Along with the point spread odds for Week 9 in the NFL, here are some marquee matchups to keep an eye on this weekend:

Ravens (4-3) at Bengals (5-2), 1:00PM ET
Following a three game skid, the Ravens got back on track with an impressive 30-7 win over the Broncos last Sunday but now travel to Cincinnati to play a Bengals team that beat them in Week 5. If Baltimore is going to keep pace in a tight AFC North race, beating the Bengals this Sunday is a must. Look for Cincinnati to use Cedric Benson and the running game to help open things up for Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco to test an inconsistent Ravens secondary.
Odds: Ravens –3.

Dolphins (3-4) at Patriots (5-2), 1:00PM ET
Don’t let their record fool you – the Dolphins are a good football team and don’t forget that New England had fits trying to stop Miami’s Wildcat formation last season. This is an important game for the Patriots because a win would establish some breathing room in the AFC East. A loss and the Dolphins and Jets are right back in the division hunt.
Odds: Patriots –10.5.

Chargers (4-3) at Giants (5-3), 4:15PM ET
The Giants desperately need to stop the bleeding, while San Diego needs a win if they have any chance of catching the Broncos in the AFC West. New York is slowly starting to get healthier on defense, but Eli Manning has been brutal in the G-Men’s three-game losing streak and must play better before the season starts to slip away. He’ll have a shot this week at home against a highly inconsistent Chargers secondary.
Odds: Giants –5.

Cowboys (5-2) at Eagles (5-2), 8:20PM ET
The game of the week takes place in Philadelphia this Sunday night when the Eagles host the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. The Eagles are coming off an impressive thrashing of the Giants, while the Cowboys didn’t suffer a letdown against the Seahawks after soundly beating a good Falcons team in Week 7. Can Tony Romo win in a hostile environment in prime time? Can the Dallas defense continue to pressure quarterbacks into making mistakes? This should be a great game.
Odds: Eagles –3.

Steelers (5-2) at Broncos (6-1), 8:30PM ET on Monday
We’re going to find out a lot about these two teams on Monday night. The Broncos suffered their first loss of the season last week in Baltimore, but they have zero time to dwell on that fact because a confident Steelers team that is starting to build some momentum comes to town. A win over a good Denver team would give Pittsburgh the push it needs to make a strong second half run. How will Kyle Orton and the Bronco offense deal with a Steelers defense that is starting to get healthy?
Odds: Steelers –3.

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Along with the odds for Week 8, here are a couple of marquee matchups worth tuning into this weekend.

Giants at Eagles, 1:00PM ET
After starting the year 5-0, the Giants have dropped two straight and now travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a hostile environment. The Eagles didn’t look particularly sharp offensively on Monday night vs. the Redskins, but they have more than enough weapons to put points on the board against a banged up Giants defense. Both these teams are looking for a win in order to keep pace in the NFC East.
Odds: Eagles PK.

Broncos at Ravens, 1:00PM ET
Both of these teams are fresh coming off their byes, but the Broncos have won six straight while the Ravens have dropped three in a row. Baltimore’s secondary has been its Achilles’ heel all season and while the offense continues to put up points, they’ll be tested this Sunday by a Denver defense that has played well this year. Josh McDaniels’ squad has battled adversity all season and will have to do so again this weekend against a Ravens team desperately seeking a win.
Odds: Ravens –3.

Vikings at Packers, 4:15PM ET
This game is important for both teams on so many levels. Brett Favre returning to Lambeau will command most of the headlines, but perhaps more importantly is the Packers need a win to prove they can beat an opponent with a winning record and keep pace with Minnesota in the division. The Vikings would love to bounce back from their loss to Pittsburgh last week, sweep the season series with Green Bay, and take a commanding three game (really a four game when you factor in tiebreakers) lead over the Packers.
Odds: Packers –3.

Falcons at Saints, 8:30PM ET, Monday
The Saints appear to be unstoppable right now, while the Falcons are reeling following their loss to the Cowboys last Sunday. Atlanta’s secondary is a major question mark and if the front four can’t generate any pressure, Drew Brees is going to have a field day. The Falcons also need to get Michael Turner and the ground game going or else the solid New Orleans defense might force Matt Ryan into making a couple mistakes. This is a huge game for the Falcons, because they don’t want to fall three games back in the division.
Odds: Saints –10.

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Here are odds and quick-hit previews of all the action in Week 5 in the NFL.

Vikings -10 over 41
Rams +10 under 41
Fresh off their impressive Monday night win over divisional rival Green Bay, Minnesota travels to St. Louis to take on the worst team in football. The Rams’ woes are primarily in the passing game, where they’re averaging a measly 139.5 yards per game. Steven Jackson won’t find much running room in this one, so look for Jared Allen to have another monster performance against St. Louis’ collection of weak offensive tackles. Brett Favre probably won’t need to display the magic he did Monday night against the Packers because Adrian Peterson should have plenty of running room.

Cowboys –9 Over 42.5
Chiefs +9 Under 42.5
Dallas has had issues the past two weeks moving the ball offensively, but they have played better on defense. Tony Romo continues to regress in his decision-making and he hasn’t had much help from his two star backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones, who have each battled injuries. The ‘Boys shouldn’t get much of a challenge against a Chiefs team that is still struggling in their transition to the 3-4 defensive scheme, although you never know with the way Romo and company have looked the past two weeks. (Even in their win over the Panthers, Dallas struggled offensively.)

Redskins +3.5 Over 37.5
Panthers –3.5 Under 37.5
Carolina had a much-needed bye last week and John Fox hopes the team ironed out some of its issues. The Panthers are averaging less than a touchdown per game and quarterback Jake Delhomme has often killed scoring drives with turnovers and poor decision-making. Carolina will face a Washington team this weekend that needed two third quarter touchdowns to squeak by Tampa Bay last Sunday. The Redskins have racked up plenty of yards offensively, but usually come away with nothing to show for it, as Jim Zorn’s playcalling has gotten ultra-conservative.

Bucs +15 over 43
Eagles –15 under 43
Donovan McNabb should be back under center this weekend for the Eagles after suffering a rib injury in the opening week of the season. With McNabb, Philly looked potent offensively against the Panthers and the Eagles could destroy a Tampa team that is allowing 393.5 yards per game. The Bucs will start Josh Johnson under center again, although he could have issues moving the offense against a tough Philly defense.

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Along with the odds and over/under totals, here’s a look at some of the marquee matchups for Week 3 in the NFL.

Falcons (2-0) at Patriots (1-1), Sunday, 1:00PM ET
This will be a great test to see where both of these teams currently lie. The Falcons are 2-0 with wins over two struggling 2008 playoff teams, while the Patriots could very easily be 0-2 right now. Behind quarterback Matt Ryan’s (108.5 QB Rating) great start, Atlanta’s offense is gearing up for big things this season, but the defense is giving up 5.1 YPC and just lost starting DT Peria Jerry for the year. New England has its own defensive problems without middle linebacker Jerod Mayo and Tom Brady still hasn’t looked comfortable on his surgically repaired knee. It would be unwise to doubt Bill Belichick and the Patriots, but the Falcons would go a long way in proving that they’re a legitimate Super Bowl contender with a win at Foxboro.
Odds: Patriots –4.

49ers (2-0) at Vikings (2-0), Sunday, 1:00PMET
Who would have thought that the only matchup this week featuring two 2-0 teams would be the 49ers at Vikings? San Francisco’s defense has been solid in the first two games, yielding less than 300 total yards per game and limiting opponents to only 13 PPG. But neither Arizona nor Seattle posed the rushing threat that Adrian Peterson and Minnesota will provide this Sunday. This will be a great test to see where Mike Singletary’s team is and whether or not the Niners are legitimate playoff contenders. Can Shaun Hill beat the Vikings through the air if/when the Williams Wall takes away Frank Gore?
Odds: Vikings –7.

Titans (0-2) at Jets (2-0), Sunday, 1:00PM ET
Panic hasn’t set in yet for Jeff Fisher and the Titans, although a loss this week in East Rutherford would make things unsettling in Tennessee. Jets’ rookie Mark Sanchez has looked more like a five-year pro than a quarterback with only two career starts under his belt, but will this be the week that he finally suffers some growing pains? Tennessee’s defense has a way of making opposing quarterbacks look bad, although that certainly wasn’t the case last week when Houston’s Matt Schaub threw a career high four touchdown passes against the Titans. If Fisher’s squad falls to 0-3, the Titans may never recover. On the flip side, if the Jets start 3-0 they’ll set themselves up for making a run at the AFC East crown.
Odds: Jets –2.5.

(2-0) Colts at Cardinals (1-1), Sunday, 8:20PM ET
If you like watching quick-tempo offenses, then the Sunday night game will be right up your alley. The Colts defeated the Dolphins on Monday might despite only running 35 plays, which means Peyton Manning and the rest of Indy’s offense is already in midseason form. The Cards bounced back from their opening week loss to the 49ers by pounding the Jaguars last Sunday thanks to Kurt Warner’s amazing 24-for-26 passing day. Watching Manning and Warner dissect the opposing defense is going to be one of the more intriguing things to watch in Week 3.
Odds: Cardinals -2.5.

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