NFL Week 8 Picks: Upcoming Odds and Predictions for Full Schedule

Three of the league's undefeated teams—the Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers—were on a bye in Week 7, but there was still plenty of action around the league, as a few teams showed they can put up plenty of points on the scoreboard. 

Seven teams put up 30 or more points on Sunday, including a season-high 44 points by the Miami Dolphins and a decisive 37-29 victory by the Oakland Raiders over the San Diego Chargers. 

As Week 7 wraps up, let's look toward next week's slate of games as we approach the midway point of the season and make some predictions for three of the week's must-watch matchups. 

Away	Home	Pick	Line
Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	Patriots	NE -7.5
Detroit Lions	Kansas City Chiefs	Chiefs	KC -3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Atlanta Falcons	Falcons	ATL -7
Arizona Cardinals	Cleveland Browns	Cardinals	ARI -4.5
San Francisco 49ers	St. Louis Rams	Rams	STL -7.5
New York Giants	New Orleans Saints	Giants	NO -3
Minnesota Vikings	Chicago Bears	Vikings	MIN -2.5
San Diego Chargers	Baltimore Ravens	Chargers	BAL -3
Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	Bengals	N/A
Tennessee Titans	Houston Texans	Texans	N/A
New York Jets	Oakland Raiders	Raiders	NYJ -2.5
Seattle Seahawks	Dallas Cowboys	Seahawks	SEA -6
Green Bay Packers	Denver Broncos	Packers	GB -3
Indianapolis Colts	Carolina Panthers	Panthers	N/A

Must-Watch Matchups

Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos

Jim Prisching/Associated Press

Though this matchup is neither a divisional nor a conference match, it pits two undefeated teams coming off a bye week against one another, meaning one will emerge without a perfect record, and it could be a potential Super Bowl preview.

It also features what could be a shootout between two of the league's premier quarterbacks: Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and Denver's Peyton Manning.

However, both quarterbacks have had uncharacteristically quiet seasons so far, statistically. Rodgers is working with an offense low on weapons, as his top receiver, Jordy Nelson, is out for the season, and two others, Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery, are dealing with injuries.

Manning, meanwhile, is working in a new offensive system behind a leaky offensive line, all while his age is finally starting to show—not great circumstances in what could be the veteran's last season in the league. 

Both teams come into Week 8 off a desperately needed bye week, as each squad was quite banged-up. The Packers will hope that starting strong safety Morgan Burnett, nose tackle B.J. Raji and wide receivers Adams and Montgomery, among other players, can return for the matchup against Denver. 

The Broncos, on the other hand, will hope that star linebacker DeMarcus Ware and top weapon Emmanuel Sanders will be available for Week 8. 

When the NFL schedule was released, this looked like a prime matchup, and it still has the potential to be—as long as injuries don't steal the show. Though it features two of the league's top passers, the most interesting thing to watch in this game could be each team's defense, both of which have been playing well this season. 

Prediction: Packers 28, Broncos 21

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers 

This clash of the top two teams in the AFC North may seem lackluster given how poorly the Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing as of late, but one important factor could change that: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be returning from his knee injury.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Sunday that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expects Roethlisberger to start in Week 8.

Though Cincinnati should still be favored in this matchup even with the return of Roethlisberger, this Steelers team could mount a real challenge to the undefeated Bengals.

The Steelers have been like two different teams with and without their starting passer. His absence has minimized the effect that star wideout Antonio Brown has had, and Roethlisberger has not played a game since receiver Martavis Bryant's return. 

That should make for an extremely exciting division matchup. 

Though they have fallen off since losing Roethlisberger, the Steelers are second in the division at 4-3. What's more, as of Sunday night, that gives them the best record of any second-place team in the AFC's four divisions, meaning they're still very much in the running for a wild-card berth. 

The Bengals, meanwhile, are in the running for a first-round bye and home-field advantage. Even skeptics are being forced to admit that this might be Cincinnati's year and that Andy Dalton can play some stellar regular-season football.

He's thrown for 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions and is completing a career-high 67.4 percent of his passes. He's also averaging a career-high 293.5 yards per game. 

The Steelers will be revitalized with the return of Roethlisberger, but expect Cincinnati to take this one late. 

Prediction: Bengals 35, Steelers 28

New York Jets at Oakland Raiders

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Coming off a huge—and dominant—37-29 win over the San Diego Chargers, the Oakland Raiders are fired up to host AFC-rival New York in Week 8.

The Jets are favored in the matchup, but a little upset by Oakland in this game could have big wild-card implications.

The Raiders have the benefit of playing at home, while the Jets must travel cross-country after a disappointing close loss to the New England Patriots.

Both teams are now wild-card front-runners, as Brandon Tierney of CBS notes.

The Raiders saw everything fall into place for them offensively on Sunday against the Chargers, as Latavius Murray was as dominant on the ground as Amari Cooper was through the air. Murray finished the day with 85 yards and a touchdown, while Cooper went off for 133 yards and a score.

Derek Carr, who had no interceptions, also found Michael Crabtree and Clive Walford for touchdowns.

The Jets mounted a respectable challenge against the Patriots, keeping it competitive until the end, when they recovered an onside kick but ran out of time to do anything with it. But if momentum counts for anything, the Raiders will have it here.

Their win buoyed them to 3-3 on the season and gave them a solid hold on second place in the AFC West behind the 6-0 Broncos. 

Expect that momentum, as well as a hot offense, to give Oakland an edge over their AFC rival and boost their bid for a wild card.

Prediction: Raiders 31, Jets 28

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and current as of Oct. 25