NFL Picks Week 8: Kansas City Chiefs and More Underdogs That Will Win Outright

Week 7 may have just wrapped up, but it is never too early to look at the week ahead in the NFL.

There are plenty of intriguing matchups on tap for Week 8, and along with that, there are quite a few games with upset potential as well.

There were a bunch of surprise winners last weekend, and I expect that trend to continue. Here are three decided underdogs that will pull off the upset and win outright in Week 8.

Seattle Seahawks (+3)

Few teams are more vanilla than the Seattle Seahawks, as was proven in their 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns last week.

Despite that, the Seahawks are a very different team when they are playing on their home field.

That will be the case this weekend when they host the surprising 4-2 Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have continued to prove the naysayers wrong, but one has to wonder how long they can keep up their high level of play while relying on rookie quarterback Andy Dalton.

The Bengals shouldn't have much of an issue shutting down Seattle's offense, but the Seahawks will likely reciprocate, as their defense has been quite good this season as well.

Whether Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst starts at quarterback, I don't think it will matter, as the Seahawks will take advantage of running back Cedric Benson's absence and win a low-scoring slug fest.

Dallas Cowboys (+3.5)

At 3-3, the Dallas Cowboys are almost impossible to figure out. They have played a brutal schedule to this point and have come incredibly close to beating some of the league's better teams like the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and New York Jets.

For whatever reason, though, Dallas struggles to play a complete game. The Cowboys won't be able to get away with that on Sunday night when they play the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles have been disappointing in their own right at 2-4, but they are coming off a win over Washington and a bye week.

Both teams desperately need a win to keep pace with the New York Giants in the NFC East, but only one team will get it. The Dallas defense proved its worth two weeks ago in a narrow loss to New England and should be able to stand tall against Michael Vick and the Philly offense.

The Eagles run defense is putrid, though, and with break-out star DeMarco Murray toting the rock, it could be a long night for the Eagles.

Kansas City Chiefs (+3.5)

After starting off 0-3 and getting blown out by the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, the season looked like a lost cause for the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite season-ending injuries to the likes of safety Eric Berry and running back Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs have bounced back to even their record at 3-3.

The Chiefs will host the San Diego Chargers on Monday night in a game that the Chargers absolutely have to have after blowing a lead against the New York Jets in Week 7.

The Chargers are in danger of squandering their fast start, as a loss would put them in a first-place tie with Kansas City.

Kansas City played the Chargers tough in Week 3 and nearly scored the upset. The Chiefs are playing much better than they were then, and the opposite is true of the Chargers.

Quarterback Philip Rivers has struggled mightily and could have major issues against a Chiefs secondary that picked off the Oakland Raiders six times last week. I think the Chiefs have enough momentum to pull off the upset.