Week 8 picks, predictions, and odds column.

This is the final week before the 2026 NFL trade deadline, so teams could look quite different in Week 10. This is also the final data point to help decide if your team is a buyer, a seller, or a roster that stands pat. What teams do in Week 9 could be the difference between making a bold move or selling off for a rebuild vs. rolling with what you got for the final nine weeks of the season.
What makes this dynamic even more interesting is that there are a ton of home dogs this week. Nine of the 15 games on the schedule favor the road team, which means a lot of NFL general managers could get some real-time, not-so-nice feedback from their local fan base if things don’t go well.

As we look at the Week 9 calendar, we welcome back the Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and wave goodbye to two teams—the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans—until Week 10.

For the NFL Week 9 slate, we start with a Thursday nighter, followed by another international matchup, this time from Madrid, Spain, at 9:30 am ET. We then get seven early-window Sunday games, four late-window showdowns, a Sunday night tilt, and a standalone Monday night affair.

The ClutchPoints NFL picks, predictions, and odds column had another winning weekend, posting 8-6 records both straight up and against the spread. That brings us to 72-49 (59.5%) straight up and keeps us on the winning side overall at 60-57-4 (51.2%) ATS thus far.

Previous weeks: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 |Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

So, let’s get right into the NFL Week 9 picks, predictions, and odds.

Courtesy of DraftKings, here are the NFL odds.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-10) at Baltimore Ravens

We’ve done incredibly well here at the ClutchPoints NFL picks, predictions, and odds column by going against the public in prime-time games. However, we also know that when the oddsmakers see a trend, they adjust. Last week, the public was right about the Packers over the Panthers, and we think they are right to like the Jaguars here, too.

Big spreads haven’t come through a ton this season, so we’re bucking that trend as well, but with their third-, fourth-, and fifth-string QBs on the sidelines for this game, we just can’t see a path for the Ravens to make this one close at all. Yes, this is buying into the public narrative, but sometimes narratives are narratives for a legitimate reason.

Pick: Jaguars 30-10

Cincinnati Bengals (-3) at Atlanta Falcons

The Bengals looked terrible at times in their overtime win over the Titans last week, and this game is in Madrid, Spain, which means anything can (and likely will) happen. That said, Joe Burrow and the Bengals have owned NFC South teams in recent years, and the Falcons haven’t done anything recently to prove that they should be the exception.

Almost 65% of the public money in this one is on the Falcons, which makes some sense as these two teams are maddeningly inconsistent, so taking the points on a game in Spain makes some sense. However, we like what Joe Burrow did after throwing all those picks, so we’ll predict he keeps that up overseas.

Pick: Bengals 28-21

Denver Broncos (-2.5) at Carolina Panthers

After beating the Chiefs, the Broncos are starting to look like a legit playoff contender, while the Panthers’ drubbing by the Packers on Thursday night football makes them seem like the opposite. However, there are a few things going in the Panthers' favor here.

Carolina is much better at home than on the road, and Denver is the same way. Plus, the Panthers have been solid after a loss in the Dave Canales era, so they may just sneak up and surprise the Broncos. We’ll go ahead and take the points and even pick the upset here.

Pick: Panthers 23-20

Dallas Cowboys (-5.5) at Indianapolis Colts

This is an interesting one when looking at the trends between Dak Prescott and Daniel Jones, who’ve faced each other numerous times in the NFC East. In their six previous meetings, the Cowboys QB has come out victorious every time. However, the record is split evenly ATS.

In this matchup, it seems as though the public loves the Cowboys and is underestimating the Colts because of the recent trades. Heading into Sunday, though, they still have most of their stars. So, we’ll take the trend above to continue, with Dak getting the win but DJ finding a way to cover.

Pick: Cowboys 33-31

Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints (-3)

This is a game they could play here in the ClutchPoints NFL Week 8 picks, predictions, and odds column’s backyard and we probably wouldn’t go outside to watch. This seems like a matchup of Shedeur Sanders and Tyler Shough, which is a sentence we’ll have to explain to people in three years, because they will have no idea who these two players are.

All the stats and trends about these teams of late and at home vs. on the road are bad, so this will be one team overcoming their failings one way or the other. The public likes the Browns here, but this game is such a mess that we’ll just take the points and hope that helps get us a win.

Pick: Browns 14-12

New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs (-10)

As we mentioned above, teams favored by a touchdown or more haven’t done a good job covering this season. Welcome back to NFL parity. While this game seems like it should be a Chiefs blowout on paper, especially coming off a tough loss, we like the Jets here to keep it close.

There is a lot of buzz about whether the Jets should be sellers or stay put this year at the NFL trade deadline. A crushing loss could push them towards trades, while a win or a competitive loss could see them stay where they are. We like the latter in this game, which means fewer trades next week from Gang Green than expected.

Pick: Chiefs 27-23

Detroit Lions (-7) at Miami Dolphins

It’s easy to say that the Lions are good and the Dolphins are bad, so we’ll take Detroit. Don’t get us wrong, those things are both true, and we are taking the Lions to win and cover here, but there is more to it than that.

The Lions have been good coming off of wins this year, and Malik Willis hasn’t been good with a high over/under, which is what this game has. Also, while people love to point to Jared Goff’s outdoor stats vs. his indoor ones, that is a bit exaggerated.

Pick: Lions 34-23

New York Giants (-3.5) at Philadelphia Eagles

Teams coming into a game with more rest have done well this season, and that’s exactly what the Ginats have coming of their bye. Not to mention, the Eagles are falling apart as much, if not more, than any team in the league right now, and the ClutchPoints NFL picks, predictions, and odds column doesn’t see why that would change.

Even on the road, we like the Giants to win and cover here, and by extension, take a stranglehold on the NFC East. This will put the Eagles out of the division race, and give the Cowboys and Commanders an uphill battle. That’s what happens when an organization like New York finally hires a professional head coach.

Pick: Giants 24-14

Los Angeles Rams (-4.5) at Washington Commanders

After some legitimate midseason struggles, the Rams have seemed to right the ship, ripping off two wins in a row in Weeks 7 and 8. Now, they go on the road to face a Commanders team that beat the Eagles last week, but is that saying all that much at this point?

What we are really looking at here is a talent gap, and the Rams are just much more competent and skilled in this matchup. Plus, Sean McVay loves taking it to his old franchise that he feels didn’t treat him, Kyle Shanahan, and the rest of the posse all that well when they were there,

Pick: Rams 27-17

Houston Texans (-5.5) at Los Angeles Chargers

Welcome to the Disappointment Bowl! These two teams that nearly everyone picked as playoff teams and some touted as Super Bowl contenders are a combined 2-12 headed into Week 9. We've loved picking against both these teams this season, but one of these teams will have to cover, so that makes this a tough choice.

Ultimately, one of these teams has two wins, while the other has zero. And while we doubt the Chargers will actually finish 0-17, the policy of the ClutchPoints NFL picks, predictions, and odds column is that we are going to pick against LA until they win. For that reason, give us the Texans to win and cover here.

Pick: Texans 20-13

Las Vegas Raiders at San Francisco 49ers (-10)

San Francisco is coming off more rest here, and they are at home, so we do believe they will win this game. However, the 10 points just seems like too much for us to love against a Raiders team that can be frisky at times this season.

This is another big NFL trade deadline game, as the Raiders could be sellers if the wheels fall off here and the Niners both win and cover the double-digit spread. We think Vegas will close but keep it close here, but if not, Kirk Cousins could be back in a Vikings uniform by Monday morning.

Pick: 49ers 28-27

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots (-3)

This is probably the game of the week between two teams that have looked good of late but still don’t have fans and pundits alike convinced that they are real Super Bowl contenders this year. Still, the Drake Maye vs. Jordan Love matchup should be fun!

Ultimately, this is a home game for the Pats, and Maye and Mike Vrabel are very good at home. And while the Packers looked great on Thursday Night Football, they haven’t scored 24-plus points in back-to-back games since late last season. We’ll take the Pats to win and cover here.

Pick: Patriots 28-23

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (-8.5)

Once again, we are going to push back against a big spread and look at the Cardinals to cover here. Yes, they traded away their Week 1 starting quarterback this week, but honestly, Gardner Minshew and/or Carson Beck may just be better anyway.

On the flip side, Sam Darnold is out, but Mike Macdonald is undefeated straight up and against the spread vs. the Cardinals in his career. Still, we’re going to ride this big spread trend and take the Seahawks to win, but not by more than a touchdown.

Pick: Seahawks 26-22

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears (-6)

Yes, the Buccaneers are winning since Baker Mayfield got back, but their wins have been in weird ways. Can the run game and crazy circumstances keep Tampa Bay in the win column? We don’t think so.

With the addition of Jeffery Simmons, the Bears may now be the most complete team in the NFL. The offense is firing on all cylinders, and now the defense has one of a small handful of true defensive difference-makers in the league. Chicago has let us down in some spots like this before (Week 2), but we still believe they can come through here.

Pick: Chicago 30-22

Buffalo Bills (-3) at Minnesota Vikings

It’s the irresistible force vs. the immovable object on Monday night as Josh Allen and the Bills offense take on Brian Flores and the Vikings defense. While handicapping that matchup may be the way a lot of people come at this game, the ClutchPoints NFL picks, predictions, and odds column has a different idea.

We are looking at the Bills D vs. the Vikings O, and that’s where we see an advantage. Sure, the Bills defense hasn’t been good at times to this point, but they looked better last week coming off a bye (yes, against the Ravens’ QB3). Conversely, the Vikings offense is a mess, and there is no way they keep up with Allen and Co., even if the MVP has a tough game.

Pick: Buffalo 30-16