5 betting tips for Week 9 of the NFL season

Need a cheat sheet or some help spotting situational edges with a new week of NFL action fast approaching? We've got you covered.

Here are five spots to look at as you do your homework for Week 9.

Matthew Stafford and the Lions' offense have struggled in Minnesota

The Detroit Lions makes a Sunday trek to take on the Vikings in Minnesota, where Stafford has struggled scoring points in recent memory. The Lions are 5-1 to the team total under in their last six games as visitors against the Vikings. The outlier from that sample was in 2016 when an overtime touchdown gave Detroit a 22-16 win, ultimately surpassing the team total of 19.5. Stafford and the Lions are averaging 17.6 points over their last six games in Minnesota, with the team total for Week 9 currently listed at 21.5 (per Bet365).

Tampa Bay on the road equals points

You can always expect a boatload of points in games involving Tampa Bay, but a Buccaneers defense that is last in the league in scoring defense and No. 31 in yards per play allowed has been especially awful away from home this season. In four games on the road for Tampa in 2018, the first-half over, full-game over, and opponents' team total over are all a perfect 4-0.

Opponents are averaging a whopping 39.7 points in Tampa Bay's four road games this season, while the Bucs are averaging 30.2 points in those contests. While three of those opponents rank in the top half of the league in yards per play (New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears) and the other is the No. 10 scoring team in the league (Cincinnati Bengals), it doesn't get any easier in Week 9 against a Carolina Panthers unit scoring an average of 29 points at home.

If you like the Steelers, consider them on the moneyline

If you're keen on the Pittsburgh Steelers getting the win against the Ravens at Baltimore in Week 9, you might be better served to take a look at the moneyline (+125). The Steelers are the hottest road team in the NFL as of late, winning 15 of 16 straight up, dating back to 2016. They've also taken the last three outright when getting points.

Fade the Falcons' offense on the road

An Atlanta Falcons offense that has thrived in the dome with Matt Ryan leading the charge has been a completely different unit away from home, especially under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.

Since the beginning of the 2017 season, Atlanta is 8-2 to the team total under, averaging just 20.3 points per game. At home during that same span (13 games), the Falcons are posting 26.2 points on average. On Sunday, they face a Washington Redskins defense that ranks fifth in scoring defense (19.1 points allowed per game) and has held opponents to 18 points per contest at home this season.

Play the Patriots as the line moves against them

An opening spread of New England -6.5 versus the Green Bay Packers has since moved to 5.5 in most shops. The Action Network mentioned earlier this week that when a line moves a point against Tom Brady and the Patriots, New England has covered 67.2 percent of those situations - a sample that covers roughly 70 games. Since starting the season 1-2, the Pats have reeled off five straight wins and four against the spread, the lone loss coming by a half-point in Week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.

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