After one of the most active trade deadline days in NFL history, teams enter Week 9 looking to move on after losing key players, or to find chemistry with their new additions. Check out Bodog’s featured matchups and game line odds for Week 9.
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (-1), Sunday at 1 PM ET
Week 9’s NFC South divisional showdown between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers marks the tightest spread of the week in favour of the Panthers (-1). These teams sit only one game apart from each other, and are in a battle to catch the division-leading Saints.
Neither team is on solid ground at the moment. In the aftermath of Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Panthers’ receiving corps finds itself short a man. Carolina’s number one receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, was traded to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a third and seventh-round pick. This move caught fans by surprise; the Panthers are in the thick of a playoff race and could have added players at the deadline to bolster their chances. Instead, quarterback Cam Newton is left with wideouts Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard and Curtis Samuel to pick up the slack.
The Falcons, meanwhile, are coming off of a 25-20 victory over the New York Jets. That win was desperately needed, as Atlanta had lost the previous two games. The Falcons now have ground to make up in the division, and they’ll have a good opportunity against a team that doesn’t feel supported by its management.
Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday at 4:25 PM ET
The legal saga surrounding Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliott entered a new stage this week after his request for an injunction against a six-game NFL suspension was denied. But in a last-ditch effort to stay on the field, the NFLPA filed an emergency appeal on Elliott’s behalf, which could delay the suspension further. As a result, odds for this game are pending until more is known about Elliott’s appeal. If the PA isn’t successful, the Cowboys will turn to the veteran Alfred Morris to handle the bulk of the carries.
The Chiefs are coming off of a 29-19 victory over the Denver Broncos, and are running away with the AFC West at 6-2. The combination of Kareem Hunt and Alex Smith has continued to be lethal and has translated into the Chiefs being the third-highest scoring team in the league at 29.5 points per game. Given that Dallas’ defense ranks in the bottom half of the league, the Chiefs should have a good opportunity to put points on the board.
Detroit Lions (-3) at Green Bay Packers, Monday at 8:30 PM ET
Monday Night Football features an NFC North matchup that would normally be the talk of the league. However, without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers under centre due to a broken collarbone, this matchup looks more like a contest between two teams that hope not to lose. There are opportunities for both offenses to score, as both the Lions’ and Packers’ defense has been lacklustre through the first half of the season.
*Odds as of November 2, 2017