We are nearly halfway through the 2021 National Football League season, and my, my, my, has this turned into a very interesting campaign.
The AFC is upside down, and there is no team with a better record than 5-2: but there are six teams right now that have just two losses (Cincinnati, 5-2; Baltimore, 5-2; Tennessee, 5-2; Los Angeles, 4-2; Buffalo, 4-2), and another two with three losses (Cleveland, 4-3, and Pittsburgh, 3-3). This might be a fun final two months of the season.
And how about the NFC, which is clearly the class of the NFL. There are still five teams with one loss or fewer: Arizona, 7-0, Green Bay, 6-1, Los Angeles, 6-1, Tampa Bay, 6-1, and Dallas, 5-1. Depending on the Monday Night Football outcome, there will either be one other over .500 or no other over .500 teams (New Orleans). Basically, the NFC is very top-heavy, and there are a lot of dregs.
The top contest of Week 8 will be on Thursday night, with two of those one-loss or better teams facing off in a massive NFC battle with implications for home field in the playoffs.
The rest of the weekend has a lot of games that are around a field goal line as well, with just three double-digit games.
How will this week turn out, and will we have new betting favorites in each conference heading into November?
Here is a look at all the odds and games for NFL Week 8
NFL Week 8 Odds
Here are your updated NFL Week 8 odds, all in one place. Check back daily to see updates.
NFL Week 8 Opening (LOOKAHEAD) Spreads
- Green Bay Packers (+3) at Arizona Cardinals (-3)
- LA Rams (-14) at Houston Texans (+14)
- Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) at New York Jets (+3.5)
- Miami Dolphins (+11) at Buffalo Bills (-11)
- Tennessee Titans (+1.5) at Indianapolis Colts (-1.5)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) at Cleveland Browns (-3)
- San Francisco 49ers (-3.5) at Chicago Bears (+3.5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) at Detroit Lions (+3.5)
- Carolina Panthers (+1.5) at Atlanta Falcons (-1.5)
- New England Patriots (+6) at LA Chargers (-6)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (+3) at Seattle Seahawks (-3)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3.5) at New Orleans Saints (+3.5)
- Washington Football Team (+4) at Denver Broncos (-4)
- Dallas Cowboys (-2.5) at Minnesota Vikings (+2.5)
- New York Giants (+13) at Kansas City Chiefs (-13)
Week 8 Schedule
Green Bay Packers (6-1) at Arizona Cardinals (7-0), 8:20 p.m. EDT (FOX, NFL Network, and fubo.TV)
What a game this should be, although the Packers are a little bit banged up on defense, and that is not a good thing going to Phoenix to face Kyler Murray and the Cards.
This is a massive game for playoff implications, especially for home-field. Both will be in the playoffs, and the Packers will be the NFC North champions. Can Arizona stay ahead of the Packers, and the Rams, in the NFC?
Read more about this game in our Thursday Night Football Best Bets guide.
Los Angeles Rams (6-1) at Houston Texans (1-6), 1 p.m., (FOX and fubo.TV)
Not sure how much I can write about this game. Houston is atrocious, and continues to struggle on offense: in three of their last four games, the Texans have scored zero, three, and five points.
The Rams struggled last week against Detroit, which is miles better than Houston, but still found a way to win the game. I just don’t see this being competitive, and this could be a prime candidate for a Points Bet play.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) at New York Jets (1-5), 1 p.m. EDT, (FOX and fubo.TV)
See above.
This is a Cincinnati team that just rolled the Ravens in Baltimore, against a New York Jets team that just gave up 54 points to the Patriots.
FIFTY-FOUR POINTS! The Jets stink, and the Bengals are getting better by the week. Big spread, don’t care, as Cincinnati spanks the hapless Jets.
Miami Dolphins (1-6) at Buffalo Bills (4-2), 1 p.m. EDT, (CBS and fubo.TV)
See above, part deux.
Wow, there are a lot of these games this week. The Dolphins are a dumpster fire on and off the field after a 10-win campaign, and the Bills are fuming from their loss two weeks ago.
There is no chance this won’t be a carbon copy of the Week 2 35-0 blowout for Buffalo. Josh Allen and company get back on track here with a big win.
Tennessee Titans (5-2) at Indianapolis Colts (3-4), 1 p.m. EDT, (CBS and fubo.TV)
Break up the Colts! Indy went out to San Francisco and routed the 49ers in primetime, and the Colts are now 3-4, and can jump right back into the playoff race in the AFC South with a win Sunday.
Break up the Titans! Or maybe, Remember the Titans, from 2019, as this edition looks very much like the team that made a run to the AFC Championship game. Tennessee scored on its first five possessions against the Chiefs, and the defense made it stand up. This is the best game of the early window.
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3) at Cleveland Browns (4-3), 1 p.m. EDT, (CBS and fubo.TV)
Both teams are banged up, but the Browns at least get 10 days to recuperate after their 17-14 win over Denver last Thursday. Will Baker Mayfield play?
Here is the quote from Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and from the ESPN injury report:
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Mayfield (shoulder) may be ready to practice Monday, but the decision will ultimately be made by team doctors, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. "I don't know the exact answer to that," Stefanski said, when asked if another week of rest would make a significant difference in the health of Mayfield's left shoulder. "I would just tell you we're going to continue to listen to the medical staff on this, and when he's ready, he's ready."
Whether he plays or not could change a few bets, so check the injury report daily. Pittsburgh is banged up as well, but is getting more healthy.
San Francisco 49ers (2-4) at Chicago Bears (3-4), 1 p.m. EDT, (FOX and fubo.TV)
I have no idea what to think of either team here. Both might just be bad, one with a QB just learning the ropes, and the other with a bad QB.
Trey Lance has to get the starts when he is healthy, which might not be now. I don’t see how you can take the 49ers here with so many injuries, but the Bears aren’t any good, either. Good luck if you are taking this game.
Philadelphia Eagles (2-5) at Detroit Lions (0-7), 1 p.m. EDT, (FOX and fubo.TV)
Are the half-decent, really bad Lions back? Or will this be another really poor, really bad Detroit showing? They played alright against the Rams, but are 0-7, and still have Jared Goff under center.
I have no idea about the Eagles, either. They were atrocious in the first three quarters AGAIN, and then posted a bunch of points once the contest was out of doubt. That is college stuff: make it look to the pollsters that the game was close. Detroit could get its first win here.
Carolina Panthers (3-4) at Atlanta Falcons (3-3), 1 p.m. EDT, (FOX and fubo.TV)
No Christian McCaffery, and no win for the Panthers. Sam Darnold has been found out, and maybe it was BOTH Adam Gase and Darnold that were bad in New York.
Atlanta is a strange team. I actually do not think the Falcons are that bad: they are definitely better than some of the other NFC dregs. Atlanta could get over .500 here, and has an interesting schedule left. Some team is going to get into the playoffs at 10-7 or 9-8: why not the Falcons?
New England Patriots (3-4) at LA Chargers (4-2), 4:05 EDT, (CBS and fubo.TV)
Nothing for your confidence like playing the New York Jets, right? The Patriots are 3-0 against one-win teams (two against the Jets, one against the Texans), and 0-4 against teams with two wins or more, like the Chargers. After playing five of its first seven at home, New England will now play five of seven on the road.
Los Angeles was brought back down to Earth before the bye, and will get the Pats fresh. Justin Herbert has been very good (for the most part). Can the Chargers bounce back and prove they belong in the AFC elite?
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) at Seattle Seahawks (2-5), 4:05 EDT, (CBS and fubo.TV)
Jacksonville got a win in London over the Dolphins, and then got a bye week to get better. This team is going to be much different at the end of the season, and might be primed for a decent showing here.
Seattle is on a short week, is banged up, and has to start winning
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1) at New Orleans Saints (5-2), 4:25 p.m. EDT, (FOX and fubo.TV)
There was no way Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were going to let that Thursday night near implosion sit well. Tampa rolled Chicago, and it could have been worse.
New Orleans
Hopefully, the Joel Glazer acts as decisively about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United, and hires a competent coach( like Bruce Aryans) to make the GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo a winner, just like they did with Brady.
Washington Football Team (2-5) at Denver Broncos (3-4), 4:25 p.m. EDT, (FOX and fubo.TV)
Two bad teams playing out the string here. Yeah, we know, it is still October. Vic Fangio should have been fired after last season, and after a 3-0 start, the depleted Broncos have now lost four in a row.
But good news, Denver fans! You get to face Washington, which STILL does not have a nickname, is in the middle of an off the field monsoon, and stinks on it. Who knows how this one goes.
Dallas Cowboys (5-1) at Minnesota Vikings (3-3), 8:20 p.m. EDT (NBC and fubo.TV)
I am sorry, but you are telling me this Dallas team is an UNDERDOG in this game? At some point, bettors are going to figure this out; but good news for you, you can get the Cowboys against an average Minnesota team at plus money.
Do not ask questions. Just take the Cowboys at +2. Or I guess you could take the home team, if you want. I don’t want to, though.
Read more about this game here.
New York Giants (2-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-4), 8:15 p.m. EDT (ESPN and fubo.TV)
If you blindly put the box scores from last week up without any names on it, you would have thought the Giants were the Chiefs, and vice versa. New York rolled Carolina, while Kansas City’s Super Bowl hangover continues.
Maybe Kansas City just isn’t that good?
Read more about this game in our Monday Night Football Best Bets & Odds guide.
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