As the 2026 NFL season reaches its midway point with Week 9, the schedule features eight home underdogs and several road favorites facing genuine upset threats. CBS Sports identifies three key matchups where the visiting favorite could stumble.
Packers at Patriots
Green Bay (+3) visits New England in a clash of resurgent teams. Both started 1-2 and have gone 4-1 over the past five weeks. Jordan Love leads the league in passing yards, while Drake Maye leads in total yards and touchdowns from Weeks 4-8. However, the Patriots' offense is banged up: wideout A.J. Brown missed Week 8 with a knee injury and tight end Hunter Henry left with a foot injury. Green Bay's defense has allowed just 14.6 points per game over the last five contests, ranking third in the NFL, and could exploit a depleted New England passing attack.
Bills at Vikings
Buffalo, averaging a league-best 33.3 points per game, travels to Minnesota (+3.5) on Monday night. The Vikings defense leads the NFL allowing only 13.3 points per game and blitzes at a league-high 69.1% rate. Josh Allen has struggled against the blitz this season, ranking 20th in passer rating (88.2) and tying for the second-most interceptions (3) when blitzed. Meanwhile, Minnesota's offense, led by Kyler Murray, faces a Bills defense surrendering 25.9 points per game (tied for 24th). Home-field advantage at U.S. Bank Stadium could tilt the scales.
Texans at Chargers
Los Angeles (+4.5) hosts Houston still searching for its first win at 0-7. The Chargers rank last in scoring (14.1 PPG) and lead the league in turnovers (17), having not scored a touchdown since the third quarter of Week 5. The Texans defense has regressed sharply from 2025: points allowed per game rose from 2nd to 18th, yards per game from 1st to 19th, and interceptions from tied-3rd to tied-24th. Houston has allowed 30+ points three times this season after doing so once all of last year, potentially opening the door for a Chargers breakthrough.
Other Notable Games
Denver visits Carolina (+2.5) where the Panthers are 8-9 as home underdogs under Dave Canales (6-4 since 2024). Carolina's offensive line has allowed 11 sacks over the past two games, while Denver ranks tied for fourth with 23 sacks. The Bengals face the Falcons (+3) in Madrid; Cincinnati's defense is missing Cashius Howell (fractured wrist), DJ Turner (heel), and Cedric Johnson (ankle), and allows 4.8 yards per rush (tied for fourth-highest). Atlanta welcomes back edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from suspension, and Bijan Robinson could exploit the Bengals' run defense.
