We are on Week 9 of the NFL season, which means we are officially more than halfway home. Teams are getting through their bye weeks, and so far there still are no plans to extend beyond Week 17 because of COVID situations. Now, that can change quickly, but each week that passes without incident has to be considered a win. On the NFL Survivor Pool front, we had a relatively quiet week with the big favorites finding ways to win.
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What is a Survivor Pool?
There are several variations of the Survivor Pool format, but the most basic and common one is each week everyone in the league has to select one team to win a game straight up, not against the spread. If the team wins, you survive the week and move on, and if the team you pick ties or loses, you are eliminated from the pool. The twist is that you can only use any team once, so anyone you pick is no longer available for weeks in the future, making it increasingly difficult as the season goes on. The pool ends when there is one player left, and usually that player will take home a big pay day depending on the settings and the structure.
Week 9 NFL Schedule
Thursday |
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| Packers (-5.5) at 49ers | ||
Sunday |
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| Broncos at Falcons (-4) | Seahawks (-3) at Bills | Bears at Titans (-5.5) |
| Ravens (-2.5) at Colts | Panthers at Chiefs (-11) | Lions at Vikings (-4) |
| Giants at Washington (-3) | Texans (-7) at Jaguars | Raiders at Chargers (-1.5) |
| Steelers (-13.5) at Cowboys | Dolphins at Cardinals (-4.5) | Saints at Buccaneers (-5.5) |
Monday |
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| Patriots (-7) at Jets |
Week 8 NFL Survivor Picks Recap
Buccaneers
The Buccaneers were the most popular team with 38% of teams choosing to pick on the Giants. They weren’t the biggest favorite on the slate because of Kansas City, but as a two-touchdown favorite it was an obvious spot to go to. Although they did win the game, it was certainly too close for comfort, and a failed 2-point conversion in the final seconds avoided what would have been a brutal overtime for Tampa backers.
Chiefs
Twenty-eight percent of teams decided to take the free square, and that’s exactly what it turned out to be. The Jets kept it somewhat respectable for awhile before finally falling 35-9 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The good news is you had an incredibly easy Week 8, but the bad news is you no longer have the Chiefs available, which makes the second half of the season that much tougher.
Titans
This was the landmine of the week, with 11% of teams choosing Tennessee as a road favorite in Cincinnati. The Titans fell to the Bengals 31-20, and this was where you probably lost some teams that were still alive in your league. It wasn’t an ideal spot to target, but if you did not have teams like Tampa Bay or Kansas City available, it was reasonable that you landed here and unfortunately paid the price.
Week 9 NFL Survivor Picks
Steelers
Pittsburgh is near a two-touchdown favorite on the road against the Cowboys this week, and it is hard to argue against it. The Steelers are undefeated and come in with a top defense that is causing problems for everyone they face, including Lamar Jackson last week. They forced multiple turnovers against the Ravens, and now Pittsburgh gets a Cowboys offense that is on the short list for worst in the league.
Wanna Bet?
Ben Rasa is rolling with the Pittsburgh Steelers for his Week 9 Survivor pick for NFL Survivor leagues. With the Steelers looking like a lock to win this week, they could be a good moneyline bet to use in a parlay this weekend. If you want all the best NFL odds from numerous sportsbook in one place, check out the Awesemo OddsShopper tool.
Dallas would have had problems with Andy Dalton under center, but he now has COVID and is set to miss the game. That does not mean another start for Ben DiNucci, however, as the Cowboys benched the rookie and will choose between Garrett Gilbert and Cooper Rush this week. This is the most obvious choice for survivor, and there is really nothing that concerns me when potentially backing Pittsburgh this week.
Patriots
New England is in a tailspin, but they draw the ultimate medicine in a matchup against the winless Jets. Despite the Patriots being 2-5, they are a 7-point road favorite, and all of that is due to how badly the Jets are struggling on both sides of the ball. Cam Newton’s late-game fumble cost them a potentially huge win against Buffalo last week, and clearly they need this game to have any hope of the postseason. Fading the Jets is a strategy many will employ this year, and so far it has paid off with minimal close calls so far.
Chiefs
If you somehow have Kansas City still remaining and want to use them, they are an 11-point home favorite against the Panthers. They are able to crush teams on the ground or allow Patrick Mahomes to go nuts through the air, and there are no answers for opposing defenses. Most people will not have Kansas City available to them, but if you do, it is not the worst spot to take what should be smooth sailing in Arrowhead.
My Week 9 NFL Survivor Pool Pick: Steelers
Teams I’ve already used: Colts (L), Buccaneers (W) , Eagles (T), Rams (W), Cowboys (W), Dolphins (W), Chargers (W), Chiefs (W)
I didn’t have the Chiefs available, so it was down to the Patriots or Steelers for me this week. I didn’t love the thought of backing New England on the road against the Jets when they will get them in Foxboro later in the season. Pittsburgh is 7-0, but I don’t worry about burning them, as I think the stock is sky high and this is one of the better spots to target them in. Dallas just doesn’t have the personnel due to injuries, and although it’s a popular spot, I will let other people chase other options on this Week 9 slate.
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