If you’re still alive in your NFL survivor pool, chances are you didn’t have a big sweat last week since every substantial favorite won. The Patriots handled the Browns, the Rams dispatched the Bengals, the Vikings suffocated the Redskins, the Jaguars steamrolled the Jets, and the Colts squeaked by the Broncos. The Week 9 NFL schedule will be trickier when you make your NFL knockout pool picks, as only three teams are favored by a touchdown or more. Should you roll with the rested Cowboys against the reeling Giants in your NFL survivor picks? The 5-2 Bills against the fading Redskins? Or maybe the Seahawks against turnover-prone Jameis Winston? The proven computer model at SportsLine, which has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times, has generated the optimal Week 9 NFL picks and survivor strategy.

This model went 11-2 straight-up in Week 8 and has ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch for three years running on straight-up NFL picks. Additionally, it beat over 96 percent of CBS Sports office pool players last season. 

For NFL Week 9, we can tell you the model is not going with the Bills, even though they’re winning more than 70 percent of simulations against the visiting Redskins. Quarterback Case Keenum is expected to return from his concussion to start for Washington, which played Minnesota and San Francisco tough the past two weeks. Before that, Washington edged Miami 17-16 for its lone win.

Washington will have extra rest because the Redskins played on Thursday in Week 8. The model’s data says you should pass on the Bills since Buffalo’s defense has regressed the past two weeks.

There’s another team winning just as often that the model loves for your NFL knockout picks this week. Picking this team also sets you up for the rest of the season. You need to see who it is before locking in any NFL survivor picks. 

So which team is a must-back in your Week 9 survivor pool? Visit SportsLine now to see which team carries you to victory in Week 9, all from the proven computer model that’s ranked in the top 10 in straight-up picks three years running.