We enter Week 8 with six undefeated teams as we are almost to the midway point of the NFL season. There has been the standard good play of teams like the Packers and Patriots along with the surprising play of the Jets and Bengals. Week 8 has a number of intriguing matchups, and we take a look at the five most likely outcomes. Our projections have two teams seeing their undefeated records come to an end.
We offer our five picks against the spread this week in order of our confidence level. Number one is our lock of the week with number five having the lowest confidence of the five picks. All lines are courtesy of OddsShark and subject to change.Here are the five NFL winners for Week 8: (Getty)
No. 5 Jets -2.5 Against Raiders
Records: Jets 4-2, Raiders 3-3
Last Week: Jets lost 30-23 to Patriots, Raiders won 37-29 against Chargers
Why the Jets Cover: The Jets have had a strong start to the season and gave the Patriots a run for their money last week. The Raiders have also looked solid, but the Jets are the better team. Expect the Jets defense to give David Carr and the running game fits. New York pulls away with this one in the fourth quarter and covers the spread. (Getty)
No. 4 Dolphins +9.5 Against Patriots
Records: Dolphins 3-3, Patriots 6-0
Last Week: Dolphins won 44-26 over Texans, Patriots won 30-23 over Jets
Take the Points: The Dolphins continue to surge after Dan Campbell was made interim head coach. Campbell has the running game thriving along with Ryan Tanehill playing his best football yet. It is unlikely the Dolphins will be able to continue their magic with a victory over the Patriots but Vegas has Miami losing by almost 10 points. Expect this one to be closer than the experts think and take the points as the Dolphins continue their solid play. (Getty)
No. 3 Saints -3 Against Giants
Records: Saints 3-4, Giants 4-3
Last Week: Saints won 27-21 over the Colts, Giants won 27-20 over the Cowboys
Why the Saints Cover: After starting the season 0-3, the Saints have won three of their last four games. The Giants have taken advantage of playing in a weak NFC East, but will be in for a rude awakening when they step into the Superdome. New Orleans is back to being one of the most difficult places for opposing teams to play and the Giants will find that out the hard way on Sunday. Look for the the Saints to cover in a shootout. (Getty)
No. 2 Colts +7.5 Against Panthers
Records: Colts are 3-4, Panthers are 6-0
Last Week: Colts lost 27-21 to Saints, Panthers won 27-16 over Eagles
Take the Points: The Colts have struggled early this season with players like Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton dealing with injuries. Indianapolis seems to be back to full health and it should help them have a nice second half run. The Panthers have been playing lights out, but the Colts offensive attack will hand Carolina their first loss of the season. (Getty)
No. 1 Packers -3 Against Broncos
Records: Both teams are 6-0
Last Week: Both teams were on bye
Why the Packers Cover: The Broncos have had a fast start and a large part of the credit goes to their defense. There is no sign that the Broncos offense is going to have a major makeover and turn into the Denver offense of years past. While the Broncos defense is getting all the attention, the Packers are allowing the fewest number of points in the league. The Broncos have yet to face a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers this season. Expect the Packers to roll to a nice road victory and cover the spread. (Getty)
NFL Picks & Predictions Against the Spread, Week 8