NFL Week 9 Survivor Pool Picks (Chiefs Over Jets, Cowboys on Road Highlight Top Predictions)

The halfway point of the 2026 NFL season is upon us, as Week 9 kicks off with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens as part of a 15-game slate.

Only the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans won’t play in Week 9, giving bettors and fantasy players plenty of options to choose from in Survivor – if you’ve made it this far.

In Week 8, the Dallas Cowboys were the one team that really hurt Survivor players, as they lost as a touchdown favorite at home against a frisky Arizona Cardinals team. Unfortunately for the SI Betting team, Dallas was one of the two teams that we gave out for last week's picks.

NFL Week 8 Survivor Picks Recap

Peter Dewey: Cincinnati Bengals (W)
Iain MacMillan: Dallas Cowboys (L)

On the bright side for the team, the Cincinnati Bengals held on in overtime to beat the Tennessee Titans, avoiding an 0-2 week when it comes to these picks.

MacMillan is getting the chance to buy back in so we can offer some differing opinions in Week 9 and upsets across the NFL in the last few weeks have decimated many Survivor Pools.

In Week 9, our team is looking to two teams that are favored by six or more points, including Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs after a tough loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos in Week 8.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

NFL Week 9 Survivor Pool Picks

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have some issues finishing drives when they take on the elite teams in the NFL, but based on their running game and defense alone, they're well-suited to crush inferior teams.

They'll host the New York Jets in Week 9, who can't beat the likes of the Miami Dolphins or Las Vegas Raiders.

The Jets' defense has been especially bad this season, ranking 24th in opponent success rate. It's also worth noting that Kansas City doesn't have many more games this season that will make sense for Survivor.

A home game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11 is the other option, but at this point, I believe in the Jets a lot less than Arizona. The Chiefs may not be as explosive as they once were, but on their home field they'll cruise past the Jets and help us advance our survivor entries to Week 10. – Iain MacMillan

Dallas Cowboys

I know the Dallas Cowboys and their terrible defense absolutely crushed Survivor Players (including our own Iain MacMillan) in Week 8, but I’m willing to go back to them on the road in a must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Indy was blown out by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 – 42-7 – and it’s a candidate to move on from more pieces ahead of the trade deadline. The Colts haven’t been a competitive team for most of this season, starting with a 2-6 record while ranking 29th in EPA/Play on offense and 23rd in EPA/Play on defense.

The Dallas defense can’t stop anyone, ranking 32nd in EPA/Play and 30th in yards per play allowed, but this offense is still elite. The Cowboys put up 30 points once again in Week 8 against Arizona, and they’re a top-10 team in EPA/Play and success rate on that side of the ball.

Dak Prescott should be able to move the ball pretty easily against a Colts defense that couldn’t slow down Trevor Lawrence (three passing scores) and the Jaguars in Week 8.

Indy is an easy team to fade the rest of the season with Daniel Jones clearly in over his head at quarterback. Jones has five touchdown passes, nine picks and has only completed 60.4 percent of his passes.

If Dallas can’t win this game, the NFC East crown may truly be out of reach. I’ll take the Cowboys – who are six-point road favorites – to bounce back on Sunday. – Peter Dewey

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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