The 2026 NFL regular season has reached its midway point with Week 9 on the doorstep, and underdogs have barked loudly through the first half of the year. Eight home underdogs are on this week's slate, a recipe that often flips the league on its head, particularly after a Week 8 schedule that mostly went chalk. The Raiders were a notable exception last week, cashing in as a live road underdog with an outright win over the Jets. All lines referenced are via DraftKings, with all times Eastern.
Green Bay, a 3-point underdog at +142 on the moneyline, visits New England at Gillette Stadium for a 4:25 p.m. kickoff on Fox. The teams have mirrored each other, both starting 1-2 before going 4-1 over the past five weeks to surge back into playoff contention. Jordan Love leads the NFL in passing yards entering Week 8, while Drake Maye leads the league in total yards and touchdowns from Weeks 4-8. Injuries, however, have plagued the Patriots' offense: wideout A.J. Brown missed Week 8 with a knee injury, and tight end Hunter Henry left last week's win over Miami with a foot injury. Green Bay's defense has allowed 14.6 points per game over its last five, third in the NFL.
Buffalo travels to Minnesota, a 3.5-point underdog at +150 on the moneyline, for a Monday 4:25 p.m. kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium on ESPN. The headline matchup is best on best: Buffalo averages a league-high 33.3 points per game entering Week 9, while Minnesota holds opponents to a league-low 13.3. The Vikings' blitz-heavy defense may hold the advantage. Minnesota leads the NFL with a 69.1% blitz rate, and against the blitz this season Josh Allen ranks 20th among 31 qualified quarterbacks in passer rating (88.2) while tied for the second-most interceptions with three. Allen's rushing ability can help negate the pass rush, but his passing numbers against pressure are noteworthy.
The spot could also help Minnesota's offense find its footing. Kyler Murray has not been as dynamic under center as the Vikings hoped when they acquired him this offseason, and the team has largely won in spite of its offense. Buffalo's defense is allowing 25.9 points per game this season, tied for 24th in the league, and playing in one of the NFL's better home-field environments only helps Minnesota's chances.
Houston heads to Los Angeles, where the Chargers are 4.5-point underdogs at +180 on the moneyline for a 4:05 p.m. kickoff at SoFi Stadium on CBS. Los Angeles is 0-7, ranks last in the NFL in points per game (14.1), leads the league in turnovers (17) and has not scored a touchdown since the third quarter of Week 5. A glimmer of hope comes from a surprisingly shaky Texans defense. Houston has allowed 30-plus points three times this season after doing so once in 2025, and has given up three 300-yard passing games after none last year.
Denver visits Carolina, a 2.5-point underdog at +124 on the moneyline, at 1 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium on CBS. Under Dave Canales since 2024, the Panthers are 8-9 straight up and 11-6 against the spread as a home underdog, and 6-4 in that spot since the start of last season. Bryce Young has endured 11 sacks over the past two games behind a banged-up offensive line, and Denver is tied for the fourth-most sacks in the NFL with 23 through Week 8. Still, Carolina holds a rest advantage after playing last Thursday, and Denver could be in for a letdown after a marquee win over the Chiefs last Sunday.
The NFL heads back into international waters as Cincinnati faces Atlanta, a 3-point underdog at +142 on the moneyline, at 9:30 a.m. at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid on NFL Network. Lost in Joe Burrow's six-touchdown performance last week was Tennessee dropping 36 points on Cincinnati's defense. Cam Ward threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 41 yards against a Bengals unit that is getting dinged up: Cashius Howell suffered a fractured wrist, while corner DJ Turner (heel) and defensive end Cedric Johnson (ankle) were also hurt against the Titans. Turner and Johnson could play this week, but the unit is not at full strength.
Atlanta gets a defensive boost with top edge rusher James Pearce Jr. back after serving his eight-game suspension to begin the year. Cincinnati is giving up 4.8 yards per rush this season, tied for the fourth-highest in the NFL, and Tony Pollard totaled 117 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Bengals last week. That suggests Bijan Robinson could dazzle on the international stage, and a ground-controlled game may be the Falcons' avenue to pulling off the win.
