NFL Betting: Week 8 Top Matchups
The top of the Super Bowl odds board is getting crowded. Three weeks ago, just four teams were under +1000 to win the Vince Lombardi, and now there are six. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are the only undefeated team left in the league, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are doing whatever it takes to push ahead, have crashed the party and are looking like real contenders. We’re previewing their Week 8 matchups (and NFL odds) along with five more in this weeks’ edition of the top seven NFL games.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (—3.5)
After starting the season 5-0, the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) got their first real test last Sunday when they faced the mighty Tennessee Titans. Their defense performed well, holding leading rusher Derrick Henry to just 75 yards, and the special teams squad did their part by giving the Steelers good field position when WR Ray-Ray McCloud returned a punt 57 yards to set up a touchdown. Although Ben Roethlisberger’s offense made some mistakes, they made up for it with a healthy dose of well-executed plays. If they hope to pass the Baltimore Ravens (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) as Super Bowl betting options, the Steelers will need to pull off an upset in Baltimore on Sunday.
That will be a tall order given the fact that the Ravens are coming off a bye and have been performing well in all facets of the game—except for the pass, which led to the Ravens signing WR Dez Bryant to the practice squad.
Los Angeles Rams (—4) @ Miami Dolphins
The Los Angeles Rams (5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) bounced back from a 24-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 with a dominant win over the Chicago Bears in Week 7. Their defense shined, intercepting Chicago QB Nick Foles twice and preventing him from finding the end zone for the first time this season. If it wasn’t for an eight-yard fumble returned by Chicago safety Eddie Jackson, it would have been a blowout win for the Rams, who settled for a 24-10 victory. Their next opponent, the Miami Dolphins (3-3 SU, 4-2 ATS) were experiencing a resurgence in their season before heading into their Week 7 bye.
After starting 1-3, the Dolphins have had two straight victories, including a Week 5 43-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers and a Week 6 24-0 shutout over the New York Jets. They now find themselves second in the AFC East. This Sunday, they unveil first round draft pick QB Tua Tagovailoa as starter for the first time.
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks (—3)
Even with a winning record, the San Francisco 49ers (4-3 SU and ATS) are at the bottom of the NFC West and that will get worse if they lose to their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks (5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS) on Sunday. Fortunately for them, their two straight wins, which coincided with a healthy QB Jimmy Garoppolo, should give them a bit of confidence as they go up against the Seahawks, who were dealt their first loss of the season by the Arizona Cardinals in an overtime nail biter.
New Orleans Saints (—4) @ Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears (5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) were no match for the Rams last week, but they have a better shot against the New Orleans Saints (4-2 SU, 2-4 ATS)—at least as far as the NFL Week 8 odds are concerned. As QB Drew Brees turns to RB Alvin Kamara to take the lion’s share of the work, the rest of the offense falls short, mostly eking out tight victories against middling opponents. We’re still waiting for Michael Thomas to suit up for the first time this season after a string of injuries and a suspension have kept him out, and that should help, but he’s currently questionable for Week 8.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (—11) @ New York Giants
Winning their last two games by an average 26.5-point margin, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) are on a mission, and that’s bad news for the New York Giants (1-6 SU, 4-3 ATS), who get 11 points for NFL betting. QB Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns in their Week 7 matchup; however, they didn’t come out unscathed. WR Chris Godwin broke his finger and is undergoing surgery, so he won’t be available against the Giants.
New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills (—3.5)
The New England Patriots (2-4 SU and ATS) have dabbled with back-up QB Jarrett Stidham by sticking him in after pulling Cam Newton last Sunday; they also tried in Week 4 after pulling Brian Hoyer. On both occasions, Stidham proved to be no better than the players he was replacing. Bill Belichick is returning to Cam Newton for New England’s Week 8 matchup against the Buffalo Bills (5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS).
Las Vegas Raiders @ Cleveland Browns (—2.5)
The Cleveland Browns’ (5-2 SU, 3-4 ATS) up-and-down season took another hit despite their 34-30 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. WR Odell Beckham Jr. was lost for the season with a torn ACL, but the Browns’ offense rallied in a season-best performance for QB Baker Mayfield, who racked up five touchdowns and finished with a 135.6 passer rating. The Browns will turn to Jarvis Landry to take over as the No. 1 receiver, but it will require a full team effort for the Browns to remain competitive in a tough AFC North division.
After a stellar performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders’ (3-3 SU and ATS)
laid an egg in their Week 7 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as they were unable to stop QB Tom Brady’s passing attack. They’ll need to improve on their second-to-worst defense in order to take some strain off of Derek Carr’s high-performing offense.