How should you bet each of the NFL’s Week 8 matchups?
The NFL season is approaching its halfway point and that means the games are becoming more meaningful by the day. Week 8 features a variety of intriguing matchups, including first-place showdowns in the AFC North between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens and the NFC East between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
The range of spreads here is also pretty large with the Kansas City Chiefs laying nearly three touchdowns against the New York Jets while several other contests are hovering around three-point margins. How should you bet these games? Check out FanSided’s weekly betting guide to find out.
All lines provided are courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook. Teams on bye include the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Washington Football Team.
Thursday, October 29
Atlanta Falcons (1-6) at Carolina Panthers (3-4)
Line: Panthers -2.5
Over/Under Total: 49
These two teams are coming off tough losses, but Atlanta’s brutal collapse against Detroit in the final minutes on Sunday could haunt them for a while. The spread is favorable to Carolina on the short week since they’re home and can cover the number with a field goal, but the over/under total of 49 is very attractive. Both of these teams give up at least 24 points per game and are loaded with offensive weapons so grab that over before it gets too high.
Sunday, November 1
Indianapolis Colts (4-2) at Detroit Lions (3-3)
Line: Colts -2.5
Over/Under Total: 50
The Colts were on a bye last week while the Lions got back to .500 with that stunning comeback in Atlanta. The spread gives a ton of credit to the Lions, who have been inconsistent this season but are facing a team that has had struggles scoring in the Colts. This matchup does favor Indianapolis since they are the stronger defensive team and can control the clock with their running game. Detroit’s defense yields 131.8 yards per game so this should be a game that Indianapolis can dominate in the trenches. Getting less than three points with the Colts is a bargain and the under is safer since Indianapolis wants to play a lower scoring game.
Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) at Cleveland Browns (5-2)
Line: Browns -2.5
Over/Under Total: 53.5
The Raiders got beaten up by the Buccaneers last week while the Browns had to pull a game out of the fire against Cincinnati in the final minutes. The big news here is that the Browns lost Odell Beckham Jr for the season with a torn ACL, forcing Cleveland to become even more dependent on the running game than before. This is also a big measuring stick game for the Browns, who have pummeled bad teams but got destroyed by the two true contenders they faced this season. These two teams are both bad on defense, ranking in the bottom four in the league in terms of points per game (Cleveland surrenders 31.6 per game while the Raiders allow 32.8 a contest) so take the over here. The spread is doable on both sides, but if it moves to more than three in favor of the Browns grab the points with Las Vegas.
Los Angeles Rams (5-2) at Miami Dolphins (3-3)
Line: Rams -4
Over/Under Total: 45.5
The good news for the Rams is they finally beat a team that isn’t from the NFC East when they topped the Chicago Bears 24-10 on Monday night. Los Angeles’ reward is a short week with a flight across the country to play a Miami Dolphins’ team coming off its bye at 1:00 p.m. ET. This will also mark the first NFL start for Tua Tagovailoa, so any predetermined notions about how Miami’s offense will operate can get thrown out the window until we see how the Dolphins will utilize their rookie quarterback. Miami and Los Angeles rank second and third respectively in scoring defense so the under is a smarter play especially with the uncertainty of a rookie quarterback under center. Lean towards laying the points with the Rams since their defense will be able to present plenty of challenges to Tagovailoa.
Minnesota Vikings (1-5) at Green Bay Packers (5-1)
Line: Packers -6.5
Over/Under Total: 54.5
These two teams met back in Week 1 with Green Bay winning in a 43-34 shootout. The Vikings are coming off their bye and should get Dalvin Cook back but it won’t do a ton to boost their chances against a Packers’ team that is clicking on all cylinders. The over should be in play once again as the Vikings’ scoring defense is one of the worst in football, yielding 32 points per game, which could recreate the game script from the opener when Green Bay raced out to a big lead, creating plenty of garbage time scoring opportunities for Kirk Cousins. As long as the line stays under a touchdown lay the points with the Packers to go to 6-1.
New England Patriots (2-4) at Buffalo Bills (5-2)
Line: Bills -4
Over/Under Total: 43
This is a game that is truly difficult to see how it will go. The Patriots are in a free-fall after dropping three straight games while looking awfully slow and demonstrating problems tackling during the skid. Buffalo snapped its own two-game losing streak by topping the hapless Jets but did play quite sloppily in the contest. The total of 43 is awfully low so it’s tempting to go with the over but given New England’s offensive struggles the past month (the Patriots are averaging just 9.3 points per game during their losing streak) the under is safer. Lean towards laying the points with the Bills but if it starts to balloon closer to a touchdown spread grab them with the Patriots.
New York Jets (0-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
Line: Chiefs -19.5
Over/Under Total: 48
The Jets managed to cover the number last week for the first time all season but their effort didn’t inspire a ton of confidence anyway. This line opened as 20.5 points but has moved in a point as of Tuesday afternoon, but anything less than three touchdowns is a prime opportunity to pounce on Kansas City. Adam Gase is 2-9 in his last 11 road games with the Jets and one of those wins came against Buffalo’s backups in Week 17 of the 2019 season so don’t expect New York to stay close in this one. The total is tricky since the Jets score just over 12 points per game but lean towards the over since the Chiefs might come close to topping it on their own.
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0) at Baltimore Ravens (5-1)
Line: Ravens -3.5
Over/Under Total: 46.5
The unquestioned game of the week sees the undefeated Steelers head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Lamar Jackson hasn’t lost to the Steelers as a starter, which led a bit to the line opening at 5.5 points, but has quickly shifted towards Pittsburgh with it currently sitting at 3.5. If the spread ends up here grab the Steelers since this contest will be physical and nasty, making a field goal margin of victory extremely likely. Lean towards the under on the total since both teams will want to establish the running game to control the clock and limit offensive possessions.
Tennessee Titans (5-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-5-1)
Line: Titans -6
Over/Under Total: 54.5
The easiest number to attack in this game is the 54.5 point over/under total, with the over a seeming slam dunk against two teams that have had a lot of trouble stopping their opponents all season long. Tennessee should build a nice early cushion against Cincinnati’s shaky defense while their pass rushers should be able to beat up Joe Burrow thanks to the Bengals’ offensive line. The six-point spread is dangerous since it opens up possibilities for a backdoor cover for the Bengals, who are at home. Take the points with Cincinnati, especially if the line continues to move in the Titans’ direction.
Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) at Denver Broncos (2-4)
Line: Chargers -3
Over/Under Total: 44.5
This matchup is a true tossup with the Chargers’ three-point advantage on the road more a reflection of the fact they picked up a win last week. The money lines are very enticing as the Chargers are a -198 favorite while Denver is a solid +148 at home. It remains to be seen if running back Phillip Lindsay will clear the concussion protocol to play in this game but if he can go it’s a huge edge for the Broncos. The total here is relatively low so play the over given the state of 2020 football. Lean towards the Broncos getting the points at home since the Chargers’ lone road win to this point was a three-point triumph in Cincinnati back in Week 1 when Tyrod Taylor was the starter.
New Orleans Saints (4-2) at Chicago Bears (5-2)
Line: Saints -4
Over/Under Total: 44
This game opened with the Saints laying 2.5 points on the road before moving further in their direction after the Bears’ sloppy performance on Monday night. Chicago has had a ton of trouble scoring points but the Bears’ strong defense has kept them in every game. The one weakness Chicago has defensively is stopping the run, with opposing teams running for nearly 120 yards per game. That should play in favor of the Saints, who are committing heavily to the run while Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are out. Lay the points with the Saints, who are a far superior football team and should be able to cover four against the Bears, and play the under since Chicago’s offense won’t do a ton to help out the cause there.
San Francisco 49ers (4-3) at Seattle Seahawks (5-1)
Line: Seahawks -3
Over/Under Total: 54
These two teams split their season series last season, with each winning on the road, but the story here is injuries in the backfield. San Francisco is down Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr for this contest while Chris Carson is week-to-week with a foot injury. Deebo Samuel is also out for the 49ers which hurts against Seattle’s abysmal pass defense, which gives up a league-worst 368.7 yards per game through the air. The spread is a manageable three for Seattle, which is looking to bounce back after losing in Arizona last week, while the under seems likely here given how much San Francisco will want to run the ball to keep the ball out of Russell Wilson’s hands.
Dallas Cowboys (2-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1)
Line: Eagles -7.5
Over/Under Total: 43.5
Dallas is now the only team in the league that hasn’t covered the spread and that streak may continue if Andy Dalton can’t clear the concussion protocol by Sunday. Ben DiNucci would start for the Cowboys if they had to play today and that’s not a good thing given the sorry state of Dallas’ offensive line. The Eagles are a healthier team but had to pull last Thursday’s game against the Giants out of the fire so this is a tough nut to crack here. If Dalton plays take the over and the Cowboys with the points. Otherwise, lay them with the Eagles.
Monday, November 2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) at New York Giants (1-6)
Line: Buccaneers -10.5
Over/Under Total: 46
This game could get ugly quickly as it features one of the NFL’s best teams facing off with one of the worst. Tom Brady is clearly playing at an MVP level again and should have Antonio Brown available for this matchup as well. The Giants had extra time to prepare for this game but it won’t help if Daniel Jones can’t produce more with this offense against the NFL’s third best defense in terms of yardage. The over should be in play since the Giants’ defense has struggled against top-offenses so Brady and company could get most of the way there by themselves. Lay the points with the Buccaneers, who should find a way to win this game by two touchdowns.