NFL Picks Week 8: Road Teams That Will Win in Tough Environments

There are certain NFL venues that make it extremely difficult for road teams to get wins, but that does not mean it is impossible. 

The Seattle Seahawks were seemingly unbeatable at CenturyLink Field, but the Dallas Cowboys showed in Week 6 that even the defending Super Bowl champions can lose to a good team at home.

There are a few more opportunities in Week 8 for squads to earn quality wins in tough environments, as long as they play to their ability. Here are predictions for the entire slate of games and a breakdown of teams set to win on the road.

Date	Away	Score Prediction	Home	ATS Pick*
Oct. 26	Detroit Lions	20-13	Atlanta Falcons	DET -3.5
Oct. 26	Houston Texans	17-14	Tennessee Titans	HOU -2.5
Oct. 26	Miami Dolphins	24-17	Jacksonville Jaguars	MIA -6
Oct. 26	St. Louis Rams	16-13	Kansas City Chiefs	STL +7
Oct. 26	Chicago Bears	28-31	New England Patriots	CHI +7
Oct. 26	Buffalo Bills	27-20	New York Jets	BUF +3
Oct. 26	Seattle Seahawks	17-9	Carolina Panthers	SEA -5.5
Oct. 26	Minnesota Vikings	21-24	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB -2.5
Oct. 26	Baltimore Ravens	30-27	Cincinnati Bengals	BAL -2
Oct. 26	Philadelphia Eagles	31-35	Arizona Cardinals	ARI -1.5
Oct. 26	Oakland Raiders	7-20	Cleveland Browns	CLE -7
Oct. 26	Indianapolis Colts	34-21	Pittsburgh Steelers	IND -3
Oct. 26	Green Bay Packers	28-20	New Orleans Saints	GB +1
Oct. 27	Washington Redskins	9-27	Dallas Cowboys	DAL -10

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

There has been a lot of confusion regarding the spread for this game. According to OddsShark.com, the Baltimore Ravens started as 2.5-point underdogs but are now as high as three-point favorites on some sites.

It seems like it just took people way too long to realize the Cincinnati Bengals have not been playing well recently.

After a 3-0 start, the squad has two losses and a tie in the last three games. After giving up 80 points to the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, the offense disappeared against the Indianapolis Colts in a shutout.

Things do not get too much better for the offense as star receiver A.J. Green is unlikely to play Sunday according to NFL Network's Albert Breer. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports noted how much of an impact this makes:

Outside of Giovani Bernard, the Bengals lack the playmakers capable of making things happen offensively, and the entire squad will struggle.

Meanwhile, the Ravens have been playing well lately with five wins in their last six games. They have found balance on offense, ranking in the top 10 in both rushing and passing yards per game, and Joe Flacco has been as efficient as ever.

The Bengals still have not lost at home in 11 regular-season games, but that streak could end on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The New Orleans Saints have struggled to a 2-4 record this season, but they have dealt with a tough schedule that has only seen them play two home games so far. Unsurprisingly, the squad is 0-4 on the road and 2-0 at home.

Bleacher Report's Zach Kruse notes how well Drew Brees has played at home in prime-time games, like this one will be on Sunday night:

This should give the Saints plenty of confidence that they will be able to turn things around and earn a big win.

On the other hand, New Orleans has been less than impressive even in the home wins this year. The squad struggled to score against the Minnesota Vikings in a 20-9 win while the Saints needed overtime to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 37-31.

Sean Payton's team ranks 28th in the NFL in passing yards allowed after facing some mediocre competition. Against Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, this secondary could be in trouble.

Rogers is in the midst of one of his best seasons with 18 touchdowns to just one interception. He keeps finding a way to come through when needed in four wins in a row, making it hard to bet against him at any point.

Although the Packers have question marks on defense, they should be able to control the game and win a tough one on the road.

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers

After an 0-2 start, the Indianapolis Colts have been one of the hottest teams in football, winning five games in a row. Andrew Luck currently leads the NFL in passing yards and came into the week tied for the most touchdowns as well.

Even opposing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been impressed with what he has seen from Luck, via Scott Brown of ESPN.com:

"

He’s emerging as one of the best in the league, and I think a lot of us saw that coming. I always enjoy watching other quarterbacks because anything you can take, whether they’re older or younger, and use it in your game, I think you’ve got to do it. Hopefully he has a bad day because our defense is playing well. 

"

That last part is not something he should be holding his breath for. The Steelers defense has talent, but it has been inconsistent throughout the year.

Over the past month, the squad has faced the bottom of the barrel in starting quarterbacks in the league but lost games to Mike Glennon and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as Brian Hoyer and the Cleveland Browns. 

Luck will be the best passer the Steelers have seen in a while, and he should be able to take advantage of a below-average secondary.

At the same time, the Colts defense has been truly impressive lately, allowing just 15 points per game over the last five weeks. This has become one of the most complete teams in the NFL and should be able to keep its current streak alive with a win in Pittsburgh. 

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