Week 7 was rather fruitful for our picks and predictions against the spread. Nearing the halfway point of the 2021 NFL season, there's a lot more evidence out there about what teams are reliable, what teams are not and what teams are downright inconsistent.
Week 8 doesn't have the same amount of massive spreads, but with the games back up to 15 on the slate, there are few more close games to navigate. There also are some more marquee matchups with plenty on the line.
With that mind, here's providing our latest best pro pigskin prognostications in another probing preview:
(Game odds courtesy of FanDuel)
NFL POWER RANKINGS:
Packers, Titans, Raiders bump up; Chiefs, 49ers tumble further ahead of Week 8
NFL picks against the spread for Week 8
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Game of the Week: Packers at Cardinals (-3.5, 53 o/u)
Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have been rolling since Week 2. Kyler Murray and Cardinals haven't stopped their fine play since Week 1. Green Bay has the only blemish on either record, but neither it nor Arizona has been close to perfect. The Packers have more defensive issues with their pass-rush and cornerback limitations, The Cardinals for now are the more complete team and have proved to have a solid home-field advantage. But given Rodgers' history in Arizona, he will make sure he makes it a game with a chance to steal it and outduel Murray in the fourth quarter.
Pick: Cardinals win 27-24 but fail to cover the spread.
Result: Packers win 24-21.
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Lock of the Week: Chiefs (-9.5, 52.5 o/u) over Giants
Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
There's no way the Chiefs have another lifeless lackluster performance. This screams get-well game at home against the Giants, who are operating as a shell of a team, especially offensively. The defense also has to be embarrassed by not showing up in Tennessee and will be challenged to go after Daniel Jones well at home with a prime-time emotional bump. Patrick Mahomes will see the offense go back to basics of running often and protecting the ball and that should be enough to pull away, after a few signature big pass plays, of course.
Pick: Chiefs win 38-13 and cover the spread.
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Upset of the Week: Steelers (+4, 42.5 o/u) over Browns
Sunday 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Steelers have a (black) and golden opportunity coming off a bye to get an important road division win in the tough AFC North. Cleveland should have a better bill of health in some areas, but it still may be missing key offensive players. Pittsburgh will be well rested and figure out a few more things to support Najee Harris and Ben Roethlisberger in the offense and the defense will take advantage of a break against a lesser attack.
Pick: Steelers win 20-17.
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Dolphins at Bills (-14, 48.5 o/u)
Sunday 1 p.m. ET, CBS
This one's a bit tricky. The Dolphins have come to life with better offense as Tua Tagovailoa has taken full control with much improved quarterback play in returning from his rib injury, perhaps motivated by the Deshaun Watson rumors. The Bills don't need to worry about QB long-term with Josh Allen and will come out laser-focused to rip a division foe after the bye, one that it shut out in the first meeting.
Pick: Bills win 31-14 and cover the spread.
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Panthers at Falcons (-3, 46.5 o/u)
Sunday 1 p.m. ET, Fox
The Panthers have reached the limit with Sam Darnold and quarterback and Christian McCaffrey cannot return to lift the running and passing games until Week 9 against the Patriots at the earliest. The Falcons are finding their groove again with Matt Ryan as their offense looks like a ton of fun again with so many diverse weapons. Coach Arthur Smith looks like a keep with his organization, while counterpart Matt Rhule will struggle more with motivation on the road.
Pick: Falcons win 24-20 and cover the spread.
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Eagles (-3.5, 48.5 o/u) at Lions
Sunday 1 p.m. ET, Fox
The Eagles have been one of the league's most disappointing new-coached teams with Nick Sirianni working with Jalen Hurts. Unlike Smith in Atlanta, Sirianni cannot find the right mesh between passing volume for his dynamic QB and the right support from the traditional running game. That might change by simplifying the attack with a lot of DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Kenneth Gainwell. The Lions don't have that luxury beyond D'Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson and it's causing Jared Goff to hit a wall.
Pick: Eagles win 31-24 and cover the spread.
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Titans at Colts (-3, 51 o/u)
Sunday 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Titans handled the first meeting in Nashville by pulling away for a 25-16 victory. It's never easy for either of the top two teams in the AFC against each other, because Mike Vrabel and Frank Reich will dig deep into the coaching well to ensure a strong effort backing a savvy game plan. The Titans are hot and would seem they would cool off from the Bills and Chiefs games, but they also won't waste an opportunity to put important distance between them and the Colts in the division. They have the better running back, mobile quarterback and top young wide receiver combination, but not by much.
Pick: Titans win 27-24.
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Rams (-15.5, 46.5 o/u) at Texans
Sunday 1 p.m. ET, Fox
The Rams took the Lions a bit lightly and Detroit did well to pull out all the stops to try to spoil things in Goff's revenge game. But the Rams tend to be more focused to exploit bad teams on the road and it's becoming increasingly harder for Houston to be competitive with a massive talent disparity. They go back to doing the work they did on the Giants in Week 6.
Pick: Rams win 34-14 and cover the spread.
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Bengals (-11.5, 42.5 o/u) at Jets
The Bengals made the jump to AFC powerhouse last week with a big road win over the Ravens. Joe Burrow is locked in as a franchise quarterback and Ja'Marr Chase is literally running (and receiving) away with rookie of the year honors. The defense is also imposing its will with key playmakers on every level, fronted by a much improved outside-inside pass rush. The Jets will turn the offense over to 2018 fifth-rounder Mike White with 2021 first-rounder Zach Wilson on the shelf, and at this point, it can't get much worse with a spark from rookie running back Michael Carter. Cincy steps off the gas here and the Jets having some assets in pass defense helps them sneak away with a backdoor cover.
Pick: Bengals win 31-23 but fail to cover the spread.
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49ers (-3.5, 39.5 o/u) at Bears
Sunday 1 p.m. ET, Fox
The 49ers have some positive offensive flashes with Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel but it's on Kyle Shanahan to figure out more personnel answers between players being injured and doghoused. That good news is, his team plays well on the road and he's much more organized and put-together than his offensive-minded counterpart Matt Nagy. Although this might have been hyped at one point as Trey Lance vs. Justin Fields, the team that needs to play veteran QB in this one has the edge. Jimmy Garoppolo returns to Illinois for a homecoming victory with plenty of help from the defense and running game.
Pick: 49ers win 24-14 and cover the spread.
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Jaguars at Seahawks (-3.5, 44.5 o/u)
Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
The Jaguars will be looking for another victory coming off their bye, only this time they need to travel 4,780 miles away from London to try to get it. The Seahawks have drawn a couple tough early spots without Russell Wilson in a trip to a Pittsburgh and hosting New Orleans, both in prime time. Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer, two former Seahawks' offensive coordinators, will hope to get solid play from Trevor Lawrence with James Robinson as the centerpiece. But look for their former boss, Pete Carroll, to get creative, and remind everyone he's the rare college-to-pro success story whom Urban Meyer won't be.
Pick: Seahawks win 23-20 but fail to cover the spread.
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Patriots at Chargers (-4, 49.5 o/u)
Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
The Chargers will come back with cleaner offense with Justin Herbert after the bye, but the Patriots' defense will scheme to take away the big plays and force them to be patient and grinding with their attack. The Patriots also will stay in the game with their rushing attack against a porous Chargers' run defense. Eventually, Herbert will be hard to stop with arm and legs with a massive assist from the backfield versatility of Austin Ekeler. Mac Jones will do his best to match him as a young gun, but L.A. escapes New England at the gun.
Pick: Chargers win 24-23 but fail to cover the spread.
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Washington Football Team at Broncos (-3.5, 43.5 o/u)
Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
Put Washington and Denver high on the list of teams that must draft a quarterback high in 2022. Fill-ins Taylor Heinicke and Teddy Bridgewater have made their teams competitive, helped each by a nice array of offensive skill players. The Broncos have a little more versatility and health on their side, plus home field and the more disciplined defense under Vic Fangio vs. what WFT has under Jack Del Rio.
Pick: Broncos win 20-17 but fail to cover the spread.
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Buccaneers (-4.5, 48.5 o/u) at Saints
The Buccaneers like to destroy overmatched opponents at home. They tend to make things more interesting against good teams on the road, especially solid all-around ones in their own division. It's hard to know what the Saints will produce offensively with former Bucs QB Jameis Winston in a given week. Tom Brady is a little more predictable with his methodical precision. New Orleans has enough defense and a motivated Winston to make this tight in something close to a home prime-time spot.
Pick: Buccaneers win 27-23 but fail to cover the spread.
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Cowboys at Vikings (-3, 51.5 o/u)
With both teams coming off a bye, this should be a compelling game of two complete teams at full strength. Dak Prescott needed the rest and, if he's back, will be ready to rev up the Cowboys' explosive, borderline unstoppable offense with maybe more reinforcements. Kirk Cousins will have a healthier Dalvin Cook to lift him again for big plays to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Prescott is more trustworthy and is attacking the weaker defense, while the Cowboys will respond with the stronger closing defense to shut the door late.
Pick: Cowboys win 31-27
Vinnie Iyer's 2021 picks:
- Week 7 record against the spread: 9-3
- Week 7 record straight up: 8-5
- Season ATS: 56-49
- Season straight up: 72-35
