NFL Pro Football 2008 Week 9 Picks late games

NFL Pro Football 2008 Week 9 Picks - late games

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Fearless Rick's NFL Week 9 Picks - Late Games

Rick Gagliano | November 2-3

All times Eastern - Click here for early games.

Miami at Denver (-3, 49) 4:05 PM - Tough call, but the Dolphins don't do well on the road (lost 2 of 3), and who knows, it may be snowing in Denver. On the other hand, the Broncos' defense is a disgrace. They have allowed 65 points in their last two games, both losses.

The Broncos are coming off a bye, and maybe the week off will be a positive for the defense, but the Dolphins are in the thick of it in their division, as is Denver, so this game will not be a blowout. Still, Denver is allowing 404 yards per outing and 27.9 ppg, and Miami's offense has looked crisp with Pennington behind center. The young team is learning how to win and should get to 4-4 with an upset road win.

Prediction: Dolphins 27 Broncos 21

Atlanta (-3, 41) at Oakland 4:15 PM - Despite their 4-3 record, the Falcons don't get a whole lot of respect, and playing on the road is tough, even against the distracted Raiders. Oakland is probably two years away from being a playoff contender, but the Falcons have the surprisingly poised Matt Ryan spearheading the attack and a pretty decent defense to boot. Atlanta is scoring and allowing 22 points per game, which is better than the Raiders, who are allowing 25.3 and scoring only 15.3.

The lack of Raider offense will be a significant aid to the Falcons, who can get their offense on the field for maybe as many as 20 more plays than Oakland and do some damage.

Prediction: Falcons 21 Raiders 14

Dallas at NY Giants (-9, 41) 4:15 PM - This game opened at -7 and bettors immediately jumped in and pushed it to 9 points. That's probably an indication that many people believe the defending Super Bowl champion Giants are still the team to beat in 2008, and also that the Cowboys have pretty much blown an opportunity to keep pace now that Tony Romo is out and TE Jason Witten is going to try to go with a broken rib. Now, that's gutsy, but it's doubtful the stud tight end will see much more than limited action.

New York has been just cruising along at 6-1, and can put a real damper on the Cowboys' season with a home win. If the Cowboys drop to 5-4, they'll be 2 1/2 games back with the Redskins in between. Not a pretty picture in big D.

Prediction: Giants 31 Cowboys 14

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Philadelphia (-6 1/2, 43) at Seattle 4:15 PM - Even though Seattle is at home, the Eagles are far too good a team for them to handle. Sure, the Seahawks knocked up San Fran last week in a big way, winning 34-13, but Philly is another case altogether. The Eagles surprisingly have both Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook healthy, and together, they are a lethal combination. The Eagles also beat the 49ers a few weeks back, 40-26, so they are every bit as capable as Seattle.

With the Seahawks allowing an average of 26.3 ppg and the Eagles putting up 27.7, this one is pretty obvious. Seattle doesn't stand a chance of holding back the Philly offense, and by the 4th quarter, fans will take up the final minutes marveling at how closely Andy Reid resembles Mike Holmgren.

Prediction: Eagles 28 Seahawks 10

New England at Indianapolis (-5 1/2, 44) 8:15 PM - Here's a game that holds plenty of intrigue. One would think that without Tom Brady, the Patriots would be on the ropes, but New England is tied for first in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills, while the Colts are a meager 3-4 and trailing runaway Tennessee in their divisional race. The Colts need a win badly, lest they risk missing the playoffs for the first time in years.

This is usually a game that would be billed as a possible conference championship preview, but this time it's a matter of life and death for the beleaguered Colts. New England has simplified their offense, and that seems to be working, plus the defense is playing well, allowing 18.9 ppg, good for 9th in the league. That's going to be the difference-maker. How well the Patriots defend should determine whether they win or lose. Indy probably won't be able to get much of a lead in this one, and any margin of victory will be slim.

Prediction: Colts 23 Patriots 20

MON, NOV 3

Pittsburgh at Washington (-1 1/2, 37) 8:30 PM - With the toughest schedule in the league, Pittsburgh better be ready for a real fist fight against the Redskins, who have won two straight and are just a game behind the Giants in the NFC East at 6-2. The 'Skins also have a bye coming up following this game, so they will be prepared to go hammer and tongs for the full 60 minutes.

Pittsburgh has a game lead on the Ravens in the AFC North, but they are showing signs of wearing down. As the Giants proved last week, the offense is defensible and prone to errors. Expect the Redskins to grind with Clinton Portis and exploit the secondary with play action. Notably, Pittsburgh's other losses are to NFC East teams: New York and Philly. Washington completes the trifecta.

Prediction: Redskins 17 Steelers 13

Bye: New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco, Carolina

All times Eastern - Click here for early games

Copyright 2008, 2009, Rick Gagliano, Downtown Magazine. All rights reserved. Downtown Magazine is located in the Uinted States of America and is not affiliated with the National Football League or the NCAA. For more information, contact us here. Use of this site is for entertainment purposes only.

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