NFL Week 8 Predictions & Best Bets

Week 8 is here. The Colts are selling, the Vikings finally get a real test in Detroit, and Lamar Jackson is expected back for what I think is a high-scoring one in Buffalo.

Let's get into it.

---

THURSDAY NIGHT

CAROLINA PANTHERS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS

Thursday, October 29 | 5:15 PM PT | Prime Video

Line: Packers -3.5 | O/U: 47.5

Weather: 57°F at Lambeau Field

Carolina got absolutely embarrassed once again for their lack of ability to stop the ground game in their loss to Tampa Bay. Green Bay should have won in Detroit, but they were on the unfortunate end of some controversial calls.

The only good thing about the blowout loss is that Carolina pulled Bryce Young after the third quarter, so he should be well rested.

These teams don't see much of each other (the last time was Carolina's 16-13 win at Lambeau last November), and both have offenses built to exploit the other's weakness on defense. I expect Green Bay to pound the rock on the ground while Carolina does the same to set up some deep shots off play action.

I like the Packers in a shootout.

PREDICTION: PACKERS 31, PANTHERS 24

---

SUNDAY EARLY WINDOW

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS @ NEW YORK JETS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | FOX

Line: Jets -1.5 | O/U: 45.5

Weather: 64°F at MetLife Stadium

The Raiders were not ready for the Rams to come out firing like they did, and they were down 28-6 at the half before they could get their bearings. Meanwhile, the Jets struggled to stop the Dolphins' ground game, and Miami got its first win of the season.

Aaron Glenn is 0-8 against the AFC East. The Raiders have lost four in a row. The season is over for whoever loses this game.

Given that the Raiders' last four games have all been against playoff teams, give me the Raiders to frustrate Geno and salvage the season.

PREDICTION: RAIDERS 24, JETS 21

---

BALTIMORE RAVENS @ BUFFALO BILLS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | CBS

Line: Bills -3.5 | O/U: 54.5

Weather: 63°F and clear at Highmark Stadium

The Ravens were unable to hold off the Bengals, allowing 35 straight second-half points in their second straight loss without Lamar Jackson.

That changes this week. Lamar is expected back, and he should lead the Ravens into Buffalo, who come in off their bye week.

Both of these defenses have been porous, and I don't expect that to change. The Ravens are being outscored by an average of 16-7 in the second half, while the Bills' average second-half score is 16-16. That's a lot of second-half points allowed by each team.

I expect Lamar Jackson to go full Superman in this one and pull out a win in Buffalo.

PREDICTION: RAVENS 33, BILLS 30

---

TENNESSEE TITANS @ CINCINNATI BENGALS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | CBS

Line: Bengals -10.5 | O/U: 46.5

Weather: 68°F at Paycor Stadium

The Bengals exploded for 35 second-half points against Baltimore after being shut out in the first half. Once Cincinnati found its footing, it looked like a team capable of winning the Super Bowl, with explosive playmakers on offense and a revamped defense.

The Titans almost won their second game in a row, but they couldn't hold off the Browns, as Deshaun Watson led a game-winning drive to break the hearts of Titans fans. On a positive note, Tennessee has topped 20 points two weeks in a row.

Dare I say shootout?

PREDICTION: BENGALS 33, TITANS 17

---

ARIZONA CARDINALS @ DALLAS COWBOYS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | FOX

Line: Cowboys -6.5 | O/U: 54.5

Weather: Dome

The Cardinals couldn't slow down the Broncos at home, as Bo Nix ran all over their defense. Offensively, Arizona struggled to move the ball against Denver's vaunted defense.

That shouldn't be a problem at all against a Dallas defense that struggled to stop the run in its win over Philly.

If he plays, could this be Jeremiyah Love's breakout game? Whether it's Jeremiyah Love, Bam Knight or Tyler Allgeier, I expect the Cardinals to put up a lot of yards on the ground.

PREDICTION: CARDINALS 27, COWBOYS 24

---

MINNESOTA VIKINGS @ DETROIT LIONS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | FOX

Line: Lions -3 | O/U: 46.5

Weather: Dome

This should be fun. Finally, we get to see just how good the Vikings are. Yes, they're undefeated, but a lot of that has to do with the schedule they've played.

Will the Vikings' offense have enough firepower to keep up with the explosive Lions? I don't think it does. The last thing Minnesota wants is to turn this game into a shootout.

I expect the Lions to pound the rock and stay on schedule, which won't allow Brian Flores to blitz like a banshee. Give me the Lions to hand the Vikings their first loss of the year.

PREDICTION: LIONS 26, VIKINGS 17

---

CLEVELAND BROWNS @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | CBS

Line: Steelers -3.5 | O/U: 39.5

Weather: 66°F at Acrisure Stadium

The Steelers will have revenge on their mind after losing to Cleveland on Thursday night in Week 4. The Steelers pulled out a win in France against the Saints, with a crucial late scramble from Aaron Rodgers. He's definitely not primetime Rodgers, but Aaron has shown he can still display some mobility, and he's using his knowledge and awareness to lead Pittsburgh to victory.

On the other side, Deshaun Watson, yes, Deshaun Watson, has led five game-winning drives for the Browns this year, the latest against Tennessee last week.

Both of these teams play physical football and rely on their defenses to keep games close. I think the Steelers get their revenge.

PREDICTION: STEELERS 20, BROWNS 13

---

ATLANTA FALCONS @ TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | FOX

Line: Buccaneers -2.5 | O/U: 45.5

Weather: 85°F at Raymond James Stadium

Both of these teams come into Week 8 off upset wins. The Falcons forced the Niners into key turnovers at crucial moments, while the Bucs rode their ground game and defensive line to an absolute blowout of Carolina.

I honestly think both of these teams are much better than their records. Tampa Bay has been sneaky good ever since its upset win in Dallas, punishing teams on the ground and taking the will from its opponents. Meanwhile, Atlanta has completely turned its season around since Michael Penix Jr. returned at QB. He has the arm and the football IQ to give Atlanta a balanced look.

Look for some Dawg on Dawg violence. I think Vita Vea disrupts the Falcons' ground game and makes them one-dimensional, which lets Tampa generate pressure on Michael Penix Jr.

Give me the Bucs in a nail-biter.

PREDICTION: BUCCANEERS 20, FALCONS 17

---

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Sunday, November 1 | 10:00 AM PT | CBS

Line: Jaguars -9.5 | O/U: 46.5

Weather: 82°F at EverBank Stadium

The Colts are starting to sell. I write this preview moments after the Colts traded eight-time Pro Bowler Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks for a couple of mid-to-late-round draft picks. You can't really blame Indy for trying to get value out of Nelson while they can. There may be more moves to come out of Indy, possibly Jonathan Taylor, but I doubt he's going anywhere.

Jacksonville, meanwhile, enjoys the largest division lead of any team in the NFL and has earned every bit of it, looking at times like the AFC favorite to reach the Super Bowl this year. I expect the Jags to absolutely maul the Colts this weekend, especially coming off their bye week.

PREDICTION: JAGUARS 27, COLTS 10

---

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS @ LOS ANGELES RAMS

Sunday, November 1 | 1:05 PM PT | FOX

Line: Rams -6.5 | O/U: 45.5

Weather: Dome

The Chargers are officially the only team without a win this season, and I don't think that changes this weekend. They might have to wait until November 22 against the Jets to win a game. Insane to think about.

In Vegas, the Rams exploded in the first half, building a 28-3 lead before halftime. The 13 personnel the Rams have mastered over the last season and a half worked wonders against the Raiders. For those who may not know, 13 personnel is when a team lines up with three tight ends and one running back.

Colby Parkinson doesn't have an injury designation, but I expect the Rams to keep him on a short leash, because he was definitely going through something with his back on the sidelines.

I expect a lot of 13 against the Chargers, which will let the Rams exploit a weak Chargers secondary with play action.

PREDICTION: RAMS 28, CHARGERS 10

---

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS @ DENVER BRONCOS

Sunday, November 1 | 1:25 PM PT | CBS

Line: Chiefs -1.5 | O/U: 41.5

Weather: 64°F at Empower Field at Mile High

It's about that time of year when division games REALLY start to matter. The Chiefs are in the back half of a brutal two-week road trip that started with them getting their butts whooped in Seattle. The Seahawks were the first team to keep a Patrick Mahomes-led offense out of the red zone the entire night. Yikes.

Denver, on the other hand, seems to have found its offensive footing a bit and handled the Cardinals in the desert fairly easily. The Broncos have Week 1 on their mind and would like nothing better than to clap back at the Chiefs at home.

Unfortunately for Kansas City, the Chiefs' receivers are not healthy whatsoever, and that doesn't bode well. I expect the Broncos to stack the box and contain Kenneth Walker.

PREDICTION: BRONCOS 19, CHIEFS 13

---

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS

Sunday, November 1 | 1:25 PM PT | CBS

Line: Patriots -7 | O/U: 44.5

Weather: 82°F at Hard Rock Stadium

The Dolphins knocked off the Jets for their first win of the season behind a potent running game and timely passing. Call me crazy, but I really like the Dolphins' rookies, and I can see them winning the AFC East within two to three years. They'll at least be better than the Jets, anyway.

New England is coming off a loss to the Bears, but they had a chance to steal that one, so all in all it felt like a moral victory. Before that, they reeled off three straight wins, and the offense seems to have found the same explosiveness it relied on all of last year.

The Dolphins are pretty one-dimensional, so if New England can stop the ground game, they should handle this fairly easily. However, PFF grades the Pats' run defense at just 52.0, so this one could get interesting in Miami if the Dolphins can stay on schedule.

PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 24, DOLPHINS 20

---

SUNDAY NIGHT

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Sunday, November 1 | 5:20 PM PT | NBC

Line: Commanders -5.5 | O/U: 40.5

Weather: 58°F at Northwest Stadium

The Commanders should win this game fairly easily. Keyword: should. Nothing is ever cut and dried in the NFC East, especially when the division is as bad as it is this year.

The Eagles' defense gave up 38 points to the Cowboys, which has Eagles fans confused, since that unit has been relatively unblemished by injuries. The closest thing I can compare it to is baseball, where your offense is so bad that your elite pitching staff (Mariners... ahem) has no hope of winning, so it ends up sucking too. I think we have that going on in Philly.

Give me Daniels to lead the Commanders to victory.

PREDICTION: COMMANDERS 31, EAGLES 17

---

MONDAY NIGHT

CHICAGO BEARS @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Monday, November 2 | 5:15 PM PT | ESPN

Line: Seahawks -3 | O/U: 46.5

Weather: 51°F at Lumen Field

This is what we live for.

The Seahawks just traded for Quenton Nelson and will look to plug him in right away. That trade will vastly improve Seattle's ground game, which will improve its play-action game, and it makes Seattle a serious threat to repeat, especially with how the defense has played all year (besides in Washington).

Chicago comes into Seattle fresh off two straight wins with a healthy Caleb Williams leading the way. Dare I say NFC Championship preview? I think I do.

The Bears have been mauling teams up front with their offensive line, and they'll look to win the battle in the trenches against quite possibly the most elite defensive line ever assembled. This game could come down to one or two plays, or one or two coaching decisions.

Give me Mike Macdonald over Ben Johnson.

PREDICTION: SEAHAWKS 27, BEARS 24

---

— Justin Tapp | The Sizzlin CEO