Week 8 NFL Picks: Final Vegas Odds and Predictions for Sunday's Slate

There’s a certain segment of NFL fans who really don’t care if their favorite team wins or lose on Sundays, as long as they play the odds correctly.

That will be much easier said than done during Week 8 because eight of the remaining 14 games have a point spread of four points or less, according to Odds Shark, as of Saturday evening. With so many potential nail-biters, bettors may be in for a difficult Sunday.

With that in mind, here is a look at the final odds and predictions against the spread for every remaining game in Week 8 before digging into a potential upset to watch.

Matchup	Point Spread	Predicted Winner Against Spread	Over-Under Line
Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons (in London)	DET -3.5	Lions	46.5
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers	SEA -5	Seahawks	44.5
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals	BAL -1	Bengals	45
Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars	MIA -7	Dolphins	42.5
St. Louis Rams at Kansas City Chiefs	KC -7.5	Chiefs	44
Chicago Bears at New England Patriots	NE -7	Patriots	51
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets	NYJ -3	Bills	40.5
Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB -2.5	Vikings	43
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans	HOU -3	Texans	42
Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals	Even	Eagles	48.5
Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns	CLE -7.5	Browns	43.5
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers	IND -3	Colts	49.5
Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints	NO -1	Packers	55
Washington at Dallas Cowboys	DAL -10.5	Cowboys	49

Potential Upset to Watch: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

The fact that a 1-6 team is a favorite against a 4-3 team says all you need to know about how much Las Vegas values home-field advantage. Another factor that could explain the New York Jets being favored against the Buffalo Bills is the running back situation for Buffalo.

Both C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson left the Bills’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Spiller hurt his collarbone and was placed on the reserve injured/designated to return list, while Jackson will miss some time with a groin ailment.

However, it’s not as if Buffalo has been winning games solely with its rushing attack.

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

The Bills were second in the NFL with 144.2 rushing yards a game last year, but they are a measly 19th this season at 103.4 yards a game. Now, Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon will be asked to carry the load with Spiller and Jackson both out.

Brown discussed the task at hand, according to STATS LLC, via ESPN.com, “I told (Spiller and Jackson), I’m going to go out there and play for them. I’ll do my very best. I don’t want to let those guys down.”

While Brown may not want to let his teammates down, the Jets are eighth in the league against the run at 88 yards a game. That is not an easy defense to go up against with some new faces in the backfield.

It could be that the Bills’ aerial attack, and not the running game, makes the difference in this one.

Kyle Orton is fresh off his game-winning touchdown pass to Sammy Watkins in the final seconds of the win over the Vikings and should have some confidence because of it. Watkins and Orton seem to have a better rapport than Watkins had with EJ Manuel, which should help the Bills’ leading receiver (35 catches for 433 yards and four touchdowns) moving forward.

In fact, Watkins finished with 122 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings and looked like a real weapon because of his speed and hands.

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Watkins and Orton will face a Jets secondary that is middle of the road this year against the pass, allowing 238.6 yards a game. Given the injuries in the Buffalo backfield, the stout Jets’ front seven and the emergence of Watkins, the Bills’ road path to victory will be through attacking that secondary.

The other side of the ball could be an issue for the Jets, especially if quarterback Geno Smith plays like he did in his last game against the Bills (8-of-23 passing for 103 yards and three interceptions).

New York is 31st in the league in passing yards per game at 185.4, but it does have Percy Harvin as a potential game changer in the lineup now. Still, it’s not as if Harvin had been lighting it up this season for the Seattle Seahawks with 22 total catches for 133 yards and a single touchdown.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Harvin and company have to deal with a Buffalo defense that is fourth in the league against the run and fifth in the league with 12 turnovers and 19 sacks. 

The best way to do that may be with Chris Ivory and the NFL’s fifth-leading rushing attack. Pete Damilatis of Pro Football Focus pointed out just how effective Ivory has been this year:

Still, the Bills are built to stop the run, which means the Jets’ rushing attack could be in for some tough sledding on Sunday. That will especially be the case if Smith and the 31st-ranked passing attack struggle to keep the Buffalo front seven honest with consistent completions and passing strikes.

Look for Buffalo to make life difficult for the Jets on the ground, which will force Smith to make plays through the air. He won’t make enough, and Orton and Watkins will connect for another touchdown.

This terrible season for the Jets is about to get even worse. 

Prediction: Bills 27, Jets 17

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