Happy Halloween people!

Now that THAT is out of the way, the 2008-09 NFL football season continues this Sunday with Week 9. And after eight weeks into the season, we learned that the Brees can be strong in England, the Bengals can’t do anything right and the Titans, yes, the Titans, could be for real.

But before we jump on the Titans bandwagon, there are still quite a few teams other than Tennessee surprising us every single week. Like the Buffalo Bills, despite losing to the Dolphins last week, STILL lead the AFC East at 5-2. Can the Bills win the division? They host New York Jets in a key divisional match up Sunday. A win here will definitely put them closer from winning the AFC East title.

The New York Jets have already lost three straight meetings with Buffalo. And although Brett Favre continues to have stellar performances late in his career, the Bills are just too focused to let a team from New York steal a win from them at home.

Buffalo Bills by three.

Next, the Jacksonville Jaguars will look to win their fifth straight win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. The Jacksonville Jaguars have gone through a somewhat disappointing first half to the season so far, but back-to-back games against teams that are currently winless could help put them back on the right track. They have the 0-7 Lions after the 0-8 Bengals this Sunday and yes, these two games can indeed catapult the Jaguars ahead of the Colts and the Texans in the AFC South from the three-way tie they are having right now behind the undefeated Titans.

Jacksonville Jaguars by seven.

The Houston Texans will go for their fourth straight win next this Sunday when they visit the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, the Texans have won three straight since Rosenfels’ debacle against the Colts. Last Sunday, they outscored the Bengals 21-0 in the second half of a 35-6 victory giving them their first three-game win streak of a single season in franchise history. The Minnesota Vikings on the other hand, hope to use their bye week to try and stabilize their defense after its worst performance of the season when they let the Bears score 48 points in a 48-41 loss in Week 7. Instead, that unit is embroiled in controversy as it heads into a meeting with a Houston Texans team that’s rolling after a disappointing start.

STILL, we’re picking the Minnesota Vikings by three just because Adrian Peterson will still show up.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gotten off to a strong start to the season, but their running game has been struggling lately and they’re not playing well on the road. Luckily, they’ll be visiting a 1-6 Kansas City Chiefs team that’s going nowhere this season and after losing to the Cowboys 13-9 last week, the Bucs should be pumped for this game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers by seven.

The Tennessee Titans, who continue to get efficient play from quarterback Kerry Collins, look to remain the NFL’s only unbeaten team when they face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Titans have been winning all these games with dominating defense, a strong running game and sound decision-making from their quarterback. Collins is averaging 28.0 passes in his six starts, completing 58.2 percent of them with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s gone five straight games without being sacked, and has been sacked only once in 170 attempts on the season.

And since they already beat Peyton Manning, beating Aaron Rodgers shouldn’t be a problem. Tennessee Titans by three.

The Dallas Cowboys will try to survive for the third straight week without Tony Romo. They are 1-1 with Brad Johnson running the offense and after beating the surging Buccaneers team last week, the Cowboys are confident Johnson can kee the team afloat until Romo gets back. Unfortunately, they have the 6-1 New York Giants next and since this is another game in a classic Cowboys - Giants rivalry, expect the Giants to go at full throttle against their NFC East rivals.

New York Giants by seven.

Next, the Atlanta Falcons will look to take advantage of one of the NFL’s worst run defenses when they host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Despite a first-year coach and a rookie quarterback, the Atlanta Falcons are already one win away from surpassing their win total from a tumultuous 2007 season. That surprising success has the Falcons in the mix in the NFC South, sitting 1 ½ games behind first-place Carolina.

Pick the Atlanta Falcons to win by three.

The Baltimore Ravens face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in a rematch of a controversial contest from last month between the AFC North rivals. The Baltimore Ravens averaged 28.0 points en route to winning two straight, moving within one game of Pittsburgh for the division lead. The offensive outburst has helped the Ravens bounce back from a three-game losing streak, which began following a 28-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns back on Sept. 21. On the other hand, the Cleveland Browns have won their annual home game against Baltimore Ravens in three of the last four years and since this game on Sunday will be their first home game against the Ravens this season, we’re sticking with what history tells us.

Cleveland Browns by three.

The Chicago Bears look for a better defensive effort against the winless Detroit Lions, one of the worst offensive teams in the league, on Sunday at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears are tied atop the NFC North, thanks to a surprisingly high-powered offense led by a rejuvenated Kyle Orton. And although their defense has been struggling this season, shutting down one of the worst offenses in the league shouldn’t be a problem.

Chicago Bears by three.

Kurt Warner looks to continue his best season in years as he looks to help the Arizona Cardinals rebound from a disheartening loss when he returns to the Edward Jones Dome to play the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The 37-year-old is having his best season since his glory days with the Rams a few years ago, helping the Cardinals take a two-game lead in a weak NFC West. And since his premiere receiver Anquan Boldin is probably back at 100 percent, handing the Rams their sixth loss of the season should be easy.

Arizona Cardinals by seven.

The Denver Broncos are still in first place in the AFC West despite their recent poor play after all three of their division rivals lost last weekend. They come out of the bye week optimistic about the potential of their rejuvenated offense now that wide receiver Brandon Stokley, running back Selvin Young and tight end Tony Scheffler could all rejoin the team this week. They will test that offense against the visiting Miami Dolphins this Sunday, a team sitting at the very bottom of the AFC East after seven games.

The best team of the AFC West against the worst team of the AFC East. This is a no-brainer. Pick the Denver Broncos by three.

The Philadelphia Eagles will try to get their third straight victory on Sunday when they visit the Seattle Seahawks. With all-pro Brian Westbrook back in the lineup and Donovan McNabb still scrambling and making plays, the Philadelphia Eagles look like they can make a run for the playoffs again. Westbrook missed two of Philadelphia’s last three games with broken ribs and had been bothered by an ankle injury. He made his return last Sunday, looking strong in a 27-14 win over the Falcons last Sunday. The Eagles hope the combination of a healthy Westbrook and McNabb can get the team back in the competitive NFC East race. Beating the struggling Seahawks, who will probably be without Matt Hasselbeck, shouldn’t be much of a challenge.

Philadelphia Eagles by 14.

Next, we have this week’s edition of Sunday Night Football. And this week, we have the Colts and the Patriots renewing their classic AFC rivalry.

The New England Patriots enter Sunday night’s contest looking to win their third straight game while the Indianapolis Colts try to avoid a third consecutive defeat. When the Patriots and the Colts face each other, AFC supremacy is usually on the line. That’s not the case this year, as each team has had to cope with a multitude of injuries and neither has dominated its competition. This season’s landscape is different, with each team having faced major hurdles in the first half of the regular season.

The only constant thing here is Peyton Manning. And since Tom Brady won’t be playing this Sunday, we’re picking the Indianapolis Colts by three.

And finally, we have Monday Night Football to conclude Week 9 of the 2008-09 NFL season. This week, we have an interesting face-off between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will hope for a better result in its third showdown with a member of the NFL’s best division Monday night, traveling to the nation’s capital for the first time in 20 years to take on the Washington Redskins. The Steelers have been great against the AFC, winning all five games versus conference opponents to claim the top spot in the AFC North. The problem is, the Redskins are playing in the competitive NFC East, and the Steelers could be walking in an ass whooping at FedEx Field.

Washington Redskins by three.

Who will win Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida? Bodog sportsbook has the odds.

New York Giants 17.00

New England Patriots 4.50

Dallas Cowboys 7.00

Indianapolis Colts 8.50

Want more odds? Visit Bodog sportsbook for more football betting odds. Want to watch the NFL live? Get NFL tickets online now.

2008 NFL Season Super Bowl XLIII