The NFL survivor pool saw more upsets in Week 8 with losses by Dallas, Minnesota, Kansas City, and the New York Jets. The Cowboys entered as 7.5-point favorites over the Cardinals. Survivor Revival pools offer a second chance for eliminated players. With two teams on bye, Week 9 features only 15 games.
Key Line Movements
The Cardinals vs. Seahawks matchup had the week's largest spread at -12.5 earlier, but it dropped to -8.5 after Sam Darnold was ruled out with a quad injury and Gardner Minshew replaced Jacoby Brissett for Arizona. Many participants have already used the Seahawks, prompting a look at other favorites such as the Texans (-5.5) against a Chargers team on a 10-game losing streak, or the 49ers (-9.5) coming off a bye versus the Raiders.
Model Performance and Week 9 Pick
The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has returned more than $5,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. Entering Week 9 of the 2026 season, the model holds a 60-51 record on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. For this week, the model is not confident in the 5-3 New England Patriots, who are 3-point and -166 money-line favorites against the 5-3 Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Patriots needed a second-half rally to beat the 1-6 Dolphins 24-19 in Week 8, while the Packers are 2-2 on the road behind quarterback Jordan Love (61.5% completion, 2,246 yards, 16 touchdowns, six interceptions). New England's Drake Maye has completed 67.1% of his passes for 1,983 yards and 15 touchdowns with eight interceptions in eight starts. The model projects New England winning by just one point, suggesting better value elsewhere.
Instead, the model is confidently backing a team that many survivor pools have not yet used, giving it a nearly 80% win probability in simulations. The specific pick is available only through SportsLine.
