NFL Predictions Week 8: Early Odds, Picks and Projections for Upcoming Schedule

While it is still early in the NFL season, a number of matchups in Week 8 will have a major bearing on the playoffs.

Divisional battles like the San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals could end up giving one side an upper hand going forward.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles will try to stake their claim as one of the best in the NFC. This is certain to create a lot of excitement for the casual fan.

Of course, these close games do not always make obvious bets. For those looking to make money, there are better options with questionable lines. Here is a look at those top picks with a full breakdown of games against the spread.

Date	Away	Home	Pick ATS*
Oct. 23	San Diego Chargers	Denver Broncos	DEN -7.5
Oct. 26	Detroit Lions	Atlanta Falcons	DET -3.5
Oct. 26	Houston Texans	Tennessee Titans	HOU -2
Oct. 26	Miami Dolphins	Jacksonville Jaguars	MIA -5
Oct. 26	St. Louis Rams	Kansas City Chiefs	STL +6.5
Oct. 26	Chicago Bears	New England Patriots	CHI +7.5
Oct. 26	Buffalo Bills	New York Jets	BUF +3
Oct. 26	Seattle Seahawks	Carolina Panthers	SEA -4.5
Oct. 26	Minnesota Vikings	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB -3
Oct. 26	Baltimore Ravens	Cincinnati Bengals	BAL +2
Oct. 26	Philadelphia Eagles	Arizona Cardinals	ARI -2.5
Oct. 26	Oakland Raiders	Cleveland Browns	CLE -7
Oct. 26	Indianapolis Colts	Pittsburgh Steelers	IND -3
Oct. 26	Green Bay Packers	New Orleans Saints	GB +1
Oct. 27	Washington Redskins	Dallas Cowboys	DAL -10

Best Bets

Miami Dolphins (-5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

David Banks/Getty Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars proved they can win a game, defeating the Cleveland Browns 24-6 behind 127 rushing yards from Denard Robinson. The defense has also been impressive as of late thanks to a strong pass rush.

Still, this is not a very good football team overall. 

Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles struggled once again, throwing three interceptions and posting a Total QBR of 9.0 out of 100. Even he was upset with his effort in the win.

"Bad, not good," Bortles said of his performance after the game. "The defense and offensive line and running game won this game, no doubt about it. Anybody can see that. Obviously, I’m not happy with the way I played, but I’m extremely happy with the outcome of the game."

On the other hand, the Miami Dolphins have shown a lot more on the offensive side of the ball lately, especially with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. He was incredibly efficient against the Chicago Bears, throwing two touchdowns with no interceptions while also using his athleticism to get out of the pocket and make plays.

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports likes what he has seen from the former first-round pick:

As the offensive line continues to improve, Tannehill will be even better along with the already solid rushing attack. The Dolphins have not played well overall this season, but they have a lot of talent and should prove it against the Jaguars.

Detroit Lions (-3.5) vs. Atlanta Falcons

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Technically, the Atlanta Falcons will be the home team in this matchup. However, it will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, making this a neutral game.

This is not good news for the Falcons, which are a much better team at the Georgia Dome. The squad is 0-4 away from home this season behind Matt Ryan's 76.2 quarterback rating compared to a 117.7 mark at home. The offense as a whole is averaging 35.3 points per game at home but just 16.3 points per game on the road.

With this game still being far from home, fans should expect the same type of play we have seen on the road this year.

Meanwhile, the Lions continue to impress by coming through in different situations. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com noted how tough the win was on Sunday:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network also pointed out how well the squad has played without arguably its best payer:

Even though Drew Brees was able to move the ball, Detroit's defense has still been impressive against both the run and the pass, while Matthew Stafford is doing his best to carry the offense. This has become one of the most complete teams in the league and should win easily in London.

Dallas Cowboys (-10) vs. Washington Redskins

It is always fun to make fun of the Cowboys when they lose, but it has become so hard to admit that this team has actually become one of the best in the league. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has seen this problem lately:

The fact remains Dallas is now 6-1 behind arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. Tony Dungy of NBC Sports broke down the rest of the formula:

DeMarco Murray has been an MVP candidate while almost doubling anyone else in the league in rushing yards. He became the first player ever to top 100 rushing yards in each of the first seven games of the season, and it does not look like he is going to be stopped anytime soon.

The Washington Redskins will try to match this offense on the scoreboard, but that is hard to imagine based on what we have seen lately.

Quarterback Colt McCoy looked solid in relief of Kirk Cousins in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans, but this is the same person who has a 6-15 career record as a starter with a 76.1 career quarterback rating. Fans should not expect him to all of a sudden become Peyton Manning.

Washington has also lost its last nine road games, a streak that began with last year's trip to Dallas. While this is a rivalry game, it will not be close.

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