With Week 9 already in full swing, we are at the halfway point of the 2021 NFL regular season. Through the first eight weeks, favorites are 75-46 outright, underdogs are 66-54-1 ATS and the Under has the advantage at 66-54-2. Of course, trying to identify those winners and stay in the green is easier said than done, so if you're looking for a little help to begin the second half of the year, you've come to the right place.
Each week, we'll collect all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, survivor picks and more.
Ready? Let's get to it.
All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
Which picks can you make with confidence in Week 9? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine, as its incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up almost $7,800 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six years ago.
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Dolphins -7.5, O/U 45
Current: Dolphins-5.5, O/U 46.5
It's a dangerous game when you utilize a 1-7 team in a survivor pool, but you may not get many opportunities like the one that's available with the Dolphins on Sunday against Houston. The Texans are getting Tyrod Taylor back in the fold, but they've largely been blown out by their opponents this season, owning a -15.2 point differential (worst in the NFL). Miami also was able to hold the Buffalo Bills in check for most of their game in Week 8 before ultimately coming up short. They should face much less resistance Sunday.
If you want further analysis before locking in your pick, check out what the SportsLine Projection Model says about this game and a slate of other Week 9 survivor options over at SportsLine.
Broncos at CowboysTime: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Cowboys -7.5, O/U 49
Current: Cowboys -10, O/U 49
"Dak Prescott missed Dallas' win over Minnesota on Sunday night, as Cooper Rush stepped in and performed admirably. As of now, all signs point to Dak returning against Denver this week, but there's a decent chance he won't be 100% if he plays. There's also a chance the Cowboys will look at their opponent and their division and opt to let Dak rest another week, knowing they can win this game without him. That's the ideal scenario for taking the Broncos here.
"But it's not a scenario we should rely on. Nor does it matter much to me because I'm on the Broncos either way. For all the flaws Denver has on offense, it's still an excellent defensive team. It ranks fourth in the NFL in points allowed per drive and second in success rate. Even though it traded Von Miller, he's not the same devastating force he has been in the past. And while the Broncos aren't great offensively, the Cowboys defense hasn't been spectacular. Yes, it has made plenty of big plays, but you can't rely on turnovers being turned into touchdowns every week, particularly against a Denver offense that doesn't take many risks." -- Tom Fornelli on why he likes the Broncos with a double-digit spread over the Cowboys in Dallas. To read more of his picks, click here.
Vikings at RavensTime: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Ravens -6, O/U 50
Current: Ravens -6, O/U 50
"Baltimore is coming off a Week 8 bye and had to take the break with the sour taste in its mouth after falling to the Bengals in Week 7. Prior to that loss to Cincinnati, the Ravens were rolling over their previous three games, outscoring opponents 88-38. So far this season, Lamar Jackson and Co. are averaging 6.2 yards per play (fourth-most in the NFL) and look to be a mismatch against Minnesota, particularly in the running game. Baltimore is averaging the fourth-most rushing yards per attempt (4.9) in the league this season, and the Vikings defense is allowing the sixth-most yards per rush. Simply put, Minnesota -- fresh off a loss to Cooper Rush and the Cowboys -- does not have the horses to keep up with the talent Baltimore is bringing on the opposing sideline."
CBS Sports NFL writer Tyler Sullivan has the Ravens covering in Week 9 as one of his five locks of the week. This season, Sullivan's locks of the week are 24-12-4 ATS. To see the rest, head over to CBS Sports.
Patriots at PanthersTime: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Patriots -2.5, O/U 44
Current: Patriots -3.5, O/U 41
"I loved the way the Panthers smartly deployed Stephon Gilmore last week on Kyle Pitts, and I think they'll find his best matchup this week on third downs against the Pats in the revenge game. Mac Jones is playing well, though, and I trust the team with the better quarterback and coach in almost all situations." -- CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones explains why he likes the Patriots to handle the Panthers on the road en-route to a third-straight win.
Bills at JaguarsTime: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Bills -10.5, O/U 50
Current: Bills -14.5, O/U 48.5
"The Bills did not have a great showing against the Miami Dolphins last week, as it was a one-score game heading into the final quarter. Still, Buffalo out-scored Miami by eight points in the fourth to cover. I think we will see a more complete performance from the Bills here on the road as they continue to build their case for being the best team in the NFL.
"Buffalo leads the NFL in both scoring offense (32.7) and scoring defense (15.6). The Bills are tied for first in the NFL with 18 takeaways and they have been dominant on the road. In his last six starts away from Buffalo, Josh Allen is 5-1 and is averaging a whopping 37.3 points per game. Geno Smith just outscored Trevor Lawrence by 24 last week and I think Allen can do something similar.
"Buy a full point if it makes you feel more comfortable, but I'll take this as one of my ATS picks."
CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani -- who is 24-16 ATS this season with his top five picks -- likes the Bills to cover a massive 14.5-point spread against Jacksonville. Check out who else he likes this week as he continues to stay hot.
Browns at BengalsTime: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Bengals -3, O/U 45.5
Current: Bengals -2.5, O/U 47
"The Browns offense hasn't looked good for most of the last month. They need to have success in the running game to put points on the board, but the Bengals defense ranks fifth in yards per rush allowed. Cincinnati has seen the most passing attempts against its defense in the league, yet ranks 10th in net yards per attempt allowed. Teams are throwing a ton against the Bengals, but their defense has mostly held up. I can't see the Browns throwing a ton, or scoring many points here." -- R.J. White in his SuperContest picks for Week 9.
R.J. White has been SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert over the last four years, going 354-292-22 against the spread in particular during that stretch. He's also delivered a 57.1% hit rate on his SuperContest picks over the last six seasons. And that run includes two finishes in the money, including finishing 18th out of 2,748 entries back in 2017.
Raiders at GiantsTime: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Raiders -2.5, O/U 47
Current: Raiders -3, O/U 46.5
"The Raiders abruptly waived most reliable WR Henry Ruggs III this week after his arrest. The Giants expect another absent week from RB Saquon Barkley for a variety of reasons. The past two Giants games have resulted in 28 and 37 points scored. The probable return of RB Josh Jacobs presumably would lead to more Las Vegas usage of the ground game." -- Mike Tierney on why the Raiders are part of his teaser picks for Week 9.
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. He's crushed the NFL, going 347-291 on all NFL picks from 2016-20, returning $2,534 to $100 players. You can see all of his teaser picks for the week over at SportsLine.
Falcons at SaintsTime: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Saints -5.5, O/U 45.5
Current: Saints -6, O/U 41.5
"I'll be honest here, 10 minutes before I was set to send my Week 9 picks into my editor, I was going to pick the Falcons in this game, but then I remembered that this is a game involving the Saints, which means I'm supposed to do the opposite of what my gut tells me to do. We're headed into Week 9 of the NFL season and somehow, I'm 1-6 picking Saints games this season and I don't even feel good about the one game I got right because I picked them to beat a Seahawks team that didn't have Russell Wilson. Even my 18-month old daughter knew the Saints were going to win that game.
"As I mention here every other week, I'm horrible at picking Saints games. The Saints are now officially living rent-free in my head. No matter what I do, my pick always ends up being wrong. I've picked the favorite. I've picked the underdog. I've done the opposite of what my gut told me to do. I've done the opposite of what my first instinct told me to do, which was to do the opposite of whatever my gut told me to do. As you can see, I have now completely psyched myself out and there's now a 97% chance that I'm never going to pick a Saints game correctly ever again.
"Every week, just when I think I'm starting to feel good about my Saints pick for their upcoming game, something crazy happens. This week, the crazy thing that happened is Jameis Winston being out for the season. If Jameis was starting in this game, I would pick the Saints to win by double-digits. However, with no Jameis, that means that Saints will either be starting Taysom Hill or Trevor Siemian. The problem with Taysom Hill is that he's been out the past three weeks with a concussion. The problem with Trevor Siemian is that he's Trevor Siemian.
"The good news for me (and the Saints) is that it shouldn't matter who the starting quarterback is in this game because I don't think the Falcons are going to be able to move the ball on New Orleans' defense. The bad news for the Saints is that I'm picking them to win this week and if history is any indication, that means they're going to lose."
Fade or follow CBS Sports NFL writer and Pick Six Podcast co-host John Breech as he's going full George Constanza by going against his initial pick in the Falcons. This season, Breech is 61-58-3 ATS. To read the rest of his picks, click here.
Chargers at EaglesTime: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Chargers -3, O/U 50.5
Current: Chargers -1.5, O/U 49.5
"Another fishy line. The Eagles are running the ball a lot more and the Chargers are susceptible to the run because of how Brandon Staley likes to operate. Buying on the Eagles is a bad idea, though -- they're a garbage-time machine that decided to blow out the Lions coming off the Goff/Stafford revenge game. The Chargers two losses have dropped their stock, but they lost to the Ravens and Pats. Philly has an above average defense against the pass but they're not good against the run. This feels like an Austin Ekeler special after his full practice participation on Wednesday." -- CBS Sports Senior NFL writer and Pick Six Podcast host Will Brinson says he likes the Chargers to beat the Eagles by a field goal Sunday on the road. To read the rest of his picks for the entire Week 9 slate, click here.
Packers at ChiefsTime: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Chiefs -2.5, O/U 54
Current: Chiefs -7, O/U 48
"With Aaron Rodgers out with COVID-19, the Packers will really be challenged to move the football. But I think they will be able to run it with A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones. The Chiefs aren't good on defense and their offense has struggled. So even with Jordan Love at quarterback, the Packers will hang around." -- CBS Sports Senior NFL analyst Pete Prisco explaining why he's taking the Patriots +7 against the Chiefs even without Aaron Rodgers this weekend.
Cardinals at 49ersTime: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox), stream on fuboTV (try for free)
Open: Cardinals -3, O/U 46.5
Current: 49ers -2, O/U 45
"The Cardinals are reeling a bit all of a sudden. Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins haven't practiced this week and the defense fell apart without JJ Watt last week. Arizona is not as good as its record would indicate and did nothing to get better at the trade deadline. The Cardinals have some issues.
"And don't look now but the 49ers are starting to run the football again and I believe that will be the case again here. And at some point that pass rush will be a thing again. ... I suppose that starts this weekend. All that missed practice time will be a problem for the Cards. San Fran has a decent enough book on them and this is the 49ers' last stand. They have rediscovered the outside zone secret sauce and Jimmy G will get the job done here knowing that Trey Lance is hanging just behind him. Kyle Shanahan ain't what his rep says he is but he will script a nice first few series to get his team the lead and the Arizona injuries will cause problems."
CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora is rolling with the San Francisco
