CFB, NFL Betting Breakdowns for Saturday and Sunday
The Steelers got back in the win column Thursday night against the Titans behind a resurgent running game.
Pittsburgh put up 166 yards on the ground against Tennessee, which was more than the 160 that Kenny Pickett threw for through the air. That balanced offensive attack was enough to get the best of Will Levis in his second career start.
Gilberto Manzano wrote about the ups and downs of the rookie’s performance, saying: “Levis saw frequent pressure in the 20–16 loss against the Steelers, but he made many impressive plays during Thursday Night Football. He often displayed awareness, toughness and decisiveness against the Steelers’ constant pressure.”
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions
This is another grim week for quarterback injuries and with the Lions, Jaguars, 49ers and Broncos all on bye, options are few and far between at the position. Justin Fields (thumb), Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and Matthew Stafford (thumb) are all questionable. Kirk Cousins (Achilles) is done for the year and it’s unclear if Kyler Murray (ACL) will be making his return this week or if rookie Clayton Tune will be under center for the Cardinals.
To help navigate the quarterback landscape, consult Michael Fabiano’s start/sit recommendations and positional rankings. With so many good matchups on deck, he likes the signal-callers on both sides of the Dolphins-Chiefs, Cowboys-Eagles and Bills-Bengals games.
Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | K & D/ST
Player Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | FLEX | K | D&ST
If DFS is more your speed, Jen Piacenti recommends the Dak Prescott-CeeDee Lamb stack. That duo has connected 19 times for 275 yards and two scores in the last two weeks and she likes them to keep it going against the Eagles. On the other side of that matchup, you can’t go wrong pairing Jalen Hurts with A.J. Brown, who’s had 125-plus receiving yards in six straight games.
NFL Week 9 Picks and Lines
As Matt Verderame wrote in our weekly preview: “Of the nine weeks to date in the NFL season, this might be the best.”
Sure, there’s quite a few games between sub-.500 teams with sub-40-point over/unders, but there's a marquee game in every window, which we touched on in our breakdown of the top five games. Naturally, Dolphins-Chiefs takes the cake in the early slot as the two AFC powerhouses kick off from Germany. In the afternoon, there’s Seahawks-Ravens, later in the day the Eagles host the Cowboys and the nightcap is Bills-Bengals? It doesn’t get much better than that.
Manzano stayed away from the games with totals in the 30s in his over/under betting preview. Instead, he honed in on the two with the highest totals: Miami-Kansas City and Buffalo-Cincinnati.
Piacenti shared some of the props she’s targeting for Sunday, a few of which she combined into lucrative same-game parlays. A good game from Alvin Kamara could turn into a big payday.
The MMQB team also has straight-up picks for the remaining 13 games this week. See which way our writers are leaning ahead of Sunday’s stacked slate.
9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network): Dolphins vs. Chiefs (-1.5) | Total: 50.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Vikings vs. Falcons (-3.5) | Total: 37.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Cardinals vs. Browns (-8.5) | Total: 37.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Rams vs. Packers (-3.5) | Total: 38.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Commanders vs. Patriots (-3.5) | Total: 40.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Bears vs. Saints (-8.5) | Total: 40.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Seahawks vs. Ravens (-5.5) | Total: 44.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Buccaneers vs. Texans (-2.5) | Total: 39.5
4:05 p.m. ET (CBS): Colts (-2.5) vs. Panthers | Total: 43.5
4:25 p.m. ET (FOX): Giants vs. Raiders (-1.5) | Total: 37.5
4:25 p.m. ET (FOX): Cowboys vs. Eagles (-3.5) | Total: 46.5
8:20 p.m. ET (NBC): Bills vs. Bengals (-1.5) | Total: 49.5
8:15 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN): Chargers (-3.5) vs. Jets | Total: 39.5*
*Monday Night Football
Amid Controversy, Wolverines Are Title Favorites
The first CFP rankings of the season were released on Tuesday and Ohio State came in at No. 1, followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Florida State. The Wolverines, who are at the center of a sign-stealing scandal, are the betting favorites ahead of the Bulldogs, who have won the last two national titles.
There’s quite a few games Saturday between teams with a shot at a playoff spot, starting with an SEC clash between No. 14 LSU and No. 8 Alabama. Jayden Daniels’ Tigers upset Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide last season in Baton Rouge — can they do it again in Tuscaloosa as a 2.5-point underdog? See which bet I’m targeting here.
Out west, there’s a matchup between the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and this season’s betting favorite Michael Penix Jr. when No. 20 USC hosts No. 5 Washington in a primetime Pac-12 bout. The Trojans narrowly avoided their third straight loss last week against Cal, but the Huskies haven’t looked perfect the last few weeks, either. Can UW, a 3.5-point favorite, keep its playoff hopes alive with a win in L.A.? Get the full breakdown here.
Top 25 Action
12 p.m. ET (FOX): No. 23 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Texas (-3.5) | Total: 48.5
3:30 p.m. ET (CBS): No. 12 Missouri vs. No. 1 Georgia (-14.5) | Total: 55.5
3:30 p.m. ET (ABC): No. 9 Oklahoma (-5.5) vs. No. 22 Oklahoma State | Total: 61.5
Other Games for Your Consideration
12 p.m. ET (ESPN): Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Ole Miss (-3.5) | Total: 52.5
3:30 p.m. ET (FOX): No. 11 Penn State (-8.5) vs. Maryland | Total: 49.5
7 p.m. ET (ESPN): No. 21 Kansas vs. Iowa State (-2.5) | Total: 53.5
In Other News
Every Single Men’s College Basketball Team, Ranked: Kansas added center Hunter Dickinson in the transfer portal in the offseason, which helped the Jayhawks earn the No. 1 ranking ahead of the start of the season.
Top Candidates to Replace Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas: Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald are two of the top candidates to be tapped to lead the Raiders.
Tyrese Maxey Headlines Early Most Improved Candidates: The 76ers rising star has caught Chris Herring’s eye just a few games into a new NBA campaign. At +1400, Maxey had the fourth-best odds to win the award before the season began.
Thanks for reading Winners Club, which will be in your inbox again bright and early Sunday morning ahead of Dolphins-Chiefs. Until then, follow us @SI_Betting and @SI_Fantasy and enjoy what should be a fantastic football weekend!