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NFL Week 8 Picks: Take Giants, Give Points

NFL Week 8 Picks: Take Giants, Give Points

Patrick Mahomes will need at least a week off while Drew Brees might not be back to 100% when the Saints and Cardinals face off on Sunday.  Both the Patriots and 49ers will look to remain unbeaten while the Bills and Packers in line to continue their hot streaks.  Here is a look at NFL Week 8 and the best bets on board for an action-packed Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills
Sunday, New Era Stadium|1:00 PM ET
Week 7 was a disaster for the Philadelphia Eagles, suffering a big loss to the only other good team in the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys.  They lost much-needed ground in the race to the playoffs and struggled on both sides of the ball.  Wentz was under constant pressure and passed for just 191 yards. 1 TD and 1 interception.  That makes back to back road games that the Eagles have lost and leaves them with a 3-4 record on the season.

Sure, the Eagles possess a high-powered offense, but their defense has given up 65 points combined over the last two weeks and left them little chance at victory. Philly will need to get Zach Ertz and Nelson Agholor involved early on in this game, something they have failed to do in recent weeks.  This will be necessary for Jordan Howard to break out of his funk after totaling less than 100 yards over the last two weeks.

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The Bills have somehow managed to play their way to a 5-1 record on the season.  One explanation could be their strength of schedule or lack thereof.  Only a single team the Bills have played this season has a record over .500 with the exception being their lose loss of the year to the Patriots.

That being said, there is no denying the success of Sean McDermott’s team so far in 2019.  Their defense has been phenomenal, allowing just 15 average points per game, which has been enough to keep the Bills winning.  Josh Allen and the offense, while not a high scoring group, have done their part by putting up 20.2 PPG.  It’s amazing they have scored that much considering Allen has a horrendous TD/INT ratio of 1:1 with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The weather this weekend ad Orchard Park is expected to be cold and rainy which bodes well for the Bills, who have a strong running game with Devin Singletary and Frank Gore. I like for them to grind out this win with a mixture of strong defense and a bruising ground attack.  I would also lean toward the under, which is set at 42.5.
Best Bet: Buffalo Bills -2 (-105)

New York Giants (+260) at Detroit Lions (-320)
Sunday, Ford Field | 1:00 PM ET
It is becoming evident that Daniel Jones might not be the quarterback of the future for the New York Football Giants after all.  If he doesn’t have a bounce-back game soon, the Giants might be looking elsewhere next season for a solution at quarterback.  Things bottomed out last weekend in a clunker versus the lowly Cardinals which saw both Jones and Barkley struggle to get things going. Barkley gained just 72 yards on the ground with a TD, failing to play with the same spark he had before his ankle injury. Jones was sacked eight times and fumbled twice along with throwing his seventh interception in his last four games.  Beyond that, the Giants as a team have a -10 turnover differential which puts them last in the NFC.  If the G-Men have a shot at winning this or any other game moving forward, they really need to take care of the ball more.

The Lions are dealing with their own share of problems after dropping three straight games, albeit to the Packers, Vikings, and Chiefs.  None of which are an easy game for any team.  They also lost their starting running back in Kerryon Johnson who was placed on the IR and will be ineligible to play until week 16.  He was their most potent weapon on offense and while he hasn’t put up huge numbers, he has been effective at extending drives and moving the chains for Detroit.  Matthew Stafford has been the shining light of this offense with 1751 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions on the season.  He has made the best of wideouts Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay, the three of which have developed a strong connection.  I expect Ty Johnson to be serviceable in filling Johnson’s role and keep the pressure off Stafford.

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I feel like this week is a real make or break one for the Giants, especially Daniel Jones. The Lions defense has been terrible the last few weeks, giving up 99 points over the last 3 weeks alone.  With Barkley and Evan Ingram, both another week removed from their injuries, I like the Giants to find their stride on offense and keep this game within a touchdown on Sunday afternoon.
Best Bet: New York Giants +7.5 (-125)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+125) at Tennessee Titans (-139)
Sunday, Nissan Stadium|1 PM ET
Tampa Bay is coming off a much-needed bye week following a disastrous loss in London to the Panthers.  Jameis Winston had a complete meltdown, throwing five interceptions and also losing a fumble in a 36-26 loss.  Tampa Bay has been a bit of an enigma so far this season.  They have a pair of world-class wide receivers in Chris Goodwin and Mike Evans to go along with Winston, who at times can really shine.  They are capable of putting up numbers in a hurry, as evidenced by their games against the Giants and Rams.  Winston has passed for over 380 yards in 3 of his last four starts and, despite his issues with ball security, he knows how to put points on the board.

The Bucs are also incredible at stopping the run, allowing opposing teams just 68.0 yards per game on the ground.  Good for best in the league by almost 10 yards per game.  The real issue is their secondary, which has allowed a league-worst 304 yards per game in the air.  They are the only team that allow more than 300 passing yards per game.  It is because of this they find themselves with such a poor record.  This is not an issue that can be rectified without some change to personal and will continue to be the main reason they lose games this season.

Ryan Tannehill has shocked many by seemingly turning the tides in Tennessee.  He was promoted to the starting role after Marcus Mariota’s abortive start and subsequent demotion.  In Tannehill’s two appearances this season he has totaled 456 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.  He also led the Titans to a hard-fought win against the Chargers last weekend.  Considering the Bucs passing defense, this will be Tannehill’s easiest matchup of the season and I fully expect him to make the most of it.  He has been a real surprise, albeit in limited action, and looks to have the respect and rapport of his teammates.  The real question will be what will be the effectiveness of Derrick Henry against this run defense?  The Titans will need a strong showing from the young running back if they want to win this game.

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This game is a tough nut to crack when looking to take sides, but I think there is value to be found in betting the total here.  Combining the high-powered offense of Tampa Bay and their inability to stop the pass, I see this as a high scoring affair come Sunday.  Tannehill has really impressed in his short tenure as a starter and this game has breakout performance written all over it.  Expect a shootout in Tennessee on Sunday and bet the over with confidence.
Best Bet: OVER 46 points

Matt De Saro is a journalist and media personality specializing in sport, specifically sports betting. He has hosted podcasts and web shows since 2014 which aim to educate and inform sports bettors worldwide. Matt has created content, both written & media, for the likes of Fansided, Forbes, Sportsbook Review & YouWager. With a background in statistical analysis and a love of everything sports, he takes an outside the box approach to reporting on the sports betting industry.

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