Week 9 won’t give us the dream matchup that we wanted between Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, but we will still get a quality slate with plenty of intrigue surrounding that clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers.

The Chiefs were hovering around a pick ’em early in the week, but that number shot up to Kansas City -7.5 after the news broke that Rodgers wouldn’t play.

Green Bay has covered seven straight to improve to 7-1 against the spread this season.

How will the Packers respond with Jordan Love at quarterback?

On the flip side, the Chiefs are 2-6 ATS this season and 4-15 ATS in their last 19 games dating back to last season, including the playoffs.

Kansas City is 0-8 ATS when favoured by seven points or more over that span. 

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys (-9.5) are an NFL-best 7-0 against the spread this season heading into a clash with the Denver Broncos.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Washington Football Team is an NFL-worst 1-7 ATS this season, and is getting eight points as a home underdog against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Last week, we got the biggest upset of the season when the New York Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-31 as an 11-point underdog.

Will we see another massive upset this week?

We very well could, but we aren’t betting on it.

Here are some of our best bets for Week 9 in the NFL.

Domenic Padula: Buffalo Bills over 31.5 versus Jacksonville Jaguars

The Bills had scored 31 points or more in five straight games before being held to 26 in last week’s win over the Miami Dolphins, a game in which they were held to three points through two quarters before scoring 23 points on their final four possessions.

If Josh Allen really did find his Zen last week, that’s bad news for a Jacksonville defence that ranks among the worst in the NFL against the pass.

Buffalo has scored on an NFL-best 51.9 per cent of its possessions this season, and after shaking off the rust following the bye last week, I expect them to come out firing from the outset against the Jaguars.

Did I mention that Jacksonville just gave up 31 points to Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks last week?

We don’t need to overthink this one

Take the Bills over 31.5 points.

Pick: Bills Over 31.5 points

Chris Amberley: San Francisco 49ers -2 vs. Arizona Cardinals

I took this line at San Francisco +1, but still think it’s playable up to Niners -2.5. There’s a strong chance Arizona’s star quarterback Kyler Murray doesn’t play and even if he does, he’ll be severely limited.

Murray is dealing with a sprained ankle that he suffered versus the Packers on Thursday Night Football in Week 8. He hasn’t practiced all week, and we won’t officially know his status until Sunday afternoon. If Murray can go, his mobility will be hampered, which is arguably his biggest weapon.

The former No. 1 pick isn’t the only Cardinal dealing with an injury however, as his No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is also a game-time decision. Hopkins barely played in Week 8 due to a hamstring injury, and, like Murray, hasn’t practiced all week.

To add insult to injury, AJ Green will also miss the game after testing positive for COVID-19.

San Francisco, meanwhile, is fresh off an 11-point win over Chicago, and will welcome back George Kittle to their offence. Kittle is one of the toughest tight ends in the league to matchup against, and he also excels as a blocker in the run game.

Speaking of the 49ers rushing attack, expect them to run all over Arizona. San Fran ranks third in rushing offence per DVOA, while the Cards allow the second-highest yards per carry in the league. JJ Watt, one of Arizona’s premier run defenders, is out for the season paving the way for an even higher ceiling for the Niners ground game.

Pick: 49ers -2