NFL Betting Predictions: 5 Picks for Week 8

Week 8 of the NFL season offers some enticing yet unpredictable matchups.

The Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles square off in another "Battle of the Birds," while old AFC West foes Oakland and Kansas City continue their 50-year-old dogfight of ugliness in Arrowhead Stadium.

With that being said, there are a few lines that have money written all over them. Though nothing is guaranteed, here are five picks that look very good this weekend.

Philadelphia Eagles (-1) vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons may be the last undefeated team in the NFL, but they won't be after Week 8. Despite their 6-0 record, the Falcons' last two wins came on ugly performances where they beat the struggling Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders by a combined six points at home.

Another disadvantage for the Falcons heading into this matchup is that they are coming off their bye with a perfect record. A lag in play could bring them back to earth against a Philadelphia Eagles team that is 13-0 coming off a bye under Andy Reid.

Philadelphia lost its last two games by a combined four points and has had an extra week to prepare for this game. Atlanta's offense has not been great the last couple of weeks, and their run defense remains very suspect.

The Eagles are only laying a point, and this one is at home. Look for them to turn their season around this week.

Miami Dolphins (+1) at New York Jets

Many people have bought into the New York Jets after the last few weeks, but I'm not one of them. They're still a team struggling to find an identity, and the Miami Dolphins defense is better than New England's.

Sure, the Jets covered against Houston, but they only scored one offensive touchdown and played against a Brian Cushing-less Texans defense. Not impressed.

The Dolphins won two in a row before heading into their bye week and have had time to work on getting revenge on the Jets from the Week 3 overtime loss at home.

New York is also coming off a hard-fought overtime loss to the Patriots, which will also be a disadvantage. Ryan Tannehill has gotten better with every week this season, while Mark Sanchez continues to be as inconsistent as they come.

Miami will attack the 30th-ranked New York rush defense with a healthy Reggie Bush leading the way. The Dolphins could easily win by a touchdown.

San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns (under 44)

The San Diego Chargers have had an extra week to think about their disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. On the other hand, the Cleveland Browns just aren't very good.

The Browns are only averaging 18 points a game at home, while San Diego has given up 20 or fewer points in two of its three road contests this season.

Trent Richardson still isn't at 100 percent after suffering an injury to his ribs against Indianapolis, which lets San Diego focus on shutting down Brandon Weeden.

The Chargers are mediocre on the offensive side of the ball, and the Browns aren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard either. With the forecast calling for a 20 percent chance of rain, I predict a sloppy 23-14 San Diego victory.

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (under 42.5)

Both of these offenses have greatly underperformed this season, and that's putting it nicely. Kansas City is only averaging 17.3 points per game, while Oakland is averaging 18.8.

In the last 10 meetings between these two teams, the total has only gone over 40 twice. As much as the Raiders and the Chiefs hate each other, points are always few and far between whenever they take the field.

Let's not forget that neither of these teams are very good. Darren McFadden has yet to find his groove in Oakland's new system, and Kansas City turns the ball over about 17 times a game.

The Chiefs held Baltimore to only nine points. What's that supposed to mean for Oakland? A 13-10 finish would not be surprising at all.

New York Giants (-2) at Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season. Despite the big names on offense, the Cowboys are only averaging 18.8 points per game.

Cleveland is scoring more points per game than Dallas.

The New York Giants are coming off a thrilling comeback victory against the Washington Redskins and have all the momentum on their side. The Cowboys will also be without one of their best defensive players in Sean Lee.

The last four times the Giants have beaten the Cowboys, they have done it by at least six points. In a critical divisional matchup, the Giants will be looking to avenge the nationally televised loss the Cowboys dealt them in Week 1.

New York has also beaten Dallas the last three times on the road. Look for the trend to continue on Sunday.