Week 9 saw two upsets between division rivals, and two upsets between conference rivals. That puts the favorites at 63.85% and the dogs at 36.15% thus far this NFL betting season. Will we see more upsets in Week 10?
Seattle Seahawks (-6.5) at Arizona Cardinals, Thursday at 8:25 PM ET
One of the upsets came in last week’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins, which was a nail-biter until the very end. Washington scored a last-minute touchdown to go up 17-14, and Seattle got the ball for a final play to the end zone. With four seconds left in the game, Russell Wilson threw a deep pass to wide receiver Tanner McEvoy, and in true Hail Mary fashion, a jump ball ensued with McEvoy getting his hands on the pass, just to fall incomplete. This Thursday, Wilson and the Seahawks will be up against their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals.
Last Sunday, the Cardinals were in San Francisco as 2-point road favourites. Despite quarterback Carson Palmer being on injured reserve with a broken arm, Arizona won the game straight up and against the spread with backup quarterback Drew Stanton calling the shots. Running back Adrian Peterson ran 37 times and racked up 159 yards.
The Seahawks will have to be sharper in Week 10 if they hope to beat the Cardinals. The team was called for 16 penalties, and kicker Blair Walsh missed three field goals.
Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons (-3), Sunday at 4:25 PM ET
The Cowboys (5-3 SU and ATS) are waiting to see if running back Ezekiel Elliott will suit up this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (4-4 SU, 2-6 ATS). Elliott, who’s waiting on the results of another hearing to push back his suspension, rushed for 93 yards and one touchdown in last week’s 28-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cowboys will be going for a fourth straight win this Sunday.
The Falcons, meanwhile, are struggling to put points on the board. They’re averaging only 21.3 points per game, which is 17th in the league. The Falcons have lost four of their last five games, and as a result, they find themselves in do-or-die mode against the Cowboys.
New Orleans Saints (-3) at Buffalo Bills, Sunday at 1 PM ET
Last Sunday, New Orleans’ Drew Brees completed 81.5% of passes, passed for 263 yards, and tallied two touchdowns with no interceptions. That performance resulted in a 30-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and extended the Saints’ winning streak to six games.
Brees will need another strong performance if they hope to continue that streak against the defensive-minded Bills. Buffalo (5-3 SU, 5-2-1 ATS) has given up the fifth fewest points per game in the league (18.6), and leads the league in turnover differential at +11. What remains to be seen is how newly acquired wide receiver Kalvin Benjamin will fit in to the Bills’ offense. Benjamin will no doubt become Tyrod Taylor’s top receiving option, so it’ll be interesting to see how quickly the chemistry develops between the duo.
*Odds as of November 9, 2017