Sports
NFL Picks Week 8: Expert Predictions, Odds Guide and Over-Under Lines
Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesThe 2019 NFL season is nearing its halfway point.The Minnesota Vikings host the Washington Redskins on Thursday night to kick off Week 8. While most clubs spent the first seven lodging themselves somewhere near the middle of the pack, a few teams have already gone the seller’s route while others have established themselves…
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The 2019 NFL season is nearing its halfway point.
The Minnesota Vikings host the Washington Redskins on Thursday night to kick off Week 8. While most clubs spent the first seven lodging themselves somewhere near the middle of the pack, a few teams have already gone the seller's route while others have established themselves as contenders.
The sprint to the finish line should be fascinating to watch. Until then, let's look at the latest Week 8 odds (per Caesars Sportsbook) and see which direction most experts are leaning using NFLPickwatch.com's data.
Week 8 Odds, Over/Under Lines
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings (-16.5, 42.0 O/U)
Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints (-10.5, 49.0 O/U)
Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Rams (-13.5, 48.0 O/U)
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts (-5.5, 43.0 O/U)
Los Angeles Chargers at Chicago Bears (-3.5, 40.5 O/U)
New York Giants at Detroit Lions (-6.5, 49.5 O/U)
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.0, 41.0 O/U)
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons (no line)
Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (-1.5, 43.5 O/U)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans (-2.5, 45.5 O/U)
Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers (-5.5, 42.0 O/U)
Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots (-13.0, 46.0 O/U)
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans (-7.0, 51.5 O/U)
Green Bay Packers (-3.5, 48.0 O/U) at Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers (-14.0, 43.0 O/U)
Expert Predictions
Chargers Cover in Chicago
There is a clear consensus among experts about the week's best line. Among the experts monitored at Pickwatch, 84 percent say to take the Chargers and the points in the Windy City.
Both teams are coming into the contest struggling. L.A. has dropped three straight, while Chicago has lost two in a row. Neither has lived up to preseason expectations, but each has shown some signs of life that make it hard to give up on them (the Chargers toppling the Colts, the Bears downing the Vikings).
It's no surprise to see this game get the week's lowest over/under. Both defenses rank among the 10 best in points allowed per game. Both offenses rank among the 10 worst in rushing yards.
These teams are similar enough that this feels like a coin flip. But what might give L.A. the edge is its clear advantage at quarterback. Philip Rivers is doing a lot of Philip Rivers things (2,114 yards with 11 touchdowns against six interceptions), while Mitchell Trubisky is struggling to ignite his offense (839 yards with five touchdowns and two picks).
If the defenses cancel each other out and the ground games again fail to impress, it's probably wise to the side with the top quarterback and pass catcher (Keenan Allen, 44 grabs for 564 yards and three scores).
Rams Rout Bengals
Beating the Bengals isn't enough for the Rams. In order to make good on this spread, they'll need to trounce them by two touchdowns.
No problem, 80 percent of the experts say. Considering L.A. awakened from a three-game slump to crush Atlanta last weekend while Cincy dropped its seventh straight, the logic isn't hard to follow.
The Rams have more talent than the typical 4-3 team. Remember, they won 24 games over the past two years and made last season's Super Bowl. Jared Goff is still less consistent than you'd like, Todd Gurley can't quite shake the kid gloves he's being handled with and the defense leaked enough for the front office to broker the Jalen Ramsey blockbuster deal, but this is a good team that can look great in the right weeks.
This should be one of those weeks.
The Bengals, steered by former Rams quarterback coach Zac Taylor, are objectively one of the worst teams in football. They're one of only two winless teams, they give up the most yards per game and they have the fifth-worst scoring offense.
In other words, the talent gap between these teams is every bit as wide as the spread suggests.
Take Tampa and the Points in Tennessee
Over 75 percent of experts agree—the Bucs and 2.5 points are the safe bet against the Titans. In fact, 48 percent expect Tampa to win this game outright, which is by far the biggest number for all Week 8 underdogs.
The Bucs can be explosive on offense, but they still have their issues. Jameis Winston has nearly as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (12). Neither Ronald Jones II nor Peyton Barber has seized control of this backfield. Defensively, this unit is dominant against the run (fewest yards per game) but vulnerable through the air (most yards per game).
The Titans are less volatile, which isn't necessarily a compliment. They have one of the stingiest defenses in football, ranking fourth in points allowed per game. They also have one of the league's least threatening offenses, ranking 27th in points per game. Maybe things will improve with Ryan Tannehill now under center, but when he controls your offensive hopes, you're in a precarious position.
Tennessee is built to follow the lead of running back Derrick Henry. He has totaled 375 scrimmage yards in the team's three wins and only 251 in its four losses. Tampa is built to silence opposing rushers. Even Christian McCaffrey couldn't shake loose against them (55 scrimmage yards per game in two matchups, 203.3 in his other four outings).
The Bucs are the pick here, and if Winston takes care of the football, they could run away with this game.
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