NFL Week 8: Early Picks
Seven weeks of NFL action are nearly complete and finally the underdogs have had a losing weekend. In Week 7, only three underdogs won outright with two others winning against the spread.
Although it seems the season has finally corrected itself, the opening lines will still show an over-reaction to the results of Week 7.
Take a look at some early lines that may move later in the week:
Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) @ Atlanta Falcons, 4:05 PM:
The Seattle Seahawks (5-2) snapped a three-game winning streak, falling to the Baltimore Ravens 30-16.
Quarterback Russell Wilson came crashing back down to earth and saw his first interception of the season returned by Marcus Peters for a Baltimore touchdown. Wilson finished completing less than half of his passes (20-of-41) for 241 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
Atlanta’s season continues to go from bad to worse each and every weekend as the Falcons (1-6) lost a fifth straight game after falling to the Los Angeles Rams 37-10.
The Falcons finished the game without both starting quarterback Matt Ryan and starting running back Devonta Freeman. Ryan exited the game in the fourth quarter limping with an ankle injury and Freeman was ejected during the third quarter for throwing a punch.
Wide receiver Julio Jones was the only standout for Atlanta as he caught six of nine targets for 96 yards.
Roll with the Seahawks to cover (-3.5). The Falcons are a dumpster fire, and with an MRI pending for starting quarterback Matt Ryan, there’s a good chance Atlanta’s offense will be at less than 100 percent.
If Ryan doesn’t suit up, this line will move significantly. Either way, the Falcons have their hands full with the Seahawks, who are undefeated on the road this season (3-0) and will be looking to bounce back after a hiccup at home.
New York Giants (+7) @ Detroit Lions, 1:00 PM:
The New York Giants (2-5) faltered at home as the favorites, losing to the Arizona Cardinals 27-21.
Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones had a long day at the office getting sacked eight times while losing three turnovers. Jones completed 22-of-35 for 223 yards, one touchdown, one interception and two fumbles.
Running back Saquon Barkley returned to the lineup after a three-game absence with a high ankle sprain and shook off the rust with 18 carries for 72 yards and one touchdown.
The Detroit Lions (2-3-1) lost their third straight game after coming up short in a 42-30 shootout with the Minnesota Vikings.
Matthew Stafford became the fastest quarterback to reach 40,000 career passing yards - completing 30-of-45 for 364 yards, four touchdowns and an interception, with all four of his touchdowns going to the same person.
Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. had himself a career day catching 10 of 13 targets for 93 yards and four scores.
Take the Giants with the points (+7). New York is extremely vulnerable on defense, with the biggest weakness being stopping the run. Luckily for them, the Lions may be without starting running back Kerryon Johnson who suffered a knee injury during their recent loss. My expectation is that New York will keep the score at least within a touchdown.
Green Bay Packers (-3) @ Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 PM:
The Green Bay Packers (6-1) won a third consecutive game and put the league on notice, handling the Oakland Raiders 42-24.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers put on a clinic, totaling six touchdowns as he completed 26-of-31 for 429 yards, five touchdowns and a perfect passer rating, adding two rushes for six yards and another score.
Running back Aaron Jones kept the offense balanced and showed off his playmaking abilities, leading the team in rushing with 12 carries for 50 yards, adding four receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown.
The Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and took care of business defeating the Denver Broncos 30-6.
Kansas City lost far more than they won on Thursday night as reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes left the game in the first half with a dislocated right knee cap. Back-up quarterback Matt Moore was serviceable in his absence completing 10-of-19 for 117 yards and one touchdown.
The Chiefs’ defense was the difference maker and stepped up big with nine sacks and a recovered fumble.
I like the Packers to cover this spread at (-3). Green Bay has proven they’re one of the best teams in not only the NFC, but the entire NFL. Rodgers is coming off his best game of the season and without Mahomes, my expectation is that Kansas City will struggle to keep up.
By Stephen Rodriguez