NFL Week 7 was one of the least competitive game slates to Greg Dortch Jerseys date. Nine of the 13 games were decided by double digits and six of the gameswere decided by 22 or more points. Neither the favorites nor the underdogs had the edge this week; they each went 6-6-1 against the spread, with a push coming from the two-point spread in the Falcons-Dolphins game.
Some of the blowouts were predictable, like the Cardinals crushing the Texans. Others, like the Giants' win over the Panthers and the Titans' thrashing of the Chiefs, were not.
What can Week 7 tell bettors about Week 8?It's hard for gamblers to taketoomuch away from last week's action without categorically overreacting. That said, the blowout results can help contextualize some of the better and worse teams in the league and help to identify unbalanced lines.
This is especially true with the blowout losers. Take, for example, the Panthers. They started the year 3-0 and emerged as a darling playoff sleeper of many NFL analysts. Since then, they're 0-4 and just lost by 22 points to the depleted Giants' offense. That probably means that Carolina is bad, especially given how Sam Darnold has looked recently. As such,it may be best to fade them.
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Conversely, some of the blowout winners proved that they are good teams. How? They beat strong competition. The Bengals are the best example of this, as they crushed the Ravens by 24 points. Baltimore Max Garcia Jerseys was fresh off a 27-point win over the Chargers in Week 7, so we know they're no slouch of a team. Cincinnati just thrashed them because, well, they're that good.
Week 8's slate is similar to that of Week 7. There are four games that effectively opened with double-digit point spreads. Those can be tricky to predict, as Rams bettors know well sincethey failed to cover against the Lions, so bettors will have to carefully look for the edge in those matchups without just a suming the favorite is the best side.
Knowing the latest injury news and trends will continue to be criticalto bettors. That's especially true during bye week season when some teams will be better rested than others.
For more expert NFL predictions, check out Sporting News' picksandfor Week 8.
WEEK 8NFL PICKS: |
NFL odds for Week 8
Below are the latest Week 8NFL odds, including point spreads, money lines and over-under totals for every game,according to .
Last updated: Sunday, Oct. 31.
NFL point spreads Week 8GameSpreadGreen Bay Packers at Arizona CardinalsARI -6Miami Dolphins at Buffalo BillsBUF -14Carolina Panthers at Atlanta FalconsATL -3Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit LionsPHI -3.5Tenne see Titans at Indianapolis ColtsTEN -3Los Angeles Rams at Houston TexansLAR -15.5Cincinnati Bengals at New York JetsCIN -11.5Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland BrownsCLE -3.5San Francisco 49ers at Chicago BearsSF -3.5Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle SeahawksSEA -3.5New England Patriots at Los Angeles ChargersLAC -4Washington Football Team Rodney Hudson Jerseys at Denver BroncosDEN -3.5Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans SaintsTB -4.5Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota VikingsMIN -3New York Giants at Kansas City ChiefsKC -9.5NFL money lines Week 8GameMoneylineGreen A.J. Green Jerseys Bay Packers at Arizona CardinalsARI -260Miami Dolphins at Buffalo BillsBUF -900Carolina Panthers at Atlanta FalconsATL -162Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit LionsPHI -198Tenne see Titans at Indianapolis ColtsTEN -154Los Angeles Rams at Houston TexansLAR -1200Cincinnati Bengals at New York JetsCIN -550Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland BrownsCLE -205San Francisco 49ers at Chicago BearsSF -200Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle SeahawksSEA -188New England Patriots at Los Angeles ChargersLAC -198Washington Football Team at Denver BroncosDEN -180Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans SaintsTB -220Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota VikingsMIN -156New York Giants at Kansas City ChiefsKC -430NFL over-unders Week 8GameOver/UnderGreen Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals51Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills48.5Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons46.5Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions48.5Tenne see Titans at Indianapolis Colts48.5Los Angeles Rams at Houston Texans46.5Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets42.5Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns42.5San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears39.5Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle Seahawks43.5New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers49.5Washington Football Team at Denver Broncos44.5Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints48.5Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings51.5New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs52.5
NFL POWER RANKINGS:
NFL best bets for Week 8Patriots (+5.5) at Chargers
The Chargers are a better team on paper than the Patriots. However, this spread is something that the Patriots should be able to cover if they play like they have for mostof the season.
The Patriots won their two games against the Jets by a combined score of 79-19. Four of their other five games have been decided by one score. That includes a game against the Buccaneers where Nick Folk barely mi sed a go-ahead 56-yard field goal with le s than a minute left in the game, and Kyler Murray T Shirts an overtime lo s against Dallas.
New England would have a 5-2 record against the spread if they played against a 5.5-point spread every week. Their two lo ses ATS would be a 15-point lo s to the Saints, where a couple of dropped-ball interceptions really hurt them, and the overtime lo s to the Cowboys, which would have been by just a half a point.
Meanwhile, the Chargers have played in a game decided by Kurt Warner Jerseys more than one po se sion just twice this year. They have won just one of those games a two-TD victory over the Raiders on "Monday Night Football." So, the Patriots look appealinggiven the trends of both teams in close games.
New England is even more appealing when looking at the Chargers' performance against them last year. The Patriots walloped Los Angeles 45-0 in L.A. despite the team throwing for just 126 yards and two TDs. They used their defense to rattle Justin Herbert, and it worked.
Herbert will be better prepared to compete this time, especially under new coach Brandon Staley. But the Patriots still have the talent on both sides of the ball to get the job done here. After all, the Chargers are just middle-of-the-pack defensively and are allowing 25 points per game, good for the 11th-most in the NFL. If the Patriots can match that, they will make it hard for the Chargers to cover.
Bengals (-10.5) at Jets
The Bengals ended up being a good call last week, so we'll stick with them here again. That may not seem optimal, as this line has shifted from Bengals -3.5 Arizona Cardinals Pet Gear to Bengals -10.5 in rapid order, but the 7-point shift is easy enough to explain.
First of all, Cincinnati was underrated on the advanced spread. They are the No. 1 seed in the AFC right now, after all, so they should be heavily favored to beat the Jets. A 10.5-point spread is far more indicative of that than a 3.5-point spread.
Secondly, the Jets are preparing to start a new quarterback in Week 8. Their options are Mike White, Josh Johnson or the recently acquired Joe Flacco. It's hard to argue that any of these are good options, though to be fair, Zach Wilson isn't yet either after his woeful start to the season.
White saw his first NFL regular-season action against the Patriots and completed 20 of 32 pa ses for 202 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Perhaps he can cut down on the turnovers, but the Patriots backed off at the end of the game with a big lead, so that's part of why he posted solidnumbers.
Elsewhere, Johnson is playing for his 13th profe sional team and has largely relied on one-year stints to keep him going. He also has played in the UFL, AAF and XFL. He is 1-7 in eight career NFL starts.
Demetrius Harris Jerseys Meanwhile, Flacco was acquired for a sixth-round draft pick late on Monday afternoon. Flacco was once a decent starter and he was with the Jets last year. However, he struggled and failed to win a game for New York.
YearPlayerRecordCompletion %Pa sing yardsTDsINTs2020Joe Flacco0-455.286463
If Flacco plays, he should be more accurate than Wilson. Or, at least, he should throw fewer interceptions than Wilson, who leads the league in interceptions thrown with nine. Still, the Bengals and their improved defense just held Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to 17 points in a blowout win. They should similarly limit the Jets, regardle s of who is starting at QB.
And given that the Jets have allowed the fourth-most points per game at 29.2, the Bengals could be in for another big win.
DECOURCY:
Colts (+1.5) vs. Titans
The Colts and Titans have already squared off once this year. That was in a 25-16 Titans win back in Week 3. However, the two teams look a lot different now than they did in that contest.
Notably, the Colts are healthier. QuarterbackCarson Wentz played that game on two sprained ankles Josh Doctson Jerseys and wasn't able to do much. Nonethele s, the Colts were able to hang in the game and entered the fourth quarter with just a one-point deficit. They should have a better chance to close out the Titans and potentially win with Wentz at full strength.
It's not just Wentz who is healthy, however. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes, a key part of their defense, is healthy. When he plays, the Colts are significantly better against the pa s. The team also has guard Quenton Nelson back. He is their best offensive lineman and should help to block the Tenne see defensive line, which is the best part of their defense. Receiver T.Y. Hilton could also return, and that would upgrade Wentz's supporting cast.
The Colts have a trend going against them in this game. They are just 1-4 as home underdogs since Frank Reich took over in 2018. That Kyler Murray Hoodies Sweatshirts 's good for an NFL-low cover percentage of 20. That said, Wentz is the most talented quarterback they have had since Andrew Luck's surprise retirement, so he is a good candidate to buck this trend.
As such, Indy looks like a good pick here. They aren't too risky as 1.5-point home underdogs and you could even bet the moneyline if you're feeling confident enough. Either way, this seems like a good spot for Indy with the Titans coming off two important wins over the AFC's best.