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NFL Week 8 Picks: Upcoming Odds and Predictions for Full Schedule
October 22, 2018
A few NFL teams saw their seasons go on the brink Sunday after tough losses. In an odd turn of events, some of them will face off against each other in Week 8.
Although no team will be mathematically eliminated when the season's eighth week ends, a loss certainly makes things difficult for those clubs teetering on the edge of irrelevancy.
You can find some analysis on four teams (and the two matchups in which they'll take part) below, in addition to some Week 8 odds from OddsShark and predictions.
Week 8 Odds and Predictions
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans (-7, 45.5 O/U): HOU 20, MIA 17
Philadelphia Eagles (-3, 41 O/U) at Jacksonville Jaguars in Wembley Stadium, London: PHI 17, JAX 13
Baltimore Ravens (-1, 43.5 O/U) at Carolina Panthers: BAL 19, CAR 13
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-7): PIT 34, CLE 13
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-9): KC 34, DEN 24
New York Jets at Chicago Bears (-5.5, 46 O/U): CHI 27, NYJ 13
Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions (-2.5, 49 O/U): SEA 27, DET 24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals (-6): CIN 31, TB 28
Washington Redskins (-1) at New York Giants: WAS 20, NYG 17
Indianapolis Colts (-1, 51 O/U) at Oakland Raiders: OAK 27, IND 24
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams (-9, 56.5 O/U): LAR 38, GB 31
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (EVEN, 43.5 O/U): ARI 27, SF 20
New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings (-1.5, 52 O/U): NO 31, MIN 28
New England Patriots (-13, 44.5 O/U) at Buffalo Bills: NE 27, BUF 16
Philadelphia Eagles at Jacksonville Jaguars in Wembley Stadium, London
The Philadelphia Eagles blew a 17-0 lead at home with 11 minutes remaining against the Carolina Panthers, eventually losing 21-17 after a last-gasp drive fell short. The defending Super Bowl champions have lost one more game (four) than they did all of last year (three) and have dropped all four of their games by one score.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars are losers of three straight games and have been outscored 90-28 during that span. Quarterback Blake Bortles was benched in the third quarter for backup Cody Kessler, and some Jags took part in a locker-room skirmish postgame.
After the game, head coach Doug Marrone didn't proclaim a starting quarterback, which could be an ominous sign for Bortles' starting status.
Both teams are 3-4 and headed to Wembley Stadium in London in less-than-ideal circumstances.
The Eagles can at least look at their 2018 resume and say they've been competitive every week. In fact, they've outscored their opponents overall despite their losing record.
They have one good excuse for their record, and that's the significant amount of injuries the team has endured. Of note, the Eagles are down starting running back Jay Ajayi and safety Rodney McLeod, who are both out for the year. Philadelphia clearly isn't the same team from 2017, but it's not like the Eagles are spontaneously combusting either.
The Jags look like they are, though. They haven't been competitive for three straight weeks and clearly miss starting running back Leonard Fournette, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and will be out Sunday.
However, Bortles has just two touchdowns and five interceptions in his last three games, and the defense looks like a shell of its dominant 2017 self.
Although both teams are struggling, the Jags are in worse shape on and off the field. Give the edge to Philadelphia.
New York Jets at Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears' success was one of the NFL's hottest storylines through four weeks, as they started 3-1 punctuated by a 48-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The honeymoon period is over for the 2018 Bears, however, as Chicago has dropped games to the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots in back-to-back weeks, allowing 69 points in the process. For context, that's four more points than Chicago allowed during their 3-1 start.
The defense has taken a step back, although in fairness, edge-rusher Khalil Mack suffered an ankle injury during the Miami game on October 14. He's had just three tackles and no sacks in his last two matchups after amassing 14 tackles and five sacks in his first four games.
Chicago has now fallen from first place in the NFC North to a third-place tie within two weeks, and the team will drop to last place by itself with a loss on Sunday and a Detroit Lions win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Bears' Week 8 opponents the New York Jets weren't expected to do much this year, especially with 21-year-old rookie quarterback Sam Darnold taking the reins in Week 1.
However, Gang Green has surprised through seven games, starting 3-4 with wins over a couple fellow three-win teams in the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos. The defense has some young players with significant promise—defensive lineman Leonard Williams, linebacker Darron Lee and safety Jamal Adams among others—and that unit led the way in a resounding 48-17 season-opening win over the Lions.
New York has allowed some fat numbers to opposing teams of late, however, as the Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings have put up 31, 34 and 37 points, respectively, within the last four weeks. That could be a problem against a Bears offense that has sprung to life of late.
Of note, Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has accounted for 12 touchdowns (11 passing, one rushing) and run for an average of 60.3 yards per game.
He didn't have his best game against New England as he tossed two interceptions, but the second-year pro should give a potentially shorthanded Jets secondary problems—safety Marcus Maye will be out, and cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and Buster Skrine are recovering from a quad injury and a concussion, respectively.
Look for Chicago to stay in the playoff race with a win. The Jets' season will be in jeopardy with a loss, but that's not too much of a disappointment for a rebuilding team with an eye toward the future.