It’s Trick-or-Treat time in the NFL with Halloween this Thursday.
Eight weeks of data are haunting the oddsmakers’ power ratings, which makes the NFL Week 9 odds downright spooky.
But you can play a trick on your bookie by snapping up the softer Week 9 numbers now and treat yourself to some extra points on or off the lines by waiting to wager later in the week.
Here are my favorite "Bet Now, Bet Later" NFL picks for Week 9.
Week 8 bet now, bet later picks
- Lions (-3.5) at Packers: Bet Now
- Broncos at Ravens (-9): Bet Later
- Patriots at Titans (Under 40): Bet Now
- Chargers at Browns (Under 39.5): Bet Later
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
Detroit Lions (-3.5) at Green Bay Packers: Bet Now
Another week, another huge game in the NFC North.
The Detroit Lions can keep climbing the standings with another win and the Green Bay Packers are holding their breath as it pertains to the aching groin of quarterback Jordan Love.
Detroit is the hottest team in the conference and just blasted Tennessee by 38 points. The Lions offense is hitting its stride after sputtering to start the schedule, having posted 172 total points across their last four outings.
The Packers have won four in a row, but Love left the Week 8 win over Jacksonville with a groin injury and will have an MRI on Monday to confirm the damage. Grabbing the Lions -3.5 is a smart way to stay ahead of any injury news and even if Love does play, you’re still getting Detroit below the undervalued key number of -4.
Best odds to bet Lions -3.5 right now
Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens (-9): Bet Later
The Baltimore Ravens look like Super Bowl contenders for the first 45 minutes but go rotten in the fourth quarter. Baltimore blew another game with a bad showing in the final frame in Week 8 and that habit of collapsing makes laying big points with Lamar Jackson & Co. a risky proposition.
The Ravens play host to the Denver Broncos, who have strung together five wins in their last six games, albeit against some crappy opposition. Baltimore is by far the best team the Broncos have battled, yet this spread could shrink from its opener of Denver +9 due to public perception.
Not only are the Ravens unable to stick the landing most weeks but this game has major look-ahead vibes. Baltimore has an AFC North grudge match with Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football in Week 10, which could make those final 15 minutes a sweat.
If you’re not soured on the Ravens, wait and see how low this goes. Bookies will move faster through -9 and -8, as those are dead numbers, and it wouldn’t shock me to see -7.5 or maybe even a touchdown later this week — especially with Baltimore banged up on defense.
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans (Under 40): Bet Now
Oh, this one could get ugly.
The New England Patriots may be stuck with veteran QB Jacoby Brissett after rookie Drake Maye suffered a concussion in Week 8. That switch under center shortens this New England offense considerably, with Brissett sitting among the lowest intended and completed air yards per attempt.
As for the Tennessee Titans attack, they might have QB Will Levis back under center but that’s not necessarily a good thing. Tennessee's offense is horrible and has scored 17 or fewer points in six of its first seven games.
Defensively, the Titans are sound — despite getting torched the past two weeks. Tennessee took on high-powered offenses in Detroit and Buffalo, and now sees a major shift in competition against the Pats.
This total opened at 41.5 O/U and is quicky shrinking, with some shops already as short as 38.5 O/U. Grab the Under on as many points as you can right meow!
Best odds to bet Under 40 right now
Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns (Under 39.5): Bet Later
Jameis Winston’s sudden success under center has Cleveland Browns fans calling for the jobs of pretty much everyone on the coaching staff, who blindly stuck with Deshaun Watson until he couldn’t physically stand any longer.
Cleveland erupted for 29 points behind 334 passing yards from Winston, marking the first time this offense has scored more than 18 points. That has this total knocking on the door of 40 points in Week 9.
The Los Angeles Chargers also had an offensive renaissance in Week 8, tying their season high with 26 points in a win over New Orleans. That came despite a makeshift receiving corps and with L.A. getting healthier at the skill spots in Week 9, I could see this Over/Under ticking up and perhaps hitting the key total number of 41.
However, the Chargers are made for Unders (1-6 O/U on the season) with a plodding pace anchored in the run and a defense ranking Top 5 in most advanced defensive metrics, including protecting against the deep ball.
If you’re not buying into "Famous Jameis" against the Bolts defense, wait and see if that key number of 41 shows before buying back the Under later in the week.
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