Jay’s Plays NFL predictions: Week 9 picks and bettor’s guide
Jay's Plays

Jay’s Plays NFL predictions: Week 9 picks and bettor’s guide

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That’s more like it. Ernesto the Prediction Iguana went 5-1 last week and 2-1 in teasers. That brings the season totals to 15-9 overall, 5-7 in exact teasers.

He’s headed off for his annual November vacation next week, so the cats all get a chance to show their prognosticating prowess, but before Ernesto and his girl take off to some iguana version of Club Med, he has one more batch of winners to bestow upon us. And when you see your bookie to collect your winnings, tell him Ernesto sent you.

As always, we do teasers here, so you get to move the line six points in either direction, using lines from Vegas Insider.

GREEN LIGHT

CHIEFS (-2) vs. Jaguars
RAIDERS-Broncos OVER 37.5

The Chiefs are tough at home (except against Pittsburgh) and finally are rounding into shape for Andy Reid. The Jags are putrid. Meanwhile, the Raiders lead the AFC West at the halfway mark of the season, firing on almost all cylinders with David Carr at the helm. The Broncos defense will be the sternest test Carr’s yet seen this year, but the two teams can provide enough fireworks to bring this one comfortably into OVER territory -- especially in this age of getting called for pass interference or roughing the quarterback just for looking at a guy the wrong way.

CAUTION

PACKERS (-0.5) vs. Colts
Cowboys (-1) at BROWNS

The Colts defense just isn’t the same as it was in the glory days of Peyton Manning. Hitherto shalt they come but no further, even with Andrew Luck at the helm. Aaron Rodgers answered all of the “What’s wrong with Aaron Rodgers?” questions with another W last week. Meanwhile the Cowboys just keep finding ways to win, Dak Prescott looking like the 2004 version of Ben Roethlisberger. Cleveland won’t go 0-16, but this won’t be the game they win either.

RED ALERT

Falcons (+4) at BUCCANEERS
SEAHAWKS (+0.5) vs. Bills

Matty Ice and the Falcons are back to being the high-flying act they were a few years ago. Meanwhile the Bucs aren’t as bad as when they wore those peach unis, but they also don’t have anyone on defense to stop Ryan and the rest of the Atlanta offense. The Seahawks survived a rocky start but have found their mojo again. They seem ready to go on a tear to finish the year. The Bills have to travel across the country to – arguably – the loudest stadium in the world.

About the author

Jay Flemma

Starting with a blog and a dream, Jay Flemma launched his first sports-writing website in 2004. Some 13 years and 25 major golf championships later, Jay has won multiple national sports writing awards. Besides GNN, his work has appeared in numerous books as well as on-line at Cybergolf, PGA.com, GolfObserver, GolfChannel.com and many other sites and print magazines. When not trying to find a lost golf ball, Jay is an entertainment, copyright, Internet, sports and trademark lawyer in Manhattan. His clients have been nominated for Grammy and Emmy awards, won a Sundance Film Festival Best Director award, performed on stage and screen, and designed pop art for museums and collectors. Jay lives in Forest Hills, N.Y., and is fiercely loyal to his alma maters, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and Trinity College in Connecticut.