Week 8 NFL Picks: Vikings Keep the Good Times Rolling
Josh Frey
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Another week, another sub-.500 record for the picks. Week 7 brought a few horrendous picks, and just about everything that ended close landed on the wrong side.
It’s time to lock in and put together a strong week with a full 16-game slate upon us. Before we get into the Week 8 NFL picks, though, here is a look back at how we did in Week 7:
- Jaguars +1 (W)
- Raiders -3 (L)
- Browns -2.5 (L)
- Bills -8.5 (L)
- Commanders -2 (L)
- Buccaneers -2.5 (L)
- Lions +3 (L)
- Rams -3 (L)
- Seahawks -8 (W)
- Packers -1 (L)
- Chiefs -5.5 (W)
- Eagles -2.5 (W)
- Vikings +7 (W)
Season Record: 48-62-3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills
- Spread: Bills -8.5
- O/U: 42.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Bills -8.5
Neither the Bills or Buccaneers have inspired much confidence over the past couple weeks. Buffalo played way too close of a game against the Giants in Week 6 and flat out lost to the Patriots in Week 7. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has scored just 19 points over their past two games following their bye. Buffalo’s defense is dealing with a litany of injuries right now, but this is still a talented team that should take advantage of a “get right” game in front of their home crowd.
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Chargers
- Spread: Chargers -8.5
- O/U: 46.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Chargers -8.5
Tyson Bagent’s first start in the NFL couldn’t have gone much better as the Bears cruised to a Week 7 win over the Raiders. However, this is where the real test begins. The undrafted rookie now heads on the road to face a Chargers team that desperately needs a win to get back into the AFC playoff picture. LA answers the call and wins big at home.
Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys
- Spread: Cowboys -6.5
- O/U: 45.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Cowboys -6.5
The Dallas Cowboys are well-rested after their bye while the Los Angeles Rams lost a tough game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Cowboys at home, and Kyren Williams on IR, it will be very difficult for LA to win this game.
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
- Spread: Even
- O/U: 43 points
Frey’s Pick: Vikings to win
The Vikings have found a way to right the ship after their 1-4 start to the season. With back-to-back victories, including a win over the 49ers on Monday, Minnesota is riding high into this divisional matchup. Meanwhile, the Packers have lost three in a row and continue to face injury troubles with Darnell Savage and Eric Stokes heading to IR. The Vikings defense will cause problems for Jordan Love, and Jordan Addison could be in line for another huge game.
Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans
- Spread: Falcons -2.5
- O/U: 36 points
Frey’s Pick: Falcons -2.5
Derrick Henry is in all sorts of trade rumors ahead of the deadline, and the Titans will likely head into this game relying on some combination of Malik Willis and Will Levis at QB. The Falcons defense has been one of the more underrated groups this year, and they show out with a big game to take this win.
New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts
- Spread: Colts -1
- O/U: 43.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Saints +1
New Orleans lost in a disappointing fashion last Thursday, but they’ve had extra time to prepare for this matchup. Meanwhile, the Colts just had to play a slobberknocker of a game against the Cleveland Browns and could have some tired legs heading into the game. Gardner Minshew is a gunslinger at his core, and the Saints have been great at forcing turnovers all season. I suspect we’ll see a couple turnovers in New Orleans’ favor, and they get a road win.
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
- Spread: Dolphins -9.5
- O/U: 47 points
Frey’s Pick: Dolphins -9.5
The Dolphins are outscoring their opponents by nearly 30 points per game when they play at home. I don’t trust Miami as much when they play outside of South Beach, but in this scenario against a Patriots team who they’ve historically handled very well, I’ll take the Dolphins to get back on track with a big win.
New York Jets at New York Giants
- Spread: Jets -3
- O/U: 36.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Giants +3
The Jets are yet to win a game coming off a bye since Robert Saleh was hired as head coach, and the New York Giants are starting to turn things around, especially defensively. The Giants have forced six turnovers in their past three games while Zach Wilson has 23 interceptions and 9 fumbles in his 28 career NFL games. Brian Daboll’s group pulls out a victory against their New York counterparts.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Spread: Jaguars -2.5
- O/U: 42 points
Frey’s Pick: Jaguars -2.5
Jacksonville had a shaky start to the season, but they have righted the ship in a big way with four straight wins. Their defense has answered the call in each of them, holding opponents to 20 or fewer points in three of the four games. As long as they don’t allow the big plays to George Pickens, the Jaguars should be able to pull this one out against a gritty Steelers squad.
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders
- Spread: Eagles -6.5
- O/U: 43.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Eagles -6.5
When these two teams met at the beginning of October, Philly barely snuck away with an overtime victory. It’s a game that should have left a bad taste in their mouth, and they’ll remember it coming into this one. Washington has fallen off the rails since that game, especially offensively, so the Eagles should be able to get a big win on the road.
Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers
- Spread: Texans -3
- O/U: 43 points
Frey’s Pick: Texans -3
Both teams are coming off a bye in Week 7, so the groups should be well-rested heading into this battle between the top two picks in the 2023 Draft. That being said, it will be much easier for C.J. Stroud to move the ball than it will for Bryce Young. Houston’s defense and offensive line is far superior to that of Carolina, so they get a win on the road to get over .500.
Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks
- Spread: Seahawks -3.5
- O/U: 39.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Seahawks -3.5
The Seahawks offense has not been very good following their Week 5 bye. Turnovers have been a major problem, and they have not scored more than 20 points in a game in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Cleveland has hit a bit of a stride with back-to-back wins. That being said, this has been a tough stretch on the Browns schedule. They played the 49ers two weeks ago, and now, they are on the second week of back-to-back road games. Seattle pulls this one out.
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
- Spread: Chiefs -7
- O/U: 46 points
Frey’s Pick: Chiefs -7
Denver captured a win against the Packers last weekend, and Russell Wilson made a couple nice plays down the stretch. Their defense finally stepped up to seal the deal as well, but now, they have to try and replicate it against the defending champs. I don’t think they have the firepower to get it down, so I’ll take Kansas City to roll.
Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals
- Spread: Ravens -8.5
- O/U: 44 points
Frey’s Pick: Ravens -8.5
The Cardinals have been an entertaining team at times this season, but they simply aren’t a very good squad. Kyler Murray could be back soon and perhaps reverse some of their recent fortunes. However, they have to try and beat a very tough Ravens squad. Baltimore has been on a heater recently, so they get a big road win.
Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers
- Spread: 49ers -5.5
- O/U: 45 points
Frey’s Pick: Bengals +5.5
There’s a chance that Brock Purdy is unable to play this weekend due to a concussion, which would mean it’s Sam Darnold time. The 49ers offense has been struggling over the past few weeks, scoring just 17 points in each of their last two games. Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams have remained sidelined in practice too, so a surging Cincinnati team coming off their bye should be able to cover this spread.
Las Vegas Raiders at Detroit Lions
- Spread: Lions -8
- O/U: 45.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Lions -8
Detroit is coming off an embarrassing loss to the Ravens, and they need to find a way to get back on track to avoid being caught by either the Packers or Vikings in the NFC North. Las Vegas had a similarly bad loss in Week 7 to the Bears, but the Lions are a far more talented group, especially if David Montgomery is able to get back on the field.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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