Three Teams on Upset Alert in Week 9
Each week we see teams that were supposed to win on paper but lose on the field of play.
Let’s peruse the Week 9 NFL odds and pick three games in which there is an upset is in the making.
New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday, November 7, 2021 – 1:00 PM ET at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
It’s a long NFL season that just got longer this year, and the rollercoaster of emotions can occasionally cause good teams to play poorly and bad teams to play well. Although the Patriots are no longer considered elite, they have shown enough grit this season to put them in the upper half of the 32 teams.
However, they are coming off of an enormous road win over the LA Chargers and could very well be looking ahead to a tough test next week with the Browns coming to town. This sets up nicely as the proverbial trap game against the Panthers. And while Carolina is not a powerhouse, they happen to share an identical 4-4 record with the Patriots. Let’s back the Cats in this one and don’t forget to check out BMR’s NFL Week 9 Parlay!
Upset Alert: Panthers +4 (-110) or +170 on the moneyline at Intertops
Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday, November 7, 2021 – 1:00 PM ET at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
The Falcons dropped to 3-4 last week with their 19-13 loss to the Panthers and remain a team that can eke out a win over the weaker sisters but can’t hang with the middling or better clubs. That would suggest the Dirty Birds are due for another setback this week as they take on one of the league’s better clubs on their home turf.
However, last week the Saints won the battle but may have lost the war as their starting quarterback, Jameis Winston, suffered a season-ending ACL tear. That means either Taysom Hill or Trevor Siemian will take over under center and either man will have to work out the kinks as the commander-in-chief of the offense.
This could be an opportune time for the Falcons to steal a win over their division rivals but they will have to buck recent history as the Saints have covered in six of their last seven meetings against Atlanta. But even a freight train comes to a stop and so do streaks. Let’s grab more than double our money in our NFL picks and watch the Falcons score an upset here.
Upset Alert: Falcons +6 (-110) or +220 on the moneyline at Bovada
Houston Texans vs. Miami Dolphins
Sunday, November 7, 2021 – 1:00 PM ET at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
The line on this game is a bit mystifying as we have two of the league’s dregs with identical 1-7 records lining up in a pointless game that must be played. Yet, the Dolphins are 6 ½ point favorites as of this writing. Why should Miami be favored over anyone, let alone by nearly a touchdown?
It’s easy to understand why the masses will be loading up on the Fish because it’s probably more of an auto-fade on Houston rather than an endorsement of Miami. And we also know that the venue favors the Dolphins as they will be playing in front of their home fans while the Texans will be dealing with traveling, jet lag, and life on the road.
But it might also surprise you that the Texans are 4-4 ATS while the Dolphins are 2-6 against the number. We should also consider the teams that the Texans have played recently. They lost to the Rams last week (but covered the spread), and before that came the Cardinals, Colts, Patriots, and Bills. The Dolphins will look like child’s play compared to those teams. Let’s back the Texans and watch them score an upset this week.
Upset Alert: Dolphins +6 ½ (-110) or +235 on the moneyline at BetOnline