NFL Week 8 is here. This week I’m targeting 4 games. And we’ve got a mix of team and player props to combine into SGPs and then combined into 1 big parlay over at Bet365. Let’s break down these 4 games for this weekend’s Week 8 NFL predictions, picks and parlays.
Ravens vs Browns Prediction
The Ravens come off MNF where they had a shootout with Tampa winning 41-31.
That is one of the few concerns this week is that Baltimore is coming off the short week. There’s also some concern with their defense ranking 26th in PPG allowed giving up 25.7 PPG. That won’t improve with their top corner Marlon Humphrey questionable with a knee injury suffered during MNF.
Still, this Browns team is bad. Too bad to be saved by 3rd stringer Jameis Winston. Perhaps … there is some element of the unknown. The Browns’ offense which ranks 29th in PPG (15.6), can not possibly be any worse with Winston than they were with the now-injured Deshaun Watson.
Winston was the only Browns’ QB to throw a TD last week after Watson went down and DTR got yanked. Winston went 5-11, 67 yards, 1 TD.
He’s up against Lamar Jackson, who has the highest QB rating in the league though.
Other SGP options could certainly include Jackson to rush for 25- yards. His lowest total has been 40 yards rushing this season and has averaged 65 per game. The Browns though, have only allowed 179 yards on the ground to rushing QBs, an average of 25.6.
Ravens’ top WR Zay Flowers is questionable with an ankle injury which could mean more catches for others. Next up is Rashod Bateman with the 2nd-most targets, catches and yards on the team, while being tied for the most TD catches as well. He’s had catch totals of 2, 3, 3, 1, 4, 4 and 4 and is coming off a 121-yard game last week.
- NFL Predictions: Baltimore alt spread +3.5 + over 1.5 team TDs
Titans vs Lions Prediction
It’s the biggest spread of the week with Detroit at home as 11.5-point favorites. Detroit are 5-1 SU and 5-1 ATS. Tennessee is 1-5 SU and 1-5 ATS.
Look short of an injury to Jared Goff or a slew of turnovers the Lions in no way should lose this game.
Goff has a 140+ passer rating in each of his past 3 games, something that’s only ever been done 3 other times in NFL history. He’s the 2nd-highest rated QB in the league and has the 2nd-best completion percentage. In fact, in the last 4 games he’s thrown almost as many TD passes (9) than incompletions (15).
Where there’s no question at QB for Detroit, the Titans have no idea if Will Levis or Mason Rudolph is the guy. Right now it looks like it’s Rudolph’s job to lose, especially with Levis injured with a shoulder injury. It looks like the white flag has gone up for the Titans as they traded away DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs this week too. The Titans’ offense was already only scoring the 6th-fewest PPG.
Detroit does lose 2nd-leading receiver Jameson William to suspension who was also 2nd in yards and TDs on the team. The Lions have 6 other players who have double-digit catches this season so should be able to make up for the loss.
TE Sam LaPorta is 3rd when it comes to catches by Lions’ receivers so could be a prop option. He’s not piled up the catches but has at least 1 in every game.
Lions moneyline is an easy parlay piece or Survivor pool pick. They should also easily win by at least a TD or 3 points.
- NFL Predictions: Lions moneyline + over 1.5 team TDs + LaPorta 1+ Reception
Colts vs Texans Prediction
We just saw this matchup in Week 1 and Houston won 29-27. Now it was only 15-13 Houston heading into the 4th but both teams scored 2 more TDs, both QBs had 2 passing TDs on the day and once again a Colts-Texans game produced points.
Other recent scores between them have been 23-19, 31-20, 32-31 and 20-20. In the last 11 meetings, both teams have scored 10+ points in 9 games.
This season the BTTS 10+ point prop is 7-0 for Indy and 6-1 for Houston with only a no-show for the Texans vs the Vikings where they scored just 7 points keeping that from being 7-0.
Both teams have given up just over 20 PPG and the Colts have 6 defensive starters on the IR and 2 more defensive players out. But DT DeForest Buckner has a chance to return this week.
It’s getting ugly on the Houston side as well with 4 defensive players on the IR, 5 current starters questionable and 2 others questionable or suspended.
On the negative side, Michael Pittman Jr could miss out with a back injury. He didn’t practice Friday, but then no longer has an injury designation as of Saturday. On the other hand Jonathan Taylor is set to return at RB. The QB situation is confusing with Anthony Richardson being a better runner than passer at this point compared to backup Joe Flacco.
For Houston, losing WR Nico Collins is a huge blow and they don’t look anywhere near as good without him. Perhaps they can lean on TE Dalton Schultz as the Colts have given up the 2nd-most catches to opposing TEs.
Schultz is 4th on the team in catches with 19 in 4 games and has had multiple catches in every game except last week with 1.
I will throw in Schulzt to have a catch, along with Stefon Diggs to have a catch to slightly improve the BTTS 10+ price. Diggs has had 4+ catches every game this season and 5+ in 6/7. So certainly you can up that to 3, 4, 5 catches. In fact, go back to last season and Diggs had 3+ catches in all 19 games, and 4+ in 17/19.
- NFL Predictions: Both Teams to Score 10+ Points + Dalton Schultz 1+ Reception + Stefon Diggs 1+ Reception
Giants vs Steelers Prediction
This is the same prop I’m running out every week until it stops hitting and it’s a parlay leg on Pittsburg and Chris Boswell to kick a field goal.
Boswell is 19-20 in FGs on the year going 6-6, 2-2, 2-3, 1-1, 1-1, 4-4 and 3-3.
The Giants aren’t good. But that’s mostly their offense that ranks 30th. Defensively, they’re one of the better teams ranking 12th. So they may stall the Steelers and force some kicks.
It’s a similar story for Pittsburgh who’s 16th on offense and 2nd in defense. Last week Russell Wilson sparked them to life beating the Jets 37-15 in in a 52-point game, but the Jets and Rodgers shot themselves in the foot over and over and a game in the 50s for Pittsburgh is rare.
Giants’ games this season have totalled 34, 39, 36, 35, 49, 24 and 31 points. So the potential to take an alternate spread in the high 40s or into the 50s could be an option here too, so too could incorporating Pittsburgh into the moneyline for a SGP.
- NFL Predictions: Steelers over 0.5 field goals
- Parlay Picks Total Odds (-113)
Ryan Métivier is a seasoned editor, writer and communications professional with years of experience in all fields. When it comes to covering sports, he’s written for numerous outlets and organizations including the OHL, CHL, SportsXpress, Sports Betting Dime, Cleveland.com, MassLive, FanSided and others.
While he’ll always cheer for his hometown Toronto teams, when it comes to betting, his only allegiance is his bankroll. Ryan specializes in global soccer, the NFL and the NHL, but if there is a bet to be made, he’ll make it. As the founder of Shred The Spread, Ryan focuses on combining storylines, trends, analytics and good bankroll management to creating simple bets that make sense.
When not making a case for why both teams will score in an MLS soccer match, he can be found focusing his efforts on fitness, attempting to learn Spanish, cooking or planning his travel adventure.
