The second half of the NFL season began on Thursday night with the Falcons covering against the Buccaneers easily enough. As our John Breech wrote in the early look at the odds for Week 9, the Falcons were three-point favorites over a team that was 0-3 against the spread at home.

They ended up winning by 15 points. And that's how the second half of the year began -- with no drama.

But there's still plenty to take a look at before Sunday's slate of games. Ben Roethlisberger is questionable to play for the Steelers against the Ravens and the Broncos are reportedly going to be without cornerback Aqib Talib against the high-flying Raiders in a battle for the top spot in the AFC West.

Let's take a look at all the updated odds from Week 9.

NFL Week 9 updated odds

(All lines via VegasInsider.com)

Jaguars at Chiefs (Opening line: Chiefs, -8 points; Monday line: Chiefs, -8 points)

Current line: Chiefs, -7 points. Despite the fact that the Chiefs officially ruled out quarterback Alex Smith and plan on starting Nick Foles under center, the Chiefs remain a touchdown favorite to knock off the Jaguars at home. And that makes sense: Foles, a decent quarterback, played well in relief of Smith a week ago, and the Jaguars are still very bad.

Lions at Vikings (Opening line: Vikings, -7 points; Monday line: Vikings, -6.5 points)

Friday line: Vikings, -6 points: Not much of a change here, so I'll leave you with what Breech wrote earlier this week:

No rivalry in the NFL has been more evenly matched than the Vikings and Lions have been over the past six years. Since 2010, the two teams have played 12 times, with each team winning six of those. If there's one time you want to think about taking the Vikings though, it's when they play at home. Since the beginning of 2013, the Vikings are an NFL-best 19-8 ATS at home, which includes a 3-0 ATS record in 2016.

It's worth noting, of course, the Vikings are coming off back-to-back losses after starting the year with a perfect record.

Eagles at Giants (Opening line: Giants, -2 points; Monday line: Giants, -3 points)

Friday line: Giants, -2.5 points. The Eagles defense enters the game as the top-ranked unit in DVOA. Though they have a rookie quarterback, Carson Wentz, and have been stumbling recently (they've lost three of their past four games), their defense should keep them within striking distance of the Giants, who have been a tough team to figure out so far. They started the season by winning two games, then they lost three straight, and now they're on a two-game winning streak again.

I don't have a good feel for this game, but it definitely feels like a 3-point game one way or the other -- not that that helps bettors.

Cowboys at Browns (Opening line: Cowboys, -7 points; Monday line: Cowboys, -7 points)

Friday line: Cowboys, -7 points. No change at all. So, here's Breech again:

Although the Browns have been a trainwreck this year, they have been able to keep a few games close. In four of their eight losses, the Browns went down by six or fewer points. That being said, this team hasn't been able to cover games at home. The Browns are 0-3 ATS in Cleveland and just 2-6 ATS overall this season. The Cowboys are 3-0 ATS on the road, which could be a recipe for disaster for the Browns.

Jets at Dolphins (Opening line: Dolphins, -3 points; Monday line: Dolphins, -3.5 points)

Friday line: Dolphins, -3.5 points. Again no changes here. Breech says ...

No matter how bad the Jets look, they always play well in Miami. The Jets haven't lost in South Florida since their regular-season finale in 2011. Although the Dolphins are 3-1 straight-up at home this season, they're just 2-2 ATS. The Jets 2-3 ATS on the road. When the Patriots aren't playing, you bet AFC East games at your own peril.

Steelers at Ravens (Opening line: Ravens, -2.5 points; Monday line: Ravens, -3 points)

Friday line: Steelers, -1.5 points. With Ben Roethlisberger returning to practice this week, the Steelers have suddenly become the favorites in this game. Big Ben had his meniscus trimmed on Oct. 17.

"We had a good day today," Tomlin said Friday, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "He had a good day today. We'll see how his body responds to the work. We don't have to make the decision today so we won't. We'll continue to push forward toward gameday."

There's no question: If Big Ben plays, the Steelers should beat the Ravens. But if he doesn't play, look for the Ravens to hold off the Landry Jones-helmed offense at home. The only question remains: Will he play?

He's officially listed as questionable.

Saints at 49ers (Opening line: Saints, -3 points; Monday line: Saints, -3 points)

Friday line: Saints, -4 points. Not much explanation needed. Why would anyone think the 1-6 49ers, who haven't won since the first week of the season, have a chance to beat the Saints?

Breech has more:

The Saints don't have a great record on the road this year (1-2), but they are covering the spread when they leave New Orleans. In their three road games, the Saints are 2-0-1 ATS, making them one of only five teams in the NFL that is unbeaten ATS on the road. The 49ers have been one of the ugliest teams this season for gamblers, going just 1-6 ATS, and that only cover came in Week 1. The Saints haven't lost a regular-season game in San Francsico since 2001.

Panthers at Rams (Opening line: Panthers, -2 points; Monday line: Panthers, -3 points)

Friday line: Panthers, -3 points. No change. Breech says:

The Panthers have been one of the worst road teams in the NFL this season, going 0-3 both ATS and straight up. Actually, the Panthers have basically been an ugly team to bet on all season, going just 2-5 ATS overall, which is the fourth-worst mark in the NFL this year. As for the Rams, they're 11-7 ATS as a home underdog since Jeff Fisher took over as coach in 2012.

Colts at Packers (Opening line: Packers -6.5 points; Monday line: Packers, -7 points)

Friday line: Packers, -7.5 points. Nick Foles threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns for a passer rating of 135.2 against the Colts. So, Aaron Rodgers won't have an issues continuing his recent surge this Sunday. He's thrown seven touchdowns in his last two outings.

Titans at Chargers (Opening line: Chargers, -5.5 points; Monday line: Chargers, -4.5 points)

Friday line: Chargers, -4 points. Some important injury news: Chargers rookie tight end Hunter Henry will not play, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. He's tied for the team lead in touchdown catches.

Broncos at Raiders (Opening line: Pick'em; Monday line: Pick'em)

Friday line: Raiders, -1.5 points. This game moved from a pick'em to the Raiders barely being favored. One possible reason might be the absence of Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, who's dealing with a bad back. He's been reportedly ruled out.

The Raiders rank fourth with 285.1 passing yards per game.

Bills at Seahawks (Opening line: Seahawks, -5.5 points; Monday line: Seahawks, -7 points).

Friday line: Seahawks, -7 points. No changes. So for the last time, let's check back in with Breech:

If there has been one sure straight-up lock in the NFL over the past few years, it's this one: the Seahawks at home against an AFC team. Since Russell Wilson's rookie year in 2012, the Seahawks are 9-0 straight up against the AFC and 6-3 ATS. In all three instances where the Seahawks didn't cover, the spread was in double digits. Of course, that might not matter to the Bills, who have dominated the NFC West this year. Not only is Buffalo 3-0 against the division, but they've covered the spread in all three gams. The Bills beat the Rams by 11, the Cardinals by 15 and the 49ers by 29.

Bye weeks: Bears, Bengals, Cardinals, Patriots, Redskins, Texans