NFL Week 8 Picks: Baltimore Ravens and More Big Favorites to Be Cautious Of

I'd have to go back and double-check, but there might be more big spreads in Week 8 than in any of the previous seven weeks. At the moment, there are five teams that are favored to win by at least nine points.

Maybe it's just me, but I sense a trap. Big favorites always make me nervous, and there are a couple of favorites this week that I don't think are worthy of such huge spreads.

Specifically, I would be cautious about betting on one (or all) of the three big favorites listed below.

Note: all spreads according to Sportsbook.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (-9)

Sunday's tilt between the Colts and the Titans will feature two teams that were last seen getting mercilessly destroyed, but the oddsmakers think the Titans have the edge.

For some reason. Whatever it is, I'll be damned if I can pinpoint it.

We can talk all we want about the Colts being an offensive and defensive train wreck of a team, but that's pretty much what the Titans have been in their last two games. Matt Hasselbeck has come back to earth in a big way, Chris Johnson is still struggling and Tennessee's defense has allowed a grand total of 72 points.

As such, the idea of the Colts sticking around against the Titans isn't all that unthinkable. The Colts may be coming off a horrendous loss, but let's recall that they were playing some okay football for a couple weeks earlier in the season. They might just give the Titans a run for their money.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-9.5)

Is bad offense or good defense to blame for Baltimore's epic fail on Monday Night Football against the Jaguars?

Personally, I think it was a bit of both. The Ravens were definitely out of whack on offense, but you don't play as poorly as they did without at least a little help from the opposing defense. You have to give the Jags some credit.

Now the Jags' defense will be tasked with producing a similar performance against the Texans, who hung 41 points on the Titans in Week 7. That's not going to be easy.

But it's not going to be impossible either. The Texans' offense has had its ups and downs in recent weeks and they are going to have a hard time covering the spread if it goes down again on Sunday.

Yes, the Jags will need some help on offense. Maurice Jones-Drew will see to that. The dude's a tank.

Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens (-13)

After watching them play on Monday night, it's understandable to be wary about the idea of the Ravens being favored to win by 13 points. They couldn't manage 13 points total against the Jaguars.

The odds of the Ravens being that bad again are very, very slim. They're going to get back on track offensively and their stellar defense is going to lead them to plenty of wins before the season is over.

However, the Cardinals are a team that will pose some difficulties. They're nothing special defensively, but they promise to run a pass-heavy offense with Beanie Wells suffering from a bum knee. I don't think they're going to have enough offense to beat the Ravens, but I do think they'll be able to keep from being dominated.

In other words, I highly doubt the Ravens are going to beat the Cardinals by 13 or more.