NFL Week 8 Picks: Final Predictions and Over-Under Odds Before Thursday Night

Week 8 kicks off with what should be the most competitive Thursday Night Football game of the season so far. It's a crucial AFC West clash between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. The winner will emerge with first place in its grasp at the halfway mark.

From an over-under perspective, the presence of MVP candidates Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers—who have both been nothing short of outstanding in the early going—makes over the gut reaction. But with a line over 50 on a short week, it's more tricky than it looks on paper.

So while most will be expecting a show from the two quarterbacks, it may actually be the top-10 defenses that have the upper hand. Let's take a look at the pick for that game, along with the rest of the Week 8 slate. That's followed by a breakdown of some top selections.

Week 8 Over-Under Picks

Date	Road	Home	Line	Pick
Oct. 23	Chargers	Broncos	51	Under
Oct. 26	Lions*	Falcons*	47	Over
Oct. 26	Vikings	Buccaneers	42	Under
Oct. 26	Bills	Jets	41	Over
Oct. 26	Bears	Patriots	50	Over
Oct. 26	Seahawks	Panthers	44.5	Over
Oct. 26	Dolphins	Jaguars	43	Under
Oct. 26	Ravens	Bengals	46	Over
Oct. 26	Texans	Titans	43.5	Under
Oct. 26	Rams	Chiefs	44	Over
Oct. 26	Eagles	Cardinals	48	Under
Oct. 26	Colts	Steelers	49	Over
Oct. 26	Raiders	Browns	43	Over
Oct. 26	Packers	Saints	55.5	Under
Oct. 27	Redskins	Cowboys	49.5	Under

Top Choices

Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Under)

The Jaguars offense finally showed signs of life in a 24-6 win over the Cleveland Browns last week. It's hard to have confidence that success will carry over, though. The Browns rank 29th in total defense, while this week's opponent, the Dolphins, rank fourth.

Jacksonville simply lacks playmakers on that side of the ball. Blake Bortles is still prone to rookie mistakes. Denard Robinson showed promise last week, but it's unclear if he can handle the workload of a true top back. And while the receiving corps is deep, it lacks top-end targets.

Things are going better for Miami. Alas, when we are talking about over-under predictions, it's more about explosiveness than efficiency. The Dolphins are at their best when they are controlling the clock with their fourth-rated running game and letting the defense handle the rest.

It's a formula that should work well this week. If it does, you're looking at a slow-paced game where the Dolphins are able to take a first-half lead and cruise from there. That points to a game that stays safely below the line.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers (Over)

Last season, these teams featured the two best defenses in terms of both yards and points allowed. The fans on both sides have been waiting for a return to that form in 2014, but it hasn't happened. The sides are combining to give up more than 51 points per game.

The biggest reason for the decline of the Seahawks defense—the best unit in the league last year—is the lack of a consistent pass rush. It's an essential element to success on that side of the ball. John McTigue of ESPN highlighted the struggles:

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Last season, the Seahawks had the top pass rush in the NFL, generating pressure on a league-best 34 percent of dropbacks. This season that pressure percentage has been cut in half, leading to a league-worst rating.

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Carolina has also had issues getting after the quarterback at times, ranking in the middle of the pack in sacks. Its problems are more widespread, though. It rates 22nd against the pass, 26th against the run and is giving up an average of 35 points over the past five games.

All signs point to a golden opportunity to shine for both Russell Wilson and Cam Newton. The electric quarterbacks combine to contribute nearly 550 yards in total offense per contest. Expect that and more in an entertaining, high-scoring game that covers the line.

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans (Under)

The Titans offense has lacked any semblance of rhythm or consistency so far. They have had to use three different quarterbacks, they haven't been able to generate big plays on the ground and the offensive line has been subpar.

As a result, Tennessee has scored more than 20 points just once since what seemed like an encouraging Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. It's hard to imagine that changing until the Titans can keep the same group together for multiple weeks. With the QB situation once again unsettled, that won't happen yet.

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean passed along comments from Charlie Whitehurst about the issues:

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The defense plays hard, special teams plays hard, but I worry about us offensively and there are some things we have to clean up on that side of the ball. Our goal, especially in the red zone, is to score every time we're down there and every time we possess the ball. We haven't been as efficient in the red zone as I would have liked.

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While there have been more encouraging signs for the Texans, costly mistakes are holding them back. Ryan Fitzpatrick has seven interceptions to go along with his eight touchdowns. The team has also lost six fumbles, for 13 total turnovers, just two off the league high.

Ultimately, the Titans' lingering issues and Houston's turnover woes are likely to turn this into a sloppy game. There isn't enough confidence in either offensive unit to believe the game will go over, even with mediocre defenses on each side.