NFL Week 9 Picks, Pizza Deals and Halftime Food Plan

Football Sunday has one rule: nobody should be stuck in the kitchen when the game gets good. Your picks, your pizza and your halftime plan should all be locked in before kickoff. So I built the whole thing in one place.

Below you’ll find a score prediction for every game from Sunday through Monday night, a pizza to match each one, and the deals that actually look worth your money. Ever eaten a sad, cold slice at the two-minute warning because you ordered too late? Let’s fix that this week.

NFL Week 9 Score Predictions and Pizza Pairings

Thursday’s Jaguars-Ravens game opens the week, but this playbook covers Sunday, November 8 and Monday, November 9. Kickoff times are Eastern, and the full Week 9 schedule has the rest of the viewing details. The Steelers and Titans are on bye, so their fans can finally clean the garage.

Lines come from Fox Sports’ midweek board and they move. The scores are my opinion, built for bragging rights and group chats rather than your wallet. If betting stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

My two upset calls

Browns over Saints. Cleveland looked awful in a 27-6 loss at Pittsburgh, but the Browns still sit at 5-3 and New Orleans is 2-5. The Saints are fresh off a bye and playing at home, which is why they’re favored. I’ll take the better season anyway.

Packers over Patriots. Green Bay last played on a Thursday, so the Packers get extra rest. New England also saw Hunter Henry leave the Miami game with a foot injury. This one feels like a one-possession game, and I’ll side with the fresher team on a late field goal.

Three Games Worth Planning Dinner Around

Bills at Vikings: the Monday night main event

Buffalo sits at No. 1 in this week’s power rankings after flattening Baltimore 36-10. Josh Allen also passed Jim Kelly for the franchise record in passing touchdowns along the way. Minnesota just took its first loss, 19-15 in Detroit, and that hurts less at 6-1.

Watch the status of Kyler Murray, who has hamstring soreness. If he sits, this pick gets a lot more comfortable. Either way, this is a late finish on a work night, so plan your pizza for the first half and your regret for Tuesday.

Buccaneers at Bears: a very Chicago Sunday night

The Bears traded two first-round picks for Jeffery Simmons, then went to Seattle and won by 17. That’s a team that thinks this season matters. Tampa Bay brings Bucky Irving, who ran for 170 yards in a shutout of Atlanta, but I don’t see the Bucs winning this one on the road.

Deep dish takes a while, so start it during the late window. If you want Chicago pizza the locals actually eat on a weeknight, a crispy tavern-cut pie moves a lot faster. IMO, it’s the smarter pick for a game with an 8:20 PM kickoff.

Giants at Eagles: the rivalry nobody saw coming like this

New York leads the NFC East at 4-2-1 and comes off a bye. Philadelphia is 2-6, with Jalen Hurts out for the season and Saquon Barkley dealing with hamstring and back trouble. At 39.5, this game has the lowest total on the Fox board, so don’t expect fireworks.

Split the house fairly by making half the table cheesesteak and half a classic New York slice. Nobody will thank you, but at least everyone will eat.

The Pizza Box Awards: My Week 9 MVP Picks

Burrow is the hot hand, but the season race hasn’t moved much at the top. DraftKings’ MVP odds have Allen in front at +140, with Burrow at +425. Here’s how I’d hand out the hardware this weekend.

Pizza Deals and Coupon Codes for Week 9

Let me save you some time: most coupon sites list far more codes than actually work. The deals in this table come from The Krazy Coupon Lady’s food deals tracker, updated this week. Prices and participation still vary by store, so check your local app before you promise anyone anything.

Long-shot codes worth 10 seconds of your time

These codes come from community-reported coupon listings rather than the chains themselves, and I haven’t confirmed any of them. Paste one at checkout, and if it fails, move on with your life.

• Papa Johns: SM25, listed as 25% off
• Pizza Hut: HUTGIVES, listed as 20% off select items
• Pizza Hut: VISAFIVE, listed as $5 off orders of $25 or more
• Little Caesars: DELIVERYDEAL, listed as buy one, get one 20% off

Two more quick notes. Little Caesars’ $4.99 NFL offer ended in September, so ignore any site still pushing it. And if you grab Casey’s Saturday deal, a pizza kept overnight can still shine on Sunday once you reheat it properly.

Order or Make It? Your Halftime Plan

Halftime goes by fast, and I’ve watched a third-quarter touchdown from the kitchen more than once (the smoke detector had a better view of my crust than I did). Pick your play now, based on how much you actually want to do.

The Hail Mary: order delivery

Order at the end of the first quarter, not when the half ends. Game days get busy, and everyone else in your zip code has the same idea at the same moment. Pickup can be faster if somebody draws the short straw and misses a drive.

The Two-Minute Drill: fast and homemade-ish

You don’t need dough to win this one. Each of these goes from fridge or freezer to the table without much effort:

• French bread pizza for the easiest crowd-pleaser going
• Air fryer tortilla pizzas for quick personal slices between plays
• An upgraded frozen pizza, because nobody needs to know

The Long Drive: real dough, real bragging rights

Start a same-day dough when Madrid kicks off, and it’ll be ready well before the late games. Press it into a sheet pan pizza, because squares feed a room and you can slide the whole thing in before the half. For a full house, my 20-person party plan handles the math.

The Best Sides and Drinks for Game Day

Sides that keep the room happy

A good spread buys your pizza time. If you’re already making dough, use the extra for buttery garlic knots or cheesy breadsticks. If you ordered in, a slow cooker of hot pizza dip makes it look like you tried.

For handheld food, I like pepperoni pinwheels and Hawaiian roll pizza sliders, since nobody needs a plate. Want more ideas, including something green to clear your conscience? Here’s my full list of what to serve with pizza.

What to drink with what

FYI, I’d skip a super hoppy IPA with Buffalo chicken unless you enjoy making your mouth angrier. Keep it fun, pace yourself, and line up a ride if you’re watching away from home.

Game-Day Pizza FAQ

Lock It In Before Kickoff

So there’s the board: Bills on Monday, Burrow in Madrid, and two upsets I’ll quietly delete from memory if they go wrong. Pick your pies, sort your deal, and get the food moving before the second quarter runs out. The history buffs can also read how football and pizza got joined at the hip during a slow third quarter.

Stuck on a big menu later in the season? I’ve already started on Super Bowl pizza ideas, so you’ve got a head start. See you at halftime.

Sources

• NFL Playoff Pass, NFL Week 9 Schedule 2026
• NFL Playoff Pass, NFL Power Rankings Week 9 2026
• Fox Sports, 2026 NFL Odds Week 9
• Sports Illustrated, NFL MVP Odds After Week 8
• RG, NFL Week 9 Odds and Best Bets
• The Krazy Coupon Lady, 100+ Best Food Deals Happening Now
• DealsFinders, Pizza Coupons November 2026 (community-reported codes)
• DealsFinders, Pizza Hut Coupons November 2026 (community-reported codes)
• Don’t Pay Full, Pizza Coupon and Discount Codes (community-reported codes)
• NFL, Official Injury Report