The top player prop bets for Week 9 and beyond

Losing a job on your birthday has to be one of the worst things that can happen to a person, but for Andy Dalton, that nightmare became reality when the Bengals demoted him to the bench on the same day he turned 32. Rookie Ryan Finley will start for Cincinnati coming out of its Week 9 bye. The day after the announcement, Dalton met with the media and said he didn't agree with the decision and wished the team would have looked to trade him before last Tuesday's deadline. 

At the halfway point of the 2019 season, oddsmakers wonder where players like Andy and coaches like Cleveland's Freddie Kitchens will be come next season. We'll start our weekly prop bet rundown there.

Odds via BetOnline

Odds: Starter elsewhere (EVEN) | Bengals Starter (+200) | Not in NFL (+300) | Backup elsewhere (+600) | Backup for Bengals (+1200)

Less than a year after cutting ties with longtime head coach Marvin Lewis, it appears the Bengals have turned the page on Andy Dalton. While it's unlikely he remains with Cincinnati next season, other NFL teams are always looking for a quarterback bridge to get them to the next hot free agent or college talent entering the draft. Dalton's era in "The Jungle" may be over, but his career will continue.

The Bet: starter elsewhere

Odds: Yes (+900) | No (-2,000)

For the third time in four seasons, J.J. Watt will miss more than half the season due to injury. The Texans pass rusher tore his pectoral muscle during Houston's win over the Raiders last Sunday. Still only 30 years old, one would think he'd come back hungry and ready for another go next season. However, Andrew Luck showed us that wealthy, injury-riddled athletes have the option to call it quits early. Watt doesn't appear to be wired that way though.

The Bet: No

Odds: Michigan -250 | NFL +125 | Another College +700 | Not Coaching +2,000

If you asked a dozen casual Michigan football fans, they would probably all agree that the win over Notre Dame provided coach Harbaugh some lost cachet. However, whether he returns for the 2020 season may come down to the regular-season finale against rival Ohio State. Coach Harbaugh couldn't beat Urban Meyer but must — at the very least — compete with Ryan Day's squad.

The Bet: Michigan

Odds: Yes -150 | No +110

Adam Gase should not be on the hot seat. The Jets first-year head coach lost his franchise quarterback for weeks due to a serious case of mono. In his first game back, Sam Darnold and the Jets upset the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, Gase's squad has looked terrible the past two weeks, but Darnold is still working his way back to 100 percent conditioning, Le'Veon Bell is halfway through his first season in a new offense and injuries on both sides of the ball haven't helped. Bell preached patience on social media this week, and that's exactly what the Jets front office needs to embrace.

The Bet: Yes

Odds: Yes -250 | No +170

Chicago traded up to select Trubisky just two years ago and although the Bears' Super Bowl aspirations have regressed due to their lackluster offense, the mobile quarterback should get another shot next season. The bigger question is will 2018 Coach of the Year, Matt Nagy, survive this season if the offense continues to falter?

The Bet: Yes

Odds: Yes (EVEN) | No -140

The Browns aren't going to do what everybody expects them to do, which is FLIP OUT, MAN! This franchise is two years removed from an 0-16 campaign, and Kitchens was bound to experience some growing pains in his first year as head coach. Yes, Cleveland's owner is known to cut bait early, but the Browns' schedule the second half of the season is Charmin soft. They'll win 5-6 games to finish around .500 and hand Kitchens another year to figure things out.

The Bet: YES

Odds: Yes +500 | No -1,000

Anybody who listens to Brady during interviews and off-the-cuff comments knows he's the type of competitor who is a little crazy; a little nuts. So to think he would hang it up after this season — with or without a seventh Super Bowl — might also be a little nuts. The 42-year-old quarterback said he wants to play until he's 45 and despite this Super Bowl run falling on the shoulders of the Patriots defense and not his offense, Brady will be back.

The Bet: No

Odds: Over 57.5 (-120) | Under 57.5 (-120)

The Patriots have proved their defense will eat up subpar quarterback play and no matter how much he tries to shake off the Michael Vick comparisons, Jackson must run for the Ravens to have a shot at the upset. Baltimore's franchise quarterback is averaging nearly 113 rush yards per game over his past three. Yes, New England will play a "spy" linebacker to try and slow Jackson down, but he's going to crush this prop.

The Bet: OVER

Odds: Over 215 Yards (-120) | Under 215 Yards (-110)

Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco will reportedly miss the next four to six weeks with a herniated disc in his neck. The next man up is Brandon Allen, a 2006 sixth-round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars. This Sunday's game against the Browns will not only be his first career start but also his first regular-season action of any kind. With the Browns struggles against the rush and the Broncos featuring a two-headed monster of Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, I'd expect them to ease Allen into this role and not chuck it against a Browns secondary that is getting healthier.

The Bet: UNDER

Odds: Yes +300 | No -500

Thomas has caught 73 passes through his first eight games, or 9.13 receptions per game. If you multiply that by 16 games played, Thomas would eclipse Harrison's record set back in 2002 by three catches. Thomas is an elite receiver, but to maintain that type of per game average for another eight games with little room for error is highly unlikely.

The Bet: No

Odds: Dolphins -200 | Bengals +150

As is customary for terrible teams, the Dolphins snatched defeat away from the jaws of victory at Pittsburgh last Monday. However, Miami head coach Brian Flores confirmed he will stick with Ryan Fitzpatrick moving forward because he gives the Dolphins the best chance to win. Ouch. Sorry Josh Rosen. However, this plan differs from the Bengals', as one would think Andy Dalton would give Cincinnati the best chance to win vs. rookie Ryan Finley playing behind a weak offensive line. The Dolphins and Bengals meet Week 16.

The Bet: Dolphins

Odds: Patriots +150 | 49ers -200

These odds existed up until the 49ers nearly blew a double-digit lead at Arizona Thursday night. When they are reposted, expect San Francisco's to soar near -500.

The Bet: Niners

Odds: Rodgers -106 | Rivers -141

Aaron Rodgers is averaging 290.5 pass yards per game, while Philip Rivers is right behind him at 289.4. The ongoing joke is that every Chargers game ends in the same fashion: with Rivers needing to make pass play after pass play to put his team in a position to win. On the flip side, just when everybody gets comfortable with Rodgers' M-V-P chants, the Packers find a way to regress. The difference this season is that Green Bay possesses a stellar rush offense led by Aaron Jones. Rodgers isn't under the pressure to win games via the pass as has been the case the majority of his career.

The Bet: Rivers

Odds: Godwin -122 | Lockett -122

Through his first seven games, Godwin has averaged 6.7 receptions per game, while Lockett's averaging 5.75 through his first eight. Rookie receiver D.K. Metcalf has cut into Lockett's targets and touches somewhat. One of the season's most impressive breakout players, Godwin continues to connect with Jameis Winston during second-half rallies. With the game AT Seattle, I think the Buccaneers will find themselves in rally mode once again.

The Bet: Godwin

Odds: Yes +5,000

TMZ caught up with the 11-time world champion track star earlier this week when he said he would love to play for an NFL squad but with the caveat it had to be as a Patriots or Packers wide receiver. Bolt explained that it's because he thinks so highly of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

The Bet: would be awesome, but no.