Sunday’s Best Games
Cleveland Browns (3-6) at Buffalo Bills (6-3), 1 p.m. CBS
Line: Bills -8 | Total: 43
The Bills have played like the best team in football in many weeks, but their back-to-back losses have underscored a troubling fault: turnovers. Buffalo is tied for second in the league in turnovers (18), a particular area of concern heading into what’s expected to be a sloppy-weather game. The Bills’ biggest hope for a rebound lies in Cleveland’s main weakness: the N.F.L.’s worst run defense. Buffalo is ranked in the top 10 in rushing yards per game behind carries from Devin Singletary and Josh Allen. If they can maintain possession, the Bills should win easily. Pick: Bills -8
Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) at Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1), 1 p.m. CBS
Line: Colts +6.5 | Total: 45.5
The Eagles’ first loss of the season was more than just an ego blow. Tight end Dallas Goedert, who trails only A.J. Brown in receiving yards for the team, injured his shoulder during a pivotal fourth-quarter play and landed on injured reserve Wednesday.
Now Philadelphia travels to face the Colts, who looked revitalized in their first game under the interim coach Jeff Saturday. He reinstated Matt Ryan as the starting quarterback and called enough rollouts, screens, and run-pass options to open running lanes for Jonathan Taylor, who had just his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. If Ryan and Taylor play at their best, the Colts may still lose but could be good enough to cover at home. Pick: Colts +6.5
Dallas Cowboys (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (8-1), 4:25 p.m., CBS
Line: Vikings +1 | Total: 47
Make it make sense. The Cowboys were outscored by 17-0 in the fourth quarter and overtime of their loss to the Packers last week, and they are now 2-2 with Dak Prescott as the starter this season. The Vikings upset the Bills last week in what is being called the game of the year thanks in part to Justin Jefferson, who became the first N.F.L. player to top 100 yards receiving 20 times in his first three seasons.
Somehow the Vikings are still laying a point to the Cowboys, but this may be the last regular-season game in which that’s the case: Minnesota was favored in every remaining game after this one. Pick: Cowboys -1
Kansas City (7-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-4), 8:20 p.m., NBC
Line: Chargers +6.5 | Total: 50.5
When these two A.F.C. West rivals met in Week 2, the rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson’s pick-6 of a Justin Hebert throw swung the game in Kansas City’s favor. Before that big play, Patrick Mahomes had been harassed behind the line of scrimmage and was struggling to adjust to the absence of Tyreek Hill. Safe to say that Kansas City has adjusted in the games since. Mahomes is now the betting favorite to win the Most Valuable Player Award and has fully integrated receiver Kadarius Toney, whom the team acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, into the offense.
The Chargers, on the other hand, have seen Herbert’s top two targets, Mike Williams (ankle) and Keenan Allen (hamstring), go down with injuries. Both are questionable for Sunday night’s game. Herbert ranks second in the N.F.L. behind Tom Brady in pass attempts, but he is 14th in completion percentage, a stat that won’t improve without effective pass-catchers available. Pick: Kansas City -6.5