NFL Week 9 expert picks, best bets: Bears beat down Bucs, Saints get on track with a win

Key Points:

• In Week 8, "Dajani Dimes" achieved an 11-3 record against the spread (ATS) and 10-4 straight up, with two of the three ATS losses coming from top five best bets.
• The Detroit Lions handed the Minnesota Vikings their first loss, while Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders won as expected; however, predictions for Cincinnati Bengals to dominate Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons to upset Tampa Bay Buccaneers were off, partly due to weather and defensive performances.
• Key Week 9 picks include Denver Broncos (-2.5) over Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints (-3) over Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks (-8.5) over Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears (-6) over Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Minnesota Vikings (+3) over Buffalo Bills.
• Notable factors influencing picks are Denver’s strong fourth-quarter comebacks led by Bo Nix, Carolina’s defensive struggles at home, New Orleans’ return from a bye with key players back, Seattle’s quarterback change to Drew Lock, and Minnesota’s defensive prowess combined with Buffalo’s quarterback uncertainty.
• The Bears are favored against the Buccaneers due to Caleb Williams’ recent strong performances and Baker Mayfield’s poor prime-time record, while the Vikings are considered a possible upset pick against the Bills with Carson Wentz starting in place of Kyler Murray.