Week 9 expert NFL Picks against the spread – Del’s selections

Del had a huge week against the spread in Week 8, and it was just what the doctor — not his archrival Doc Brown, of course — ordered. After a mediocre 7-7 showing in Week 7, Del strung together a Vegas beatdown last week with a 9-4-1 record. And after a poor showing recently in locks of the week, we bounced back by going 2-0 to push the season record back over the 50-percent mark.

If that success is going to be duplicated in Week 9, almost every favorite is going to have to cover. Del is loving himself some favorites this week.

Drew Brees appears to be finally getting over his forced breakup with Jimmy Graham. He threw for over 500 yards and seven — that’s right, seven — touchdown passes in a Big 12-like 52-49 win over the Giants last week. Next up are the Titans, who just fired their coach and have to travel to New Orleans to face a team that has averaged 36.7 points per game during its current three-game win streak. Let’s not be fooled into thinking every team that fires its coach midseason is going to come out with its hair on fire like the Dolphins did. Look for Brees to keep it rolling. The Titans will have trouble keeping up.

Some other notes: The Panthers are going to lose a game at some point, and this feels like the week it might happen. Green Bay was pushed around by Denver last week and should be determined to score some points. The Colts showed that Carolina can be run on, and Eddie Lacy and James Starks should help Rodgers open things up in the passing game. The Panthers have had one less day to rest, and Indy took them to overtime in an exhausting, rain-soaked Monday night game. This feels like a good spot for a Green Bay W.

I wouldn’t be shocked if the Browns blew out the Bengals, but Andy Dalton has been horrible in primetime throughout his career. The same is true for Marvin Lewis, so this was going on before Dalton arrived. I don’t see Cincinnati losing to Johnny Manziel at home, but these divisional games tend to stay closer than many expect them to.

Am I really taking Blaine Gabbert with the points? Yes. The Falcons have not played well, and they now have to travel to the west coast. How much worse can Gabbert be than Colin Kaepernick? Atlanta should pull this one out late, but a full touchdown feels like too much to lay.

UPDATE: Del decided to make a late change to the locks, switching from the Giants to the Steelers. While the Raiders have been impressive, this is a tough spot for them coming off back-to-back wins and traveling across the country. The loss of Le’Veon Bell hurts Pittsburgh, but DeAngelo Williams is a very capable replacement. Ben Roethlisberger should be much better after shaking some of the rust off last week, and that will allow Antonio Brown to get back to his play-making ways. The Steelers should take this by at least six points or a touchdown.