Week 8 NFL Predictions: Teams Sure to Take Advantage of Favorable Matchups

Week 8 of the NFL season is more predictable than most.

Well, maybe. About halfway through the season, we have a good idea of where each team stands, but each roster does have the proverbial fighter's chance.

"Parity" is the catchphrase folks love to throw around when it comes to the NFL, but that goes out the window this weekend. A few matchups are simply givens, as was Denver's win over lowly Jacksonville in Week 6.

Here are three teams destined to pull out big wins in Week 8 thanks to matchups that weigh heavily in their favor.

Away Team	Home Team	Predicted Winner
Carolina Panthers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	CAR
Dallas Cowboys	Detroit Lions	DAL
Cleveland Browns	Kansas City Chiefs	KC
Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	MIA
Buffalo Bills	New Orleans Saints	NO
New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	NYG
San Francisco 49ers	Jacksonville Jaguars	SF
New York Jets	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN
Pittsburgh Steelers	Oakland Raiders	PIT
Washington Redskins	Denver Broncos	DEN
Atlanta Falcons	Arizona Cardinals	ATL
Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	GB
Seattle Seahawks	St. Louis Rams	SEA

Kansas City Chiefs Shut Down Cleveland Browns

Cleveland simply isn't in it anymore.

After a brief flirtation with relevancy thanks to Brian Hoyer, the Browns have since reverted back to 2014 mode. The Browns have lost two straight and now turn to Jason Campbell for competent quarterback play, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

That won't happen. Campbell has been competent in the past, but the Browns lack the talent on offense to effectively line up with the Kansas City defense, which is the No. 3 ranked unit in the NFL against the pass.

Even better for the Chiefs, Tamba Hali and Co. will have little issue getting to Campbell in the pocket, as the Cleveland line has allowed its quarterbacks to be sacked 27 times, tied for second-most in the NFL.

The Browns destroyed Kansas City 30-7 last December, but this is a very different season. Kansas City rolls with ease.

Prediction: Chiefs 23, Browns 10

New Orleans Saints Destroy Buffalo Bills

Fun fact: The Buffalo Bills sit alone with the Denver Broncos as the only teams to score 20 or more points in every game this year.

While Denver has turned that into a record with just a single blemish, the Bills sit at 3-4 thanks to a porous defense that ranks in the bottom half of the NFL against both the rush and pass.

Bad news for Buffalo with a trip to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on the horizon.

New Orleans touts the NFL's second-best aerial attack with quarterback Drew Brees, and Buffalo will have little chance of lining up and containing the offense on every down.

On the other side of things, the Saints allow just over 17 points per game with a retooled defense led by young talent. Thad Lewis has done enough to keep the Bills afloat, but in a deafening dome against a top-15 defense, the Bills don't stand a chance.

Prediction: Saints 27, Bills 13

Green Bay Packers Rout Minnesota Vikings

There is an outside chance the Minnesota Vikings will be without starting quarterback Josh Freeman on Thursday Night Football thanks to a concussion, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Not that it matters.

Freeman made his debut last week for the Vikings and threw the ball a ridiculous 53 times and completed just 20 passes for one interception.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Meanwhile, it has been business as usual for Green Bay. No Jermichael Finley or James Jones? No problem. Jarrett Boykin saves the day with over 100 yards and a score. The Packers also have an outstanding rookie back in Eddie Lacy, who went for over 80 yards and a score last week.

Minnesota defends the run well but ranks near the bottom against the pass. Aaron Rodgers is in for a huge day, as the Packers will score early and often in a rout, spoiling Greg Jennings' first game against his old team since taking a Brett Favre-esque hop across the NFC North.

Prediction: Packers 30, Vikings 20

  

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