NN prediction contest Week 9: 49ers can watch some big NFC matchups during their bye

Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers will enjoy their bye week as they gear up to face the Chargers next week. Without a Niners game, fans can sit back and watch some big NFC matchups. The Rams seemingly face a must-win game this week against the Buccaneers while the Seahawks and Cardinals face off in an inner-division matchup.

Due to our sponsorship with Tallysight, we have to pick every game. But, as usual, we’ll narrow it down to six for you at the bottom. Odds for all the games are available on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Eagles over Texans: The Texans have lived down to expectations, and the Eagles are undefeated. Crazy things can happen on a short week, but I’m rolling with Philly.

Vikings over Commanders: The Vikings have not played as well as their 6-1 record suggests, and Washington has won two straight since Taylor Heinicke took over. Still, the Vikings are only -170, which is too favorable to pass up.

Bills over Jets: The Jets have been a surprisingly good team this year, but Zach Wilson has arguably been the worst quarterback in the NFL. It’s hard to imagine them overcoming that against the Bills.

Lions over Packers: I see the wheels falling off in Green Bay this season. I just don’t see things ending pretty for Aaron Rodgers. I like the Lions chances of pulling the upset at home at +160.

Jaguars over Raiders: Two bad teams, but the Jaguars are at home and the underdogs.

Colts over Patriots: Bill Belichick has a good shot at shutting down Sam Ehlinger and the Colts offense, but the Patriots' attack is far from dominant. With the Colts currently at +200, I like those odds quite a bit.

Falcons over Chargers: The Chargers infusion of defensive talent last offseason has failed to generate improved results this season. Marcus Mariota and the Falcons offense should be able to run all over Los Angeles. While Justin Herbert is a good quarterback, he’ll likely be without his two best receivers.

Seahawks over Cardinals: I don’t know how the Seahawks can be an underdog against the Cardinals right now. Arizona’s offense scored just nine points in their first matchup against Seattle and Kyler Murray has been a worse quarterback than Geno Smith so far this season.

Rams over Bucs: This looked like a marquee matchup heading into the season, but aging quarterbacks and unexpectedly weak depth has led them both to look mediocre. The Bucs are a better team, but the Rams need to win.

Titans over Kansas City: I don’t like picking against Patrick Mahomes, but Kansas City continues struggling to stop the run, and the Titans have the most dominant rushing attack in the NFL. I still think Kansas City pulls this one out, but the Titans implied probability of winning is less than 20% at +430, I think they have a 30-40% chance to get the win.

Ravens over Saints: Andy Dalton has looked good recently, but the Ravens are coming off a 10-day break and have Lamar Jackson.

Bengals over Panthers: P.J. Walker has looked good in two consecutive weeks, but Carolina’s offense will regress this week in Cincy.

Dolphins over Bears: The Bears are heading in the right direction, but they made moves at the deadline to set themselves up for next season, not this one.

BYE: 49ers, Browns, Cowboys, Broncos, Giants, Steelers

Marc’s prediction record:
Week 1: 7-8-1
Week 2: 9-7
Week 3: 7-9
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 8-8
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 10-5
Overall: 67-55-1

Here are the six games for this week’s contest:

Vikings @ Commanders, 10:00 AM Pacific

Packers @ Lions, 10:00 AM Pacific

Raiders @ Jaguars, 10:00 AM Pacific

Seahawks @ Cardinals, 1:05 PM Pacific

Rams @ Buccaneers, 1:25 PM Pacific

Ravens @ Saints, 5:15 PM Pacific (Monday)