Welcome back for Week 8 of the NFL season.
As always, this piece will seek to identify 3 plus-money NFL bets that are worth considering for Sunday’s slate of games. Last week, we took a slight loss with a 1-2 record. Colston Loveland’s receiving yardage over hit (+116), but the Jets did not win outright and Kimani Vidal did not score a touchdown.
NFL bold predictions Week 8
Here are 3 plus-money bets to consider for Week 8:
Saquon Barkley to hit 100 yards
This is already the second meeting of the year for the Giants and the Eagles. New York won in a huge upset earlier this month, but the Eagles are favored by more than a touchdown in this rematch at home. I liked Saquon Barkley’s longest rush over last time these teams played, and it missed hitting by a yard (twice). Barkley only had 12 carries that game as Philly was more focused on getting the ball to AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith in the passing game. Brown is out for this game, so maybe Philly will be more interested in attacking the NFL’s worst rushing defense (by EPA) in this spot. I’ll take Barkley to reach the century mark for the first time this season.
Pick: Saquon Barkley to record 100+ rushing yards (+165 on BetMGM)
Patriots to fall flat
I think New England’s team total for this game is about a field goal off. There’s been a lot of hype for Drake Maye over the past few weeks, but the Pats haven’t faced any defenses the caliber of what Cleveland has. New England’s last 3 opponents — Tennessee, New Orleans and Buffalo — all rank in the bottom 10 in the NFL in EPA defense. The Browns rank 3rd. Maye has also struggled with taking too many sacks this season, making this a problematic matchup against a Myles Garrett-led defense. Maye’s pressure-to-sack ratio, per PFF, of 24.4% is tied for third-worst among qualified quarterbacks this year.
Pick: Patriots alt team total under 21.5 (+142 on DraftKings)
Saints to pull the upset
Give me the Saints to win outright against the Buccaneers on Sunday. Tampa Bay will be going on the road in a divisional matchup and it has won several (flukey) close games already this year. It’s also a short week for the Bucs, who lost on Monday Night Football in Week 7. The Saints aren’t good, but they do play hard. I like this spot for New Orleans and I think Tampa is due for an upset loss.
Pick: Saints money line +185 on DraftKings
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
