Two remaining undefeated teams are still standing in the NFL heading into Week 9. Both of them will be featured in prime-time matchups this week as the San Francisco 49ers will look to remain undefeated when the visit the Arizona Cardinals on a short week while the New England Patriots will look to stay perfect against their toughest challenge yet in the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. Those matchups are among the five best games on the schedule for this week.
San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals
Odds: 49ers -10
The 49ers are rolling after seven straight wins to open the season. Nobody expects the winning streak to come to an end in Arizona. However, it’s worth noting to sports bettors that the Cardinals have won eight straight matchups versus San Francisco. It’s also worth noting that the 49ers are coming off a big win over the Carolina Panthers and have to travel on a short week. Rookie first-overall pick Kyler Murray has been better than advertised for Arizona this season and now he’ll have some more help after the Cardinals acquired running back Kenyan Drake from the Miami Dolphins on Monday.
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (in London)
Odds: Texans -2
Gardner Minshew has been a revelation for the Jaguars. The rookie sixth-round pick has thrown for 1,976 yards and 13 touchdowns with just two interceptions, leading Jacksonville to a 4-3 record in his starts. Now, Minshew will face another tough test against an opponent that has dominated the Jaguars in recent years as Houston is 9-2 versus Jacksonville in the Bill O’Brien era. Even with J.J. Watt sidelined for the rest of the season, the Texans have enough weapons on both sides of the ball to win their division. Can Minshew and the Jaguars slow them down in London? This AFC South showdown is a must-watch game for Week 8.
Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs
Odds: OFF THE BOARD
Kansas City is now 0-1 without its MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and while he could return as early as this Sunday, we still don’t have word on whether it will be Mahomes or Matt Moore under center for the Chiefs this week. Whoever it is will face a tough opponent in Minnesota. The Vikings have won four in a row while Kirk Cousins is coming off a month where he had 10 touchdowns and just one interception. Kansas City can’t afford to fall to 5-4 in the race for top spot in the AFC. However, even if Mahomes plays this could be a tough test as their defense has been brutal.
Detroit Lions @ Oakland Raiders
Odds: Raiders -2.5
The Raiders finally return to Oakland following six straight weeks on the road. Waiting for them will be a hungry Lions team that is desperate to claw its way above .500. Detroit snapped a three-game slide with a 31-26 win over the New York Giants last week. All but one of the Lions’ seven games have been decided by a single score or fewer, so they’ve been competitive.
New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens
Odds: Patriots -4
The Patriots have rolled to an 8-0 start. Still, there has been a lot of talk about how big of a factor the schedule has been in New England’s perfect start to the season as they’ve played a lot of weaklings. That will change this week when they visit Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Baltimore is 12-1 straight up in prime-time games under head coach John Harbaugh and 8-3 ATS off a bye. Can they stun the Patriots or at least cover?