Four spreads of note:

Buccaneers +9 @ Saints, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
For the record, I think this line is set right. The Saints have proven to be much better and much more explosive at home than they have on the road this season. But the Bucs just beat the Saints three weeks ago, are coming off a bye and didn’t just lose to the previously winless Rams. So why are they 9-point underdogs? It’s a revenge game for New Orleans in more ways than one but will the betting public be willing to lay nine points in order to take the Saints? It’ll be interesting to see where this line winds up but either way, it’s not falling to the key number of 7 or rising to the key number of 10 so bettors have a tough decision to make if they choose to wager on this game.

Giants +9 @ Patriots, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
I’m starting to develop a very general, very subjective take when it comes to betting on Giants games. If they’re not expected to win, jump on them and be glad to take any points oddsmakers throw your way. If they’re expected to win, either fade them or run like hell. In Week 1 they were expected to beat the Redskins and lost outright as a 2.5-point favorite. Two weeks later when they were 9-point underdogs on the road against the Eagles, they won 29-16. When they were expected to beat the Seahawks in Week 5, they lost outright at home. And when they were expected to run all over the hapless Dolphins last Sunday, they needed a fourth-quarter comeback to win but failed to cover the 9.5-point spread. Granted, they did cover against the Rams in Week 2 and the Cardinals in Week 4 when they were expected to win. But both of those games were a little too close for comfort. What’s my point? I like the G-Men getting 9 points this Sunday, even with Bill Belichick and New England’s win-after-a-loss streak on the line. New York just has a habit of showing up when nobody thinks they will.

Rams +4 at Cardinals, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
I smell a trap. The Rams are coming off a huge upset of the Saints and now they’re 4-point underdogs against a brutal Arizona team? Why isn’t this a 1 or 2 point spread? Even 3 points I can see but 4? This one doesn’t make sense and when a spread doesn’t make sense you either go the opposite way of conventional thinking (in this case, take the Cardinals), or you lay off entirely. I just don’t see how the Cardinals could be favored by anything more than 3 points in a game where both teams are 1-6. Especially seeing as how Kevin Kolb will be a game-time decision with turf toe.

Ravens +3 @ Steelers, 8:20PM ET, Sunday
This game opened at 3.5 but is already down to 3. I think if oddsmakers left the spread at 3.5 they would get more three-way action but I have to believe that public bettors would be all over Pittsburgh with the line sitting at 3. Baltimore has looked like a speedboat without an engine the past two weeks while Pittsburgh has won four in a row, which includes its win over New England last Sunday. The Steelers might suffer a hangover from the Patriot game but I highly doubt it. They’re playing the Ravens; these two teams always get up to play each other. It’ll be interesting to see where this line winds up at kickoff.

2011 NFL Week 9 Point Spreads:

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Bucs (5-2) @ Falcons (5-2), 1:00PM ET
Who would have thought in preseason that the winner of this game would be in first place in the NFC South heading into the second half of the season? Raheem Morris rolled some eyes when he said that the Bucs were the best team in the NFC two weeks ago, but nobody will be laughing if they can beat the Falcons this Sunday. For his career, Matt Ryan has only lost once at the Georgia Dome (his rookie year against the Broncos) and Atlanta had the luxury of having last week off. Look for both of these teams to try and shove the ball down each others’ throats and allow their defense to win the game. Expect a steady dose of LeGarrette Blount and Michael Turner this week.
CURRENT ODDS: FALCONS –9

Dolphins (4-3) @ Ravens (5-2), 1:00PM ET
The Ravens are coming off a bye and the Dolphins are coming off yet another road win. Miami is now 4-0 on the road this season, which is amazing considering its 0-3 at home. The Joe Flacco-Anquan Boldin connection has been outstanding this year, but Baltimore would love to get Ray Rice more touches if he’s healthy (he’s battled nagging injuries for most of the year). The Dolphins are still searching for more consistency from quarterback Chad Henne, especially in the red zone. Brandon Marshall has 47 catches for 588 yards, but has only reached paydirt once. Henne may be able to take advantage of a Baltimore defense that has allowed 57 points in their last two games.
CURRENT ODDS: RAVENS –5

Colts (5-2) @ Eagles (4-3), 4:15PM ET
We’re going to find out just how good this Eagles team is when Peyton Manning comes to town this Sunday. Michael Vick should be back after suffering a rib injury several weeks ago, but the onus this weekend will be on Philly’s defense. Indy is depleted offensively, but Manning is a master at taking what the defense gives him and moving the ball methodically up the field. If the Eagles can’t figure out a way to control the clock and keep Manning on the sidelines, then they’re going to be in for a long afternoon. Philly needs a win to avoid dropping to .500 and perhaps multiple games behind the Giants in the NFC East.
CURRENT ODDS: EAGLES –2.5

Chiefs (5-2) @ Raiders (4-4), 4:15PM ET
Who would have thought that this game would be so important early in the year? The Raiders have won two straight by a combined score of 92-17, while the Chiefs struggled against the Bills but managed to come out victorious in order to improve to 5-2. Kansas City is just 1-2 on the road this year, while Oakland is 3-1 at home. If the Chiefs are for real, they have to be able to beat a divisional opponent on the road. The Raiders are hot, but they’re still the Raiders. Consistency is not one of their strong suits.
CURRENT ODDS: RAIDERS -3

2010 NFL Week 9 Opening Odds:

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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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