NFL Week 9: Betting experts see Bears over Bucs, Saints over Browns
CBS Sports analyst Dajani Dimes, who went 11-3 against the spread last week, selects five key matchups with projected scores and reasoning based on recent performance and injury reports.
By Fatima Saleh ·
Betting analyst Dajani Dimes projects the Chicago Bears to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by 10 points in Week 9, a pick that contrasts with his recent success. He finished the previous week with an 11-3 record against the spread and a 10-4 straight-up record, though he noted that two of his three losses against the spread came from his top five selections.
Dimes attributes those recent misses to unexpected weather conditions and defensive performances, specifically citing the Atlanta Falcons' failure to contain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' running game. He stated that he did not anticipate the Falcons allowing Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell to combine for 310 rushing yards during a game played in hurricane-like conditions.
For the upcoming schedule, Dimes favors the Denver Broncos over the Carolina Panthers by 2.5 points. He points to Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who leads the league with 9.1 yards per attempt in fourth-quarter comebacks since 2000. Nix has 15 game-winning drives, one fewer than the record for a three-season span. Dimes contrasts this with the Panthers, who have allowed 42.7 points per game at home and have sacked their own quarterback Bryce Young 11 times in the last two games.
The New Orleans Saints are selected to beat the Cleveland Browns by three points. Dimes notes the Saints are returning from a bye and may have offensive linemen Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cesar Ruiz available. He also predicts rookie Jordyn Tyson could make his debut. The Browns, by contrast, lost 27-6 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week and are in concussion protocol with quarterback Deshaun Watson, potentially forcing Shedeur Sanders to start their third straight road game.
In other selections, Dimes picks the Seattle Seahawks by 8.5 points against the Arizona Cardinals. Despite quarterback Sam Darnold's absence due to a quad injury, Dimes cites Drew Lock’s previous performance against Arizona, where he threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns. He also selects the Buffalo Bills to cover a three-point spread in Minnesota, noting that Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray is out and Carson Wentz will start. Dimes highlights the Vikings' defense, which leads the league in points allowed at 13.3 per game.
The final selection involves the Bears against the Bucs on Sunday Night Football. Dimes cites Caleb Williams’ recent consistency, noting he is the first Bears quarterback to lead his team to 30 or more points with zero turnovers in three straight games. He contrasts this with Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is 1-12 in prime time games since 2021 and has combined for just 64 passing yards in the last two contests.
