NFL Week 9 picks: Upset and score predictions, matchup breakdowns for every game - NFL.com

NFL.com editors Jeremy Bergman, Brooke Cersosimo, Gennaro Filice, Bobby Kownack and Dan Parr will predict the winner of every game in the 2026 NFL season, using the unbeatable combo of football analysis and excessive punctuation. Check out their Week 9 NFL picks below.

- The lines provided by FanDuel are locked as of 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 5.

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- WHERE: Bernabéu Stadium (Madrid, Spain)

- WHEN: 9:30 a.m. ET | NFL Network, NFL+

- MONEYLINE: Bengals -166 | Falcons +140

- SPREAD: Bengals -3 | O/U: 52.5

Why Gennaro picked the Bengals: Joe Burrow and Michael Penix Jr. are both coming off career days: Burrow notched a career-best six total touchdowns in an overtime win; Penix threw a career-worst four interceptions in a rain-soaked loss. But I’m not here today to talk about either quarterback. Rather, I’d like to spotlight a Bengals receiver -- and it isn’t the one we usually fawn over. Yes, this is a Tee Higgins appreciation blurb. Typically overshadowed by perennial Pro Bowler Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins currently ranks second in the NFL (behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba ) with 636 receiving yards, putting him on pace for nearly 1,800 yards on the season. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has always been a beast at the catch point, but he’s become a true monster after the catch this season, owning a career-high rate in missed tackles forced (27.9%, per Next Gen Stats). In related news, NFL Research tells me that Burrow and Higgins comfortably boast the highest passer rating of any QB-WR combo in the league (min. 45 targets) at 132.3. Of course, Burrow and Chase still rank fifth in that category at 113.6, leading me to the larger point here. We’ve all been saying Cincinnati has two WR1s for ye...

- WHERE: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)

- WHEN: 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS

- MONEYLINE: Broncos -142 | Panthers +120

- SPREAD: Broncos -2.5 | O/U: 43.5

Why Gennaro picked the Panthers: Riding a four-game win streak, Denver has shot to the top of the AFC West. And yet, there are still plenty of reasons to doubt these Broncos. The offense, quite frankly, is boring. (Well, until Bo Nix decides to put together a game-winning drive.) And the defense, while solid in some of the advanced statistics, just hasn’t been the shutdown unit of the past two seasons, ranking 20th against the pass, 25th against the run and 25th on third down. Yes, Denver’s a perfect 4-0 at home, compiling an impressive collection of victories ( over the Jaguars, Rams, Seahawks and Chiefs ). But this week’s game is in Charlotte. And away from Mile High, the Broncos have been rather unremarkable, beating the also-rans ( Chargers, Cardinals ) and losing to the contenders ( Chiefs, 49ers ). Which brings us to the Panthers: Are they an also-ran or a contender? Honestly, it’s kind of hard to say. Despite being below.500, they currently sit atop a dull NFC South. And while they opened October with an impressive win over the Lions, they closed the month with one-sided defeats to the Buccaneers and Packers. Consequently, this feels like a midseason hinge game, especiall...

Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue preview the Week 9 matchup between the Broncos and the Panthers and look ahead at possible trade deadline moves for both teams.

- WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)

- WHEN: 1:00 p.m. ET | FOX

- MONEYLINE: Cowboys -260 | Colts +215

- SPREAD: Cowboys -5.5 | O/U: 51.5