Prisco's Week 9 NFL expert picks: Cowboys rebound with rout of Colts, Packers edge Patriots
By Google News Sports ·
The turnaround week looked promising early Sunday.
Then it went rotten — at least with my against-the-spread NFL picks, I went into the late games with a 6-3 ATS record. I ended up 7-7 for the week. That takes my season record to a horrible 50-68-3.
As for my straight-up picks, I went 10-4. That brings my season record to 72-48-1. That I will take.
Now it's time to get going on the ATS record. I went with some strange dogs this week in hopes of getting back on track.
The Panthers have been beat up the past two games, leading to the firing of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. They are reeling on defense. The Broncos won a tough one last week against the Chiefs thanks to late-game magic by Bo Nix. This time, it's a lot easier against a bad Panthers defense and struggling offensive line.
The Cowboys are coming off a horrible loss to the Cardinals at home, but they get a big break playing the Colts, who are struggling. Indianapolis has major problems and there is talk of trading more players. The Cowboys will get the offense cranked up again in this one as they get back on track behind their passing game.
The Chiefs are back home after losing two straight on the road. The Jets blew a late lead to the Raiders last week. Kansas City has not run it the past two weeks, but look for Kenneth Walker to get back on track. The Chiefs win it to break the losing streak, but the Jets and their offense hang around.
This is a tough trip for the Lions coming off two home division victories, and it's against a young team playing much better. But this is a big challenge for the Miami defense. The Lions can score in bunches and I think they will in this one. Look for a big day from Jared Goff.
The Browns are playing consecutive road games after losing to the Steelers last week. The Saints are coming off a bye, so big advantage there. The Browns were bad on offense against the Steelers, which I think carries over here. The Saints will do enough to win a low-scoring game.
The Giants are coming off a bye in first place in the division, while the Eagles are coming off a road loss Sunday night to the Commanders. They are struggling in many areas. But this is a big rivalry, and pride will help keep the Eagles in it, as their defense has a solid day against J.J. McCarthy. But the Giants win it late.
This is a long trip for the Rams, but they seemed to have righted things the past few weeks. The Commanders rallied to beat the Eagles Sunday night. The Washington defense played well in that game, but this could be a game where Matt Stafford gets it cranked up. Jayden Daniels will play well to keep it close, but the Rams will win it.
The Texans are coming off a bye, while the Chargers are coming off a loss to the Rams. Neither team has come close to expectations before the season, with the Chargers winless. The Texans' defense and the Chargers' offense have both struggled. But I think the Chargers will hang around in this one behind their defense.
The Raiders are playing consecutive road games, while the 49ers are coming off a bye. Big edge for the 49ers. Plus, they are the better team. The Raiders' defense is struggling, so look for Brock Purdy to have a big day throwing the football. 49ers big.
This has the feel of a low-scoring game with two good defenses — even though both teams have good quarterbacks. The Packers have added rest from playing last Thursday, which will help. The Patriots had to rally and beat the Dolphins last week. The defenses play…
Originally published by Google News Sports
