NFL Week 8 Predictions: Early Projections for Vegas' Odds, Lines and Spreads

The NFL's Thursday night games can be very tricky to handicap.

Players are completely out of their normal Monday-to-Sunday routine and the bumps and bruises that normally start to fade by the following Sunday are still in full bloom.

Injuries are one factor, but it also takes time to prepare for an opponent by completely absorbing the game plan. This can lead to some strange games with unpredictable outcomes.

That's why it's often best to stay away from them. But this week we are going to jump in with both feet when the New England Patriots host the Miami Dolphins.

After a miserable start that saw the Dolphins fire head coach Joe Philbin, they have responded extremely well to interim head coach Dan Campbell. While he does not have a notable resume, Campbell is a fiery leader and has a much more aggressive personality than Philbin.

He has lit up the Dolphins with several hard practices, and the team has responded with two convincing wins over the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans.

While both of those teams have losing records, the Dolphins pounded both of them with tough, physical play.

At the start of the season, the Dolphins were mentioned as a legitimate wild-card contender in many of the preseason magazines, and there was a thought that they might be able to challenge the New England Patriots for the AFC East title.

The Dolphins that sleepwalked through the first four games of the season with a 1-3 record would have been no match for the Patriots. But the current 2-0 version under Campbell just might be able to give the Patriots a real fight in Foxborough. 

Miami's defensive line is one of this team's most impressive strengths, and Cameron Wake has six sacks in the last two weeks. Former Detroit Lion Ndamukong Suh had two sacks against Houston, and he is starting to get revved up.

Look for that defense to put heavy pressure on Tom Brady. The undefeated Patriots are coming off a tough game against the New York Jets, and they are now 9.5-point favorites to beat the Dolphins, according to Odds Shark.

That's too many points. The Dolphins could be in excellent position to pin a loss on the unbeaten Patriots, and even if they don't, this should be a game that is decided in the final minutes. The Dolphins will cover that heavy point spread.

Game	Line	Selection
Miami at New England	New England -9.5	Miami
Detroit at Kansas City	Kansas City -4	Kansas City
Tampa Bay at Atlanta	Atlanta -7.5	Tampa Bay
San Diego at Baltimore	No line	San Diego
Minnesota at Chicago	Minnesota -2.5	Minnesota
Arizona at Cleveland	No line	Arizona
Tennessee at Houston	No line	Houston
New York Giants at New Orleans	New Orleans -3.5	New York Giants
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh	No line	Cincinnati
San Francisco at St. Louis	St. Louis -7.5	San Francisco
New York Jets at Oakland	Even	Oakland
Seattle at Dallas	Seattle -5.5	Seattle
Green Bay at Denver	Green Bay -2.5	Green Bay
Indianapolis at Carolina	No line	Carolina

Vikings picking up the pace in NFC North

The Minnesota Vikings made a statement with their 28-19 road victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 7.

Prior to that game, the Vikings had won all three of their home games, but they had lost both of their road games. They needed to show they could win on the road if they want to be taken seriously this season.

Not only did they win on the road, but they did it in comeback fashion. Mike Zimmer's team was down 14-3 after the first quarter, and it looked like the Lions were in a comfortable position to build on their lead.

However, the Vikings showed a combativeness on the road that they had not previously displayed. Now they go to Chicago to take on a Bears team that is playing much harder for head coach John Fox than it did a year ago for Marc Trestman, but the team is still lacking in talent.

With the Vikings having designs on earning a wild-card spot in the playoffs, or possibly even challenging the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title, this is a game they have to win. 

They should cover the 2.5-point spread. Teddy Bridgewater is coming off a 316-yard game in which he threw two TDs and was not intercepted.

Look for the Vikings to prove they are the better team once this game gets to the fourth quarter.

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Raiders ready to get on a roll over visiting Jets

The combination of head coach Jack Del Rio and the Oakland Raiders appears to be working out just fine.

The Raiders have already tied last year's win total, and they no longer look like the inept team they have been for so many years.

The Raiders are functioning well on the offensive side of the ball, and that's shock to longtime NFL fans who have seen the Silver and Black lose 10-plus games in 10 of the last 12 seasons.

While they have a tough matchup with the Jets on Sunday, they are at home and the combination of Derek Carr, Latavius Murray and explosive rookie wideout Amari Cooper is a dangerous one.

Carr is coming off a 289-yard, three-TD game against the San Diego Chargers, while Murray had 85 rushing yards and a touchdown while averaging 5.0 yards per carry.

Cooper was even more productive, catching five passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. 

The Raiders have a lot of versatility on offense and should be able to play on even terms with the Jets. New York is coming off a painful loss at New England in which they could have beaten the Patriots, and it will be difficult for Todd Bowles' team to muster its best effort two weeks in a row.

Look for the Raiders to get the win and go over the .500 mark.