The drama of the NFL gets more and more intense every week. With the way things have gone this season, we could be seeing some of the best midseason drama in Week 9 that anyone could have possibly imagined when the schedule was released.
There are a handful of elite matchups on the docket for this weekend, including one game everyone has marked at the start of every season: Chiefs vs. Bills. The reigning NFL MVP, Josh Allen, will host the guy who looks like he's about to steal the award back for himself, Patrick Mahomes. We are also getting the potential return of another MVP candidate in Lamar Jackson, with the Steelers leaving the door open in the AFC North.
We're making all of our NFL picks and score predictions for every game on the Week 9 schedule, with some blowouts on the way, some games with major playoff implications, and teams trying to get back on track after tough Week 8 losses. The trade deadline looming in the on-deck circle adds even more intrigue. Let's dive in.
NFL Picks and Score Predictions for Every Week 9 Game
Teams on a bye: Browns, Jets, Eagles, Buccaneers
Baltimore Ravens (2-5) @ Miami Dolphins (2-6)
Thursday, October 30, 8:15 PM ET
Well, this matchup isn’t going to bring the excitement the NFL hoped it would when they put it in a primetime slot, is it? The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the league’s most shocking disappointments this season at 2-5, and even with Lamar Jackson, they’ve struggled to close games on both sides of the ball.
With that being said, Snoop Huntley helped get the ship going in the right direction again, and it might have been just in time. The Ravens got a win against the Bears, and there was some thought that Lamar could come back on Sunday, so will we see him play against the Dolphins on Thursday?
Maybe.
That’s where the intrigue is going to come from for the league in this one. Obviously, having Lamar Jackson return would be huge, but the Dolphins could also be playing their last game with the current players on the roster all in place. If the Dolphins can’t win this game against the Ravens, they’re going to be completely buried (they’re already buried, let’s be real), and perhaps some of the most obvious trade deadline “sellers” in the league.
The Ravens are opening as 7.5-point favorites on the road, so that tells you exactly what Vegas thinks about Jackson’s possible return. I think we’ll see the Dolphins give a good fight in this one, but if Lamar is back, I’m taking the Ravens.
Prediction: Ravens win 31-26