PostScript Sports

Week 9 is here and we look to stay hot after a 9-5 Week 8 and 13-7 in Super 5 the last 4 weeks. Moving us to 62-59-1 on the season. Heading into Week 9 we see a lot of super high lines as favorites have been the winning side of bets the last few weeks. It seems as though Vegas is trying to neutralize teasers this week with lines getting up to around 2 touch downs in a few games.

What did we learn from Week 8?

Pittsburgh may be in trouble. I was still riding the Steelers going into this game. Rodgers has actually looked pretty good these last few weeks and looked fine against a good Packers defense. It’s the Pittsburgh defense that is struggling right now. Giving up over 30 points in 4 of their 7 games. Aside from Dillion Gabriel’s first start and the Patriots having two goal to go turn overs this defense has been giving points up in droves. Even at 2-5 this Steelers team is letting the Ravens linger.

The Patriots are looking like a team that can make a real run this year. Drake Maye is even starting to turn heads in the MVP conversation. This is one of the examples of how much a good coach matters. Last year the Patriots had one of the worst head coaches in football, a rookie QB and looked destined to spend multiple years drafting high. 7 games into Mike Vrabel’s tenure in New England they look like they can win the AFC East. Vrabel is showing again that he can raise the floor of a team and now he has a quarterback that can blow the roof off.

An AFC West toss up! With Kansas City now looking like the Chiefs of old the surging Broncos and Chargers are going to have to keep putting up strong performances to keep the Chiefs away from another division title. Last week we spoke about the stacked NFC West. Is the AFC West even more loaded? Poor Raiders.

Baltimore at Miami +7.5

Baltimore -7.5

Okay so Lamar is actually back in this one? If you follow us on X.com at @ThePSSports you would have seen Lamar did sit out another week and the line changed. We still rode with the Ravens even with Snoop Huntley under center. Thursday night theory. Lamar over Tua, Harbaugh over McDaniel and Dolphins are home. Two of three go to the Ravens and I’d much rather ride with Lamar than Tua even after the Dolphins went on the road and kicked the crap out of Atlanta.

San Francisco at New York (G) +2.5

New York (G) +2.5

I went back and forth on this one. But I think the Giants are a good home team. Even with the loss of Skattebo I think this Giants team can take advantage of a depleted 49ers defense and that this Giants defensive front can get to Mac Jones and neutralize McCaffery out of the backfield.

Los Angeles (C) at Tennessee +8.5

Los Angeles (C) -8.5

The Titans just look lost to me. The Titans lone win came by way of an absolute blunder by Arizona and outside of the season opener have lost by two possessions or more in every other game. This Chargers team is coming off extra rest after a dominant win against the Vikings last week and the Chargers offense looks so much better with Joe Alt on the field. I think the Chargers dominate this one.

Minnesota at Detroit -8.5

Detroit -8.5

The return of JJ McCarthy and on the road in Detroit. I don’t think that is a recipe for success. My only real concern is the line is fairly high for a divisional game. But I’m willing to eat the points here. If I were to actually be gambling I’d be looking to tease this line with another and getting the line of this down to -2.5 Detroit.

Atlanta at New England -5.5

New England -5.5

Loved New England last week, love them again here. I was surprised the line was under a touchdown in all honesty. The Falcons have looked awful since beating the Bills at home. The Patriots are rolling and Drake Maye is looking like the best deep ball thrower in the league. Back-to-back home games for the Patriots and back-to-back spots in the Super 5 here.

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh +3

Indianapolis -3

We started this article talking about how bad the Steelers defense has been. Green Bay was a 3.5 point favorite in Pittsburgh last week. I don’t quite understand how the Colts are only favored by 3 here. Indianapolis has looked like the best team in the league all year. I don’t see the Steelers slowing Jonathan Taylor down at all in this one. I think the Colts win this one comfortably and questions start to stir about the future of this Steelers team.

Denver at Houston -1.5

Houston -1.5

One of the tougher games again for me to pick. I like that Houston is playing back-to-back home games here and I think their defense is starting to find a groove. The Broncos I just feel like I don’t know what I’m getting from them week to week. Last week the Broncos looked like world beaters and put the beat down on the Cowboys but have also struggled to score points and beat the Titans and Jets this year. I’m going to roll with the home team with some momentum on the defensive side of the ball.

Chicago at Cincinnati +3

Cincinnati +3

What was looking like a comfortable Bengals victory quickly turned south as the Bengals blew one to the Jets at home. The offense was grooving under Joe Flacco but that defense just had no answers again. I like the back-to-back home games for the Bengals against the back-to-back road games for Chicago. This Bears team just doesn’t scare me on offense and I think have a bit of a fraudulent winning record that gets checked here.

Carolina at Green Bay -13.5

Carolina +13.5

This line just feels too high. Bryce Young comes back in this one after a terrible and possible last outing from Andy Dalton last week. This Panthers team is one I usually don’t like to take on the road but this Green Bay team has also struggled to cover large lines this year against Cleveland and Cincinnati. I think the Packers win but 13.5 just feels like too many.

New Orleans at Los Angeles (R) -14.5

Los Angeles -14.5

A huge line and I don’t love that it jumped over two touchdowns but I’m getting Sean McVay off a bye against a New Orleans team with a new QB under center. This Rams team is one that sometimes falls asleep on offense and cruises through games but I think this New Orleans team is flat out bad and struggles to even put up double digits in this one. The scary thing with large lines is one turnover, special teams play or one big play can cover for a team alone.

Jacksonville at Las Vegas +3

Las Vegas +3

Look, the Raiders looked awful in their last game against Kansas City. A bye couldn’t have been better timed for them. Jacksonville’s record still feels a little fraudulent due to the turnover margin they got in the first few weeks of the season. I think Geno and the Raiders bounce back some against a Jaguars team that has struggled the last few weeks. 

Kansas City at Buffalo +1.5

Buffalo +1.5

Game of the week and I’m going to roll with the Bills. Both teams looked very strong against inferior competition last week. I see these teams as dead even and I’m getting points with the home team. I think we see a shoot out and another Bills Chiefs game come down to the wire but give me Josh Allen at home in this one.

Seattle at Washington +3

Seattle -3

Seattle under Mike MacDonald is 9-1 on the road as the head coach of the Seahawks. But this game is just one of those games where all the momentum is going towards the Seahawks. Seattle is coming off a bye and they get Devon Witherspoon back from injury. While the Commanders are super banged up and coming off a short week after receiving a beatdown from Kansas City. I would love teasing the Lions game with this game. Bring the Seahawks to +3 and Detroit to -2.5.

Arizona at Dallas -2.5

Dallas -2.5

Dallas got thrashed on the road last week. Their defense is one of the weaker in the league but I trust them at home to put up some real points and even against a bad defense I don’t know how Arizona can keep up. I think Dallas treads some water for the season and beats the Cardinals at home.

Super 5

SEA
NE
IND
DAL
LAC