NFL Picks Week 8: Pittsburgh Steelers and Home Underdogs That Will Win Outright

While home-field advantage can be a bit overstated in the NFL, there are times when it can make a difference, especially in front of a hostile crowd. Home teams generally receive the benefit of the doubt from oddsmakers, but there are several home dogs in Week 8.

Home underdogs make for good bets a lot of the time, and there certainly seem to be some home dogs with upset potential this week. Here are three home teams that will be getting points and will not only cover, but win their games outright. 

Seattle Seahawks (+3) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Few teams in the NFL are tougher to figure out than the Seattle Seahawks. They don't seem to be very talented, and it shows at times, but they tend to play well above their capability in certain games as well. A perfect example of that was when they upset the New York Giants two weeks ago.

The Seahawks will certainly be faced with a challenge on Sunday as they host the 4-2 Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have performed well above expectations despite being a young team that is anchored by rookies in quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green. The hallmark of Cincy's success has been its defense, though.

Cincinnati has also relied on Cedric Benson and the running game, but he will miss Week 8 on suspension. Because of that, the Bengals may have trouble moving the ball on an underrated Seattle defense. I expect this to be a messy, low-scoring affair, and that plays into Seattle's hands at home.

Kansas City Chiefs (+3.5) vs. San Diego Chargers

Just a couple weeks ago the San Diego Chargers seemed to have a stranglehold on the AFC West, but a late blown lead against the New York Jets last weekend leaves them with a 4-2 record and just a slight lead in the division.

The 3-3 Kansas City Chiefs are just one game behind the Chargers and could move into a first-place tie with a win on Monday night. The Chiefs were a mess to open the season with blow-out losses against the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, but they have played inspired football as of late without stars like running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry.

San Diego's record may be a bit of a mirage as well since they have played a fairly soft schedule to this point and haven't exactly been winning convincingly. Quarterback Philip Rivers and the passing game have struggled for whatever reason, and I think that will continue against Kansas City's strong secondary.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) vs. New England Patriots

Many questioned whether the Pittsburgh Steelers were at the end of the line after they were blown out by the Baltimore Ravens to open the season, but they have rebounded nicely and are currently 5-2 and in first place in the AFC North.

The New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady have been spectacular offensively as usual and have a 5-1 record by virtue of that. They have been able to win in spite of their defense, however, as they are the worst team in the league against the pass while allowing well over 300 yards per game through the air.

Pittsburgh has traditionally been a smash-mouth running team, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Mike Wallace have led an explosive aerial assault this season. Provided the Steelers commit to the pass against New England, they should be able to move the ball and put up points while only needing to stop Brady a couple times defensively.