NFL Weekly Wonder Vol. 4 - Week 8
By Peyton Schultze
Leading the league in receiving yards and touchdowns, Rams’ playmaker Cooper Kupp has formed an elite connection with quarterback Matthew Stafford (via Turf Show Times).
Can you believe it’s already almost time for Halloween? The NFL season has flown by once again with Week 8 already in sight, but fans across the league can look forward to another outstanding round of games this holiday weekend. With plenty on the line and with countless themed costumes in the stands, from Mike Ditka outfits in Chicago to dog masks in Cleveland, this could be a truly awesome weekend across the NFL.
But with that said, what does this terrifying Week 8 slate have in store? Will the Packers make a statement on Thursday night against the undefeated Cardinals? Can TB12 and the Bucs find a way to get a road win in the Superdome on Sunday? Will the Chargers find a way to hold off the Patriots in a huge AFC battle? Can the Titans ride their momentum to another win over the Colts to expand their AFC South lead? And can the Chiefs finally get back to their winning ways of the past with a dominant win on Monday night against the Giants?
With those questions at the top of everyone’s mind heading into an epic Halloween weekend full of sensational football matchups, we present our look at Week 8’s key matchups across the National Football League:
Game Predictions
Amid the debut of some slick, throwback uniforms and a very nice six-game winning streak, it’s been all smiles for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in recent weeks (via USA Today).
Thursday: Green Bay @ Arizona (-6.0), 5:20 pm PT, FOX
⭐ *Game of the Week*
Even with Davante Adams likely out and with the game in a building where Green Bay has struggled in the past decade, this number is a lot for the surefire game of the week between two NFC contenders. It doesn’t matter what team Aaron Rodgers is facing: six points is way too much to bet in favor of Arizona despite their awesome season against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. The Cardinals are slightly better on both sides right now than the Packers, especially with quarterback Kyler Murray keeping defenses on their toes every Sunday, but we suggest betting the number for the Packers in what could be down-to-the-wire game that could come down to a field goal in the end.
Arizona: 31 Green Bay: 30
Sunday: Miami @ Buffalo (-13.5), 10:00 am PT, CBS
It has been a disastrous season for a Dolphins’ team that is riding the edge of blowing it all up, which is even more troublesome considering they’re about to head on the road to square off with an elite Bills’ team that is coming off a bye week. Josh Allen has had Miami’s number so far in his young career, and with the Dolphins struggling against every team right now, it is hard to imagine that trend suddenly shifting this weekend. It’s a huge spread for a team that many thought could be a contender this season, but Buffalo at home looks like one of the best bets of the weekend.
Buffalo: 37 Miami: 13
Sunday: Carolina @ Atlanta (-2.5), 10:00 am PT, FOX
The Panthers are slowly, but surely, becoming one of the hardest teams to bet on in the league. That title usually falls right into the hands of the Atlanta Falcons, but after two straight weeks of solid play from the Falcons, the tide in the NFC South is beginning to shift. So who wins this key divisional matchup? If the Falcons want to get back into the playoff race, this is a must-win game for them at home. And with Sam Darnold riding a cold streak and continuing to prove his bust status in this “could-be-better offense”, things could start to get really bad for a once-promising Panthers’ team.
Atlanta: 28 Carolina: 17
Sunday: Cincinnati (-9.5) @ New York J., 10:00 am PT, CBS
Let’s face it: the New York Jets are feeble and their season is quickly slipping away. Especially with Zach Wilson likely out for an extended period of time and some combination of Joe Flacco or Mike White likely to suit up under center, the Jets are going to be at a severe disadvantage against nearly every team in the league. That’s a tough mindset to have going into a matchup with Joe Burrow and the red-hot Bengals, the NFL’s surprise team of the 2021 season. With Cincinnati playing so well right now and with the Jets having just about nothing on defense that will be able to slow down Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Ja’Marr Chase, this game will not even be close and New York may even struggle to score a point.
Cincinnati: 40 New York J.: 0
Sunday: Tennessee (-1.0) @ Indianapolis, 10:00 am PT, CBS
🚨 *Stay-Away Game*
After surviving the soaking wet conditions of Levi’s Stadium last week in Santa Clara, the Colts head back home this weekend for a huge matchup with their red-hot divisional foes. With back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Bills, the rival Titans suddenly look like a steaming locomotive ready to power through the rest of the AFC tunnel right now. But will their recent stretch of luck run out against a Colts’ team that is also starting to show signs of life? With a tough one-point spread like this, roll with the streaky Titans to keep their momentum and squeak out a close win behind the legs of Derrick Henry.
Tennessee: 27 Indianapolis: 20
Sunday: Pittsburgh @ Cleveland (-3.5), 10:00 am PT, CBS
🔒 *Pick of the Week*
Even with the recent history between these two AFC North rivals, this line was a bit of a surprise considering the Steelers are coming off a much-needed bye week and the Browns are still dealing with some major injuries. Yes, the Browns won last year’s playoff bout between these two teams, but the Steelers have found a way to even their 2021 season after a very rough start. It’s been quite the opposite for a once-promising Browns’ squad that was barely able to sneak by the Broncos last Thursday, which is a cause for concern given that Pittsburgh’s defense will be well-rested for a meetup with Case Keenum. That extra half-point hook makes this even more of a reason to bet the Steelers, and even with the favorable spread, we like the Steelers to win this road game outright.
Pittsburgh: 20 Cleveland: 17
Sunday: Philadelphia (-3.0) @ Detroit, 10:00 am PT, FOX
The hard-nosed and gritty Lions are due to win a game at some point this season, right? Dan Campbell’s Lions are playing hard every single weekend right now and played excellent football for stretches against the Rams last weekend, but a true lack of talent on both sides of the ball has been their real downfall. Yet they have a real chance this weekend at home against an inconsistent Eagles’ team that looked awful last weekend against the Raiders, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It’s been a very messy season for Detroit fans already, but the first win of the Campbell-era could be a real uplifting moment for an organization that has truly went through it all this season.
Detroit: 24 Philadelphia: 20
Sunday: San Francisco (-3.5) @ Chicago, 10:00 am PT, FOX
This game could easily come down to two quarterbacks that were prematurely placed into the starting lineup despite veteran quarterbacks still being on the roster, which should already indicate to lean toward betting the under in this battle. But with how bad the Bears looked last weekend against the Buccaneers, it is hard to have any sort of faith in Matt Nagy and his coaching staff right now. This at least points toward some confidence in Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers’ offense on Sunday, but it remains unclear who will get the starting nod between Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance. The 49ers have enough to win this game despite who is named the starter for as long as the Bears’ passing attacks continues to struggle, and it would not be a surprise to see San Francisco return to their winning ways this weekend.
San Francisco: 26 Chicago: 13
It has been an entertaining season so far for the Cowboys, and the fun only seems like it will continue with a Halloween night matchup this weekend with the Vikings (via Dallas Morning News).
Sunday: Los Angeles R. (-14.5) @ Houston, 10:00 am PT, FOX
It is crazy to think that a 14.5 point spread may be a little low for these two teams, but these are two organizations heading in two entirely different directions. The Rams have looked unstoppable outside of their performance against the Cardinals a few weeks ago, especially with the dominant connection of Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp continuing to blossom this season. Meanwhile, the Texans look like they’re getting worse every week, and things don’t seem to be any more encouraging with their lack of talent on both sides of the ball. Huge spreads are not easy to pick, but the Rams should pound this team on both sides of the ball on Sunday.
Los Angeles R.: 42 Houston: 7
Sunday: Jacksonville @ Seattle (-3.5), 1:05 pm PT, CBS
⚡ *Upset of the Week*
The Seahawks have been a great team at covering spreads as an underdog this season, but their status as a favorite against the young Jaguars is a major cause for concern. Seattle has not been horrible in Russell Wilson’s absence, but their lack of scoring potential on offense puts pressure on their mediocre defense to step up and make a game-changing play nearly every drive. That’s an interesting idea against an aggressive rookie quarterback coming off a bye week, which gives the Jaguars a real chance of winning this game if the offense can limit the turnovers. We’ll take the Jags outright in this battle in the Pacific Northwest, which could really be the first breakout game of Trevor Lawrence’s career in a game full of surprising offensive fireworks.
Jacksonville: 30 Seattle: 28
Sunday: New England @ Los Angeles C. (-5.5), 1:25 pm PT, CBS
A rematch of a 2020 trouncing that was easily the worst game of Justin Herbert’s professional career, the Patriots head west once again for a battle with the rested Chargers. Los Angeles has been excellent this season under head coach Brandon Staley, and while the Patriots exploded for 54 points last week against the Jets, it is hard to imagine a repeat effort this weekend. However, the Patriots may be able to run the ball all over the Bolts’ shaky run defense on Sunday, applying pressure on Herbert and the offense to get it done and get this team over the hump. The spread does seem a little too big in this case, but the Chargers should be able to narrowly come out of SoFi Stadium with another huge AFC win on Sunday.
Los Angeles C.: 23 New England: 21
Sunday: Washington @ Denver (-3.0), 1:25 pm PT, FOX
What happened to the once-promising Denver Broncos? After an awesome 3-0 start to the season, Denver has taken a massive dip and dripped all the way down to the bottom of the AFC West standings. The main reasons? Serious disconnect on defense and a lack of creativity on offense have been major issues that have plagued this squad, but a home matchup with a struggling Washington squad may be the cure, right? Not so fast. Washington is not quite as bad as their early record shows, and even though they’ll have to play in the raucous Mile High City, they have enough talent to move the ball against this Broncos’ defense. Expect a low-scoring game, but take the underdog despite being on the road.
Washington: 23 Denver: 20
Sunday: Tampa Bay (-4.5) @ New Orleans, 1:25 pm PT, FOX
The NFL gets a true afternoon delight in this great NFC South matchup, especially with the Saints’ defense coming off a huge Monday night performance and with the Bucs’ offense looking unstoppable. This season series was as hard to predict as any last season in their three matchups, and even though Tampa Bay looks like a clear favorite right now with how well Tom Brady and the Bucs’ passing game has played, New Orleans will be playing behind an insane home crowd on Halloween. New Orleans is a spooky city ready for this matchup, and we’ll even take the Saints to win this game outright in a thriller down by the bayou.
New Orleans: 27 Tampa Bay: 24
Sunday: Dallas (-2.5) @ Minnesota, 5:20 pm PT, NBC
Especially considering the terror of Halloween night, nothing has rattled more bones and sent wicked shrieks into the air throughout the NFL than Cowboys’ football. That may have been the mantra in years’ past for fans of the ‘Boys, but things are changing for a squad that is proving they have some real Super Bowl aspirations. Yet Minnesota may be well-prepared for this matchup as well, especially considering their offense had played great in recent weeks before the Week 7 bye week, which makes this an excellent Sunday Night Football game to end the weekend. But with how well the Cowboys have played this season, and with the spread being just short of the dreaded three-point spread, this seems like an easy pick for Big D against a Minnesota team that has struggled in primetime in recent seasons under Kirk Cousins.
Dallas: 30 Minnesota: 27
Monday: New York G. @ Kansas City (-10.0), 5:15 pm PT, ESPN
It is truly shocking to see the Chiefs being this heavily regarded considering their recent play, especially heading into a Monday night matchup with a Giants’ team that is a little better than people give them credit for. Yes, New York has had some rough games this season on both sides of the ball, but quarterback Daniel Jones has at least taken a leap forward this year and may be able to shred the Kansas City defense on the ground and through the air. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are looking for answers on offense right now, and a potential loss in this game could send their season torpedoing into the ground. The Chiefs still have a slight edge, but beware of the Giants in this primetime spot.
Kansas City: 28 New York G.: 23