It feels like only yesterday we were rounding out our NFL futures and placing our first prop bets of the 2020 season, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, we are staring down the barrel of Week 9 and the second half of the season starting. Each week, our NFL betting team will be providing you with our favorite prop bets to help win you some cash. This article will break down various angles through all of Sunday and Monday’s games, as we continuously update our selections as more lines become available. We will also kick off the article with some potential NFL futures bets that may offer value right now.
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Week 9 begins on Thursday Night Football, as the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers clash in a battle that sees the two teams who battled for the NFC Championship go head to head once again. The end of the week sees a battle of the basement teams in the AFC East, as the New England Patriots and the New York Jets square off in New Jersey on Monday Night Football. Let’s dive into some of our favorite prop bets for Week 9 of the NFL, but first, let’s look at the futures bets which stand out as we enter the second half of the season.
NFL futures bets
Can the Saints take control of the NFC South?
It feels like a rare occurrence over the last five years that you would find the Saints above +100 to win the NFC South this deep into the season. They are currently sitting in the +150-region, despite their 5-2 record. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have recovered from their Week 1 loss to the Saints to sit at 6-2, leading the division.
However, that Week 1 victory is significant heading into their rematch on Sunday because if the Saints win, they will have a clear tie-breaker over the Buccaneers, with one fewer game in the loss column. If the Saints win this week, these odds will likely drop quickly to see the Saints as favorites. Potentially getting both Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back this week, the Saints could be about to get their offense rolling down the stretch and make this price on the NFL futures market look like an excellent value.
Can the Miami Dolphins make the playoffs?
The Miami Dolphins are sitting just half a game out of the playoff spots in the AFC, and their schedule still has plenty more opportunities for them to improve on their 4-3 record. Matchups with the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs present significant test, but the other games are all games the Dolphins can win.
Additionally, the Dolphins are just one game back in the loss column from the Buffalo Bills, meaning that the AFC East also remains on the table. With a game against the Bills scheduled for Week 17, the Dolphins will simply be looking to get to that game with a shot to win the division. You can find the Dolphins around +250 to make the playoffs on the NFL futures market entering Week 9, and +550 if you think they can beat the Bills to the division.
Week 9 Sunday afternoon prop bets
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts | Sunday, November 8th, 1:00 PM
Can Trey Burton find the end zone again this week?
Burton has been active for four games this season and has three touchdowns. However, that does not tell the whole story, as all three touchdowns have come in the last two games. What is even more impressive is that two of those touchdowns have come on run plays, as the Colts have made a concerted effort to get the ball into Burton’s hands.
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Look for the Ravens to be prepared for the run plays from Burton, having seen them two weeks running now. However, Burton has been a big part of the Colts plans in the red zone since his return. They clearly feel he is a difference-maker down by the goal line.
Jonathan Taylor over 10.5 receiving yards
Taylor has gone over 10 receiving yards in three of his last four games. I expect the Colts to be trailing in this one, and we should see the Colts try to get Taylor the ball on the outside to allow him to make plays. While this season has not seen Taylor have quite the impact that people who took him as an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year futures play would have liked, his opportunities to impress have been there, which is a good start.
Lamar Jackson over 0.5 interceptions
The Colts lead the league in interceptions, and Jackson is coming off a game that was quite frankly a complete mess. Jackson is not prone to turnovers generally, but this Colts team has 11 interceptions through seven games. They have a defensive line capable of exerting pressure and players on the back end capable of making plays on the ball. The 2019 NFL MVP is not playing to the same level as he did last season, which will disappoint anyone with a futures ticket on him repeating as MVP, and the Colts will look to exploit those concerns in Week 9.
Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills | Sunday, November 8th, 1:00 PM
Can Alex Collins return to the NFL with a bang?
Alex Collins was officially elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, and he could have a great opportunity to find the end zone. Collins was a bruising runner for the Ravens in 2017 and 2018 with 13 rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. He has not taken a snap in the NFL in two seasons and will be looking to return with a big game. Look for Collins to see use inside the red zone if he is active.
Josh Allen over 289.5 passing yards
This game is expected to get wild, and that should suit Allen, who has disappointed anyone holding an NFL MVP futures ticket for the often erratic quarterback. The Bills quarterback has topped 290 passing yards in four of his eight games this season. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have allowed over 290 passing yards in six of their seven games so far. The only QB not to throw for over 290 yards was Kirk Cousins. Avoiding being in a category with Cousins should be enough motivation for Allen to open up his arm in this one.
New York Giants at Washington Football Team | Sunday, November 8th, 1:00 PM
Can Sterling Shepard get back into the end zone in Week 9?
Shepard has played just four games for the Giants this season, but he is joint-third on the team with five red-zone targets. Shepard caught a touchdown in his first game back in Week 7 and has seen 18 targets in the last two weeks. Golden Tate has been left out of the traveling team by head coach Joe Judge, which could open up even more targets for Shepard this week.
Daniel Jones over 19.5 rushing yards
Another NFL week, another Daniel Jones rushing yards prop bet selection. Jones failed to make the number on most books last week but still reached 20 rush yards. When he faced the Washington Football Team earlier this season, he carried the ball seven times for 74 yards. Jones’ rushing yard prop bets have been one of my favorite NFL selections when it comes to prop bets this season, and Week 9 is no different.
JD McKissic over 19.5 rushing yards
This is one of a number of NFL Week 9 prop bets, which seems too low. McKissic has combined for 76 rushing yards in the last two weeks and has 13 carries in that time. Last time out against the Giants, he had eight carries for 41 yards and should contribute a similar number of carries this week. McKissic has been an effective part of this run game the last two weeks, and I expect it to continue in this one.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars | Sunday, November 8th, 1:00 PM
Can DeShaun Watson repeat his success against the Jacksonville Jaguars?
If one of your NFL futures bets this season was on Deshaun Watson, then chances are you are somewhat disappointed in the way the electric quarterback has played. However, the last three weeks have seen Watson throw for nine touchdowns, including three last time out against the Jaguars. Watson to go over 2.5 touchdowns is one of my favorite prop bets of Week 9 in the NFL, especially as it comes with +170 odds.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys | Sunday, November 8th, 4:25 PM
Will Michael Gallup be a featured part of the receiving game again?
After having seemingly been frozen out of the Cowboys offense, Michael Gallup was targeted an impressive 12 times in Week 8. The Cowboys seemed to be making a concerted effort to get the third-year wide receiver involved last week, and I expect that trend to continue this week.
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When you are looking for prop bets in the NFL, matchups are key, and Week 9 could see Gallup drawing a nice matchup against a tough defense, given he will likely be the third receiving option the Steelers focus on in this game.
Week 9 Sunday Night Football
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Sunday, November 8th, 8:20 PM
Will Alvin Kamara continue to dominate targets for the Saints?
If you were looking for a midseason NFL futures bet, then Alvin Kamara for MVP may have crossed your mind with the way he has been playing. With Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders expected back this week, the touches for Kamara could drop. However, Kamara has established himself as a huge part of this offense, and despite over 5.5 receptions being a number I usually avoid when it comes to prop bets, there is something about Kamara right now, and it is a surprisingly good play for Week 9 of the NFL season.
Jared Cook anytime touchdown
While I am expecting Cook to come back down to earth in the coming weeks as the offense gets Thomas and Sanders back, Week 9 should still see Cook featured plenty. The tight end has been one of Brees’ main weapons without Sanders and Thomas on the field. Over the course of the year, Cook has the joint-second most red-zone targets for the team with eight, resulting in three touchdowns. He should have at least a couple of opportunities to continue his current three-game touchdown streak.
Drew Brees over 0.5 interceptions
The Tampa Bay defense has forced at least one turnover in all of their last seven games. Interestingly, the only game they have not forced a mistake from the opposition was when they faced Drew Brees in Week 1. I think that changes this week, with the Buccaneers offensive line able to get pressure on Brees and force him to float a couple of throws. The Buccaneers secondary has the third-most interceptions in the league on a per-game basis, and I believe they can add another this week.
Week 9 Thursday Night Football
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers | Thursday, November 5th, 8:20 PM
Due to the positive test for Kendrick Bourne, there are no prop bets available for the Week 9 NFL Thursday Night Football game. However, let’s take a look at some lines to keep an eye out for this week.
Green Bay Packers Week 9 potential prop bets
The Packers’ run game is expected to be extremely limited in Week 9, meaning that all eyes will be on the prop bets for the receivers in this game. If Allen Lazard is active, he is a tempting name to look at for both receptions and as an anytime touchdown scorer. However, the apparent name to look out for is Davante Adams. If Adams line is sitting at 6.5 when the numbers are released, then my lean would be towards the over.
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Additionally, the odds for Adams to find the end zone twice are undoubtedly worth a look. Adams has seven touchdowns already and has three multi-touchdown games this season already. The line I would hesitate to take with Adams is his receiving yards. While he has seen double-digit touchdowns in four of his five games, he has only gone over 65 receiving yards in two of those games. He has gone a long way over those in both games, but it has been somewhat boom-or-bust.
San Francisco 49ers Week 9 potential prop bets
When it comes to the 49ers in Week 9, the market to look for in terms of NFL prop bets revolves mainly around the running backs. JaMycal Hasty and Jerrick McKinnon should combine for the bulk of the work, and we have seen the Packers defense be decimated by Dalvin Cook just last week. Whichever back has the better number when it comes to anytime touchdown odds in Week 9, that is another potential play to add to your prop bets for this game.
If you are looking outside the running backs, then Jordan Reed is the player to keep an eye on. When Reed played in two games without George Kittle, he had 14 targets in total, with nine receptions and two touchdowns. If Reed’s receptions line sits in the 3.5-4.5 region, then that is a play I would look to make and eyeing up any potential any time touchdown numbers around or over +200 if available.
Week 9 Teaser
Let finish off with an early Week 9 teaser for Sunday. The first leg is the Kansas City Chiefs, who should be higher than -10.5 at home against a Carolina Panthers team that just got beaten by the Atlanta Falcons. Take that line down to 4.5 and use it as the first leg of your Week 9 teaser.
The second leg of the teaser can come from the New York Giants and Washington Football Team matchup. There are two options here. Either tease the Giants up to +9, given they defeated Washington in the first matchup between the two this season, and their offense hung tough with the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. The second option is to tease the total in that game up to 48 and take the under.
The first game saw the teams combine for 39 points, and neither offense is electric enough to go and post big numbers. This game has a result of around 24-21 written all over it as a max result. The Giants have only topped 24 once this season and the Washington Football Team twice. Two of those three came when these teams were facing the Dallas Cowboys.