Week 8 has a few great-looking games (SEA/BUF, ATL/TB), but also features 6 games that have a spread of a TD or more. Sportsbooks think we’re in for a weekend of blowouts, but they have been taking it on the chin a bit lately. Below are my brief previews for Sunday’s games with some potential outcomes.
Game Previews
Eagles (4-2) at Bengals (3-4) CIN -2.5
Cincinnati has won 3 of their last 4 with the only loss being an OT thriller against the Ravens. Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni’s seat cooled a bit after a convincing 28-3 win last week against the Giants.
Philly’s pass rush grade of 79.9 is 3rd best in the league and could be too much for the Bengals 21st ranked pass blocking grade of 66.5. Vic Fangio’s defense is coming together and will make it tough for Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense.
My pick: PHI +2.5
Ravens (5-2) at Browns (1-6) BAL -8.5
Dawg pounders rejoice with the most celebrated Achilles injury since the tendon received its name. Enter the ever entertaining Jameis Winston and the Browns have something to be excited about again. Until Sunday.
They run right into the Ravens buzzsaw with the leading candidates for MVP & OPOY. The Browns will have to wait another week before they get a chance to taste any W’s.
Titans (1-5) at Lions (5-1) DET -11.5
The Lions are the most complete team in the NFL and #2 isn’t close. They sharpened their iron last week with a win against the 5-0 Vikings in their first divisional game of the season.
Tennessee fared no better with Mason Rudolph at QB than they did with Will Levis, we were all just cheated a hilarious meme this week.
Cardinals (3-4) at Dolphins (2-4) MIA -3.5
Tua Tagovailoa returns from his week 2 concussion and hopes to unlock the Dolphins offense that has completely disappeared since his injury. They have scored just six TDs so far this season but that can change in a hurry against the Cardinals who allow the 5th most points in the league at 27.2 points per game.
My pick: MIA -3.5
Jets (2-5) at Patriots (1-6) NYJ -7
Does anyone else see the poetic justice in Robert Saleh working with the Packers’ offense after Aaron Rodgers got him fired from the Jets?
I wonder if he’s working with Jordan Love on his cadence.
Falcons (4-3) at Buccaneers (4-3) ATL -2.5
Tampa Bay stood toe-to-toe with the Ravens last week on MNF, but eventually injuries to star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were too much to overcome.
Kirk Cousins threw 2 INTs and lost a fumble last week in a loss to the Falcons. He has committed a turnover in 6 of their 7 games this season.
Despite defensive-minded head coaches, this will be a high scoring affair that both QB’s will be in control of.
My pick: Over 45.5 total points
Packers (5-2) at Jaguars (2-5) GB -3.5
The Jaguars are finally back stateside along with Head Coach Doug Pederson (for now). It may have been good timing to pick up a win against the Patriots while his seat was at its hottest, but there’s no good time to play the Packers.
Despite not forcing a turnover last week for the first time this season, Green Bay’s defense still creates a turnover on a whopping 20.5% of their opponent’s drives. GB -3.5 feels like free money, I think I’ll make it a bit more interesting.
My Pick: GB -6.5
Colts (4-3) at Texans (5-2) HOU -5.5
Last year’s AFC South title came down to the last week of the season between these two teams. The Colts are quietly 4-3 and would take first place in the division with an upset against the Texans.
Houston is coming off a hard-fought battle against the Packers and will look to get back on track.
Anthony Richardson’s passing grade of 48.1 is 51st in the NFL this season. That grade is in company with the likes of benched QBs Gardner Minshew, Jacoby Brissett, and Bryce Young.
Indy’s only weapon is their effective running game which won’t be enough against The Texans who will get rolling again in week 8.
Saints (2-5) at Chargers (3-3) LA -7.5
Both teams are trying to find themselves again after starting hot out of the gate and then fizzling out.
The Saints‘ bad QB play and the Chargers‘ ability to run the ball and chew clock could make for a quick-moving, but low-scoring game.
My pick: Under 41.5 total points
Bills (5-2) at Seahawks (4-3) BUF -3
Seattle’s offense has been red hot and is 8th in the NFL scoring 25.7 points per game. Buffalo is no slouch either, scoring 28.4 PPG.
After 2 early season losses to the Ravens and Texans, the Bills are back on track and should continue to roll into another AFC East division title.
My pick: BUF -3
Panthers (1-6) at Broncos (4-3) DEN -10.5
Andy Dalton’s car crash is just a minor storyline in the pileup that is the Panthers‘ 2024 season.
Bryce Young makes his return to the starting lineup against the #2 graded Denver defense. The Broncos have won 4 of their last 5 and won’t be slowed down by the dumpster fire that is the Panthers
Chiefs (6-0) at Raiders (2-5) KC -9.5
The Raiders lit celebratory cigars in the locker room after beating the Chiefs in 2023 claiming they have the “recipe”, and they plan to “run it back”.
They better bring that recipe and throw in the kitchen sink too. The Chiefs aren’t winning convincingly, but they are winning, which is much more than the Raiders can say.
Bears (4-2) at Commanders (5-2) CHI -2.5
This game was flexed into the 4:25 slot to showcase the top two picks in the 2024 NFL draft face off.
Unfortunately, Commanders QB Jayden Daniels suffered a rib injury last week that will keep him out of this matchup. It will be up to fellow #2 overall pick Marcus Mariota to stand up to top pick Caleb Williams and the Bears.
Cowboys (3-3) at 49ers (3-4) SF -4.5
Two teams with Super Bowl expectations are already facing “must-win” situations. The season has not gone according to plan for either. Injuries have hit them both hard, but the 2024 versions of these teams don’t resemble what we’ve seen from them the last few years.
The winner of this game has a chance to go on a second-half-of-the-season playoff push, while the loser has an unlikely path to the playoffs.
Upcoming Content
Life has gotten in the way a bit from me producing as much content as I would like. Next week I am going to try to get more out including Boom & Bust Fantasy Players which will now be posted every Monday on Blitz Sports Media. Also, look for my usual betting and daily fantasy plays to post on Sunday morning before the games start. I also want to get out an “Extra Points” article highlighting some of my thoughts on the week 8 action.
If there is anything else you would like to see me write about, contact me via email or social media. As always, thank you for reading.
All game lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook. Stats from Pro Football Focus.
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