NFL Picks Week 8: Early Odds to Exploit for Best Over/Under Score Bets

Week 7 was another intriguing slate filled with stunning performances, unpredictable finishes and upsets.

Supposed Super Bowl contenders like the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers all lost. Undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent got his first win as a pro, and Kirk Cousins had a nearly flawless game in prime time.

Fans won't have much time to take in the Week 7 action, though, as Week 8 is set to kick off with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. All 32 teams will be in action this week, so fans will have plenty of wagering opportunities to consider.

Below, we'll dive into the matchups and the recent results to identify some early over/unders to target.

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Check the latest lines at DraftKings.

Buccaneers and Bills Under 42 Points

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Bills QB Josh Allen

Thursday night games can be incredibly volatile, but it's hard to see the Buccaneers and Bills combining for a ton of points in this one. Buffalo's offense has gotten off to a slow start in three consecutive games, and there doesn't appear to be a quick fix in sight.

"Just overall, we've got to find the answers there," head coach Sean McDermott said of the offense, per The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia.

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, rank sixth in points allowed this season.

Buffalo's defense is dealing with several key injuries—Tre'Davious White, Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones are all on injured reserve—but the Bucs offense isn't exactly healthy either. According to ProFootballTalk's Josh Alper, quarterback Baker Mayfield (knee) and wideout Chris Godwin (neck) are battling injuries.

Tampa has scored just 19 points over the past two weeks combined and has scored 20 or fewer in four of six games this season. Unless Buffalo experiences an unexpected offensive explosion, this has the makings of a grind-it-out, low-scoring contest.

Eagles and Commanders Over 43.5 Points

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Eagles QB Jalen Hurts

While the Bills offense has become stagnant, the Philadelphia Eagles offense is starting to take flight. Jalen Hurts' three-interception performance in Week 6 serves as a red flag, but Philly has still averaged 25.5 points over the past three weeks.

The Washington Commanders, meanwhile, rank 29th in points per game allowed. If Hurts can avoid turning the ball over—and the Commanders have just five interceptions this season—then the Eagles should push their score well into the 30s.

The big question here is whether the Commanders can generate enough offense to hit the total-score over. Quarterback Sam Howell has been sacked 40 times, and Washington has failed to reach 10 points two different times this season.

Yet, Washington is still averaging 20 points per game, and we saw a back-and-forth battle the last time these two NFC East foes faced off.

Round 1 in the series saw a total of 65 points scored, 62 of them before the end of regulation. This one might not be a full-on track meet, but the over still feels very likely.

Jaguars and Steelers Over 42 Points

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Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

The Pittsburgh Steelers offense continues to show a lack of creativity under coordinator Matt Canada. However, this hasn't prevented Pittsburgh from putting points on the board. The Steelers just dropped 24 on an underrated Los Angeles Rams defense on the road.

While Pittsburgh's defense has led the team to several wins this season, it is far from flawless. The Steelers rank a respectable 17th in points allowed but 30th in yards allowed.

This is a potential issue against a Jacksonville Jaguars offense that just sliced through a strong New Orleans Saints defense to the tune of 31 points. Trevor Lawrence is starting to look like the Pro Bowler he was in 2022, and Travis Etienne Jr. could be a real problem for an underwhelming Steelers run defense.

Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 4.7 yards per carry.

Expect the Jaguars to do their fair share of scoring in this one, while their 31st-ranked pass defense keeps Kenny Pickett and Pittsburgh in the game. Predicting a winner here is extremely difficult because the Steelers keep finding ways to win games they shouldn't, but this is a low over/under line that these two squads should reach.

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