Week 8 NFL Predictions: Updated Odds, Underdogs Guaranteed to Beat the Spread

Most keen football observers feel they have a handle on how teams should perform by Week 8 of the NFL season. By this point, we've seen the good and the bad from everyone, and it's clear which teams are the front-runners (Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos) and which teams are destined for top draft picks (Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars).

However, the teams in the middle of the pack can wreak havoc on expectations in any given week, especially for those looking to beat the odds and predict the winners of each contest. 

Let's take a look at the updated lines from each NFL game this week and some predictions based on the spread, as well as a closer look at the underdogs set to bamboozle the bookies and beat the spread in Week 8.

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup w/ Odds	Prediction
Oct. 26	9:30 a.m.	Detroit Lions (-3.5) at Atlanta Falcons*	DET 24-17 ATL
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	Seattle Seahawks (-5) at Carolina Panthers	SEA 27-20 CAR
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens (-1) at Cincinnati Bengals	BAL 28-20 CIN
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	Miami Dolphins (-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars	MIA 23-14 JAX
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	St. Louis Rams at Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5)	KC 27-20 STL
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	Chicago Bears at New England Patriots (-7.0)	NE 31-24 CHI
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (-3)	BUF 21-14 NYJ
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5)	TB 17-13 MIN
Oct. 26	1 p.m.	Houston Texans (-3) at Tennessee Titans	HOU 31-17 TEN
Oct. 26	4:05 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals (Even)	PHI 27-21 AZ
Oct. 26	4:25 p.m.	Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns (-7.5)	CLE 24-20 OAK
Oct. 26	4:25 p.m.	Indianapolis Colts (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers	IND 35-21 PIT
Oct. 26	8:30 p.m.	Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (-1)	GB 31-28 NO
Oct. 27	8:30 p.m.	Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys (-10.5)	DAL 34-20 WAS

St. Louis Rams at Kansas City Chiefs

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

The Rams are in the midst of another lost season, but they showed plenty of gumption and fight in their shocking upset win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The Chiefs will be a tough opponent and are flying high after beating the San Diego Chargers 23-20 in Week 7. Although the Rams will still likely come away with another loss, they should play well enough to beat the spread and make the game a close, exciting contest.

The Rams saw several previously unimpressive facets of their game come together nicely against the 'Hawks. They just might have a capable running back in rookie Tre Mason, who carried the ball 18 times for 85 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. NFL Network's Albert Breer felt he may have been undervalued coming out of Auburn:

He does a better job of bouncing carries to the outside than the disappointing Zac Stacy and should provide a nice complement to the passing game.

The Rams' long-dormant pass rush came alive, putting up three first-quarter sacks against the Seahawks. Robert Quinn and company will need to harass Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith and force the Chiefs to turn to the ground and slow their game to a crawl.

The Chiefs' ball-control offense—they held the rock for 39 minutes against the Bolts—will be tough for the Rams to overcome, especially since they don't have any dynamic players capable of conjuring some instant offense.

If the Chiefs are going to bust the game open, it will likely be through the play of Jamaal Charles, who is in fine form as of late. The Rams are giving up 4.8 yards per carry this season, per ESPN.com.

"Jamaal does it play after play," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, via USA Today's Martin Rogers. "He makes things happen. The more you give it to him, the better. A lot of times there isn't necessarily something there for him, but he finds something."

However, Smith's limited abilities—6.83 yards per attempt this season—will prevent Kansas City from running up the score.

Davis—who has nine touchdowns and four picks on the season, equal to Smith's 2014 stats—and the Rams should be able to match enough of the Chiefs' long, drawn-out drives to keep the game closer than the odds suggest.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

The Bills are a slight underdog on the road, but they match up quite well with the New York Jets and should come away with a victory on Sunday.

Much of the fanfare surrounding this game is focused on Percy Harvin's debut for the New York Jets. He joined head coach Rex Ryan's squad in a midseason trade after a disappointing, injury-riddled spell with the Seattle Seahawks. 

However, his impact likely won't be felt until a week or two down the line as he absorbs the Jets' offensive system and develops a rapport with quarterback Geno Smith, who will struggle against the Bills pass rush.

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Buffalo leads the league in sacks with 24 this season. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz brings pressure from all angles, with Marcell Dareus bulldozing guards up the middle and Mario Williams whipping tackles on the outside.

The Jets can try to counter the rush with power runs from Chris Ivory and draw plays or screens to Chris Johnson, but they can't dink-and-dunk their way to a victory with Smith's error-prone ways (seven interceptions, one fumble in 2014).

On defense, the Jets won't have to contend with running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, both of whom suffered injuries in Week 7 and will be out for the game. However, the Bills can (and should) unleash Bryce Brown, an explosive running back in his first year with the team.

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

They can mix him in with the boulder rolling down a hill that is Anthony Dixon, who racked up 51 yards on 13 carries in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings. He is dead set on rewarding the team should it trust him with the ball on Sunday.

"I’m definitely going to go out there and try to set the tempo and be a hammer,” he said, via The Buffalo News' Vic Carucci. “If it’s two to three yards to get, I’m going to try to get that, try to be disciplined with my runs, try to get the offense some short-yardage situations to work with."

The Jets will also have to contend with electric rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who has been as good as advertised this season and is coming off a nine-catch, two-touchdown performance. ESPN's John Buccigross is enamored with Watkins' hands:

Veteran quarterback Kyle Orton will school Smith on how to put together an assured, confident performance and steer the Bills to an upset victory on the road.

Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of Oct. 25, 2014.