NFL Predictions Week 8: Picks Guide, Odds Advice and Schedule Info

Although the midway point of the 2016 NFL season is on the horizon, there are still far more questions than answers when it comes to how the rest of the campaign will play out. That's mostly due to the lack of dominant teams around the league.

The New England Patriots figure to remain formidable as long as Tom Brady is healthy. Beyond that, however, usual suspects such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks look flawed—albeit not fatally—and it's too soon to know if teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys are for real.

Those uncertainties should clear themselves up over the next few months. For now, let's check out the complete slate for Week 8 and make spread predictions for each contest. That's followed by a closer look at three of the most promising picks on the board.

NFL Week 8 Picks

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	Line	Pick
Oct. 30	9:30 a.m.	Redskins vs. Bengals	CIN -3	WSH
Oct. 30	1 p.m.	Chiefs at Colts	KC -3	IND
Oct. 30	1 p.m.	Cardinals at Panthers	CAR -3	CAR
Oct. 30	1 p.m.	Raiders at Buccaneers	OAK -1	OAK
Oct. 30	1 p.m.	Seahawks at Saints	SEA -2.5	NO
Oct. 30	1 p.m.	Lions at Texans	HOU -2.5	DET
Oct. 30	1 p.m.	Patriots at Bills	NE -6.5	NE
Oct. 30	1 p.m.	Jets at Browns	NYJ -2.5	NYJ
Oct. 30	4:05 p.m.	Chargers at Broncos	DEN -4.5	SD
Oct. 30	4:25 p.m.	Packers at Falcons	ATL -3	GB
Oct. 30	8:30 p.m.	Eagles at Cowboys	DAL -4	DAL
Oct. 31	8:30 p.m.	Vikings at Bears	MIN -4	MIN

Top Selections

New England Patriots (-6.5)

The Patriots are 3-0 since Brady returned to the lineup, winning those games by an average of 16.3 points. Add in LeGarrette Blount putting himself on pace for a career-best year and Rob Gronkowski working back to full strength and the offense should be getting ready to peak.

That's troublesome news for a Buffalo Bills squad that's coming off a loss to the Miami Dolphins, a major setback in their pursuit to end a 16-year playoff drought. The defense gave up 454 yards, including 256 on the ground, to a previously middling Miami offense.

On the flip side, the Bills offense showed it's nowhere near as effective without a healthy LeSean McCoy, who possessed no burst en route to 11 yards on eight carries. He's officially listed as doubtful this week because of a lingering hamstring injury.

While Buffalo, which already had mounting injury issues before McCoy's ailment popped up, is suddenly trending in the wrong direction, the Pats are picking up steam. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com passed along comments from offensive lineman Nate Solder about the team's progress:

"

I think we're always building confidence in ourselves and each other, and going through adversity and being put in tough situations, there's no other way to build it but to be put in those situations. When you have some positive things come out of that, it gives you a little hope that with all the things we need to improve on, there's some good there.

"

This is an important game for the Patriots, who lost to the Bills while Brady was out. They can grab a three-game lead in the AFC East and eliminate Buffalo's tiebreaker advantage, which would virtually clinch the division with half the season to go. Expect a statement victory by at least 10 points.

Indianapolis Colts (+3)

The Colts are a team to watch in the wide-open AFC. They rank fourth in the league in points per game, and the lack of a clear favorite in the AFC South gives them additional time to work out their defensive woes without risk of falling out of the playoff picture.

Indianapolis has won two of its past three games mostly due to its success on offense as it gets prepared to face the Kansas City Chiefs. Andrew Luck and Co. have put up nearly 30 points per game over that span and now go up against a Chiefs defense that ranks 23rd in yards allowed per contest.

Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star provided some statistics to illustrate how good Luck has been despite being under seemingly constant siege:

Indy's offensive success and both teams ranking in the bottom third defensively sets the stage for a game with the hallmarks of shootout. But the Chiefs are not built to win that type of game, as evidenced by a 43-14 blowout loss to the Steelers in Week 4.

Kansas City will attempt to slow the game down by leaning heavily on Spencer Ware, who's shined while Jamaal Charles struggles to reach full health. But this is the type of game the Colts should win outright if they want to begin transforming into an AFC contender.

Detroit Lions (+2.5)

The Lions have quietly put together a three-game winning streak to salvage a season that was starting to get away. All three of those wins came in the friendly confines of Ford Field, though. Now they have to make sure that success travels as they visit the Houston Texans.

Getting the offense to a point where Matthew Stafford can operate quicker, placing the emphasis more on his physical skill than reading through progressions, has done wonders. The decrease in interceptions has helped Detroit stay out of trouble and taken some pressure off the defense.

Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press noted wide receiver Golden Tate heaped praise on offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter for fixing the offense: "I'm not sure how much you guys know, but Jim Bob's a very, very, very intelligent guy. His play-calling has been phenomenal. ... Every single game we've been in it when it came down to it. He's finding ways to put us in position to win. He understands what we all do well and he's put us in positions to do that."

The Texans are 4-3, but they are trending in the wrong direction. With J.J. Watt on injured reserve because of a back injury and Brock Osweiler looking completely overmatched after signing a big contract to take over the reins of the offense, the team's upside is limited.

That said, the Texans still rank eighth in total defense and hold a 4-0 record at home this season. So this is a good test to see exactly how much progress the Lions have made during their winning streak. They should pass it with flying colors.