There are six games with a current point spread of at least a touchdown, including two matchups that reached a double-figure line, on the Week 8 NFL regular season schedule. That suggests we may have a few blowouts as separation among the teams begins to settle in with the halfway point upon us. There has been little movement of the significant variety with most of the 14 games on the slate staying on the opening number or moving just a half-point. The line for the Baltimore at Carolina match swung 3.5-points and jumped the fence, easily the biggest mover early in the week. While the number of points is high, the actual spread isn’t that alarming with the Ravens currently a 2.5-point favorite.
The Pats opened as a 13.5-point favorite for their Monday Night Football tilt with the Bills and the line was wagered up a half-point. Kansas City also saw the spread swing in its favor by a half-point for the AFC West showdown with Denver. Underdogs of 10 or more points have held their own this season going 3-5 straight up and 5-2-1 against the spread. Let’s take a more in depth look at a few games that have seen some shifting in the line since the numbers hit the board.
Week 8 Major Line Moves
Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers
Opening Line: Carolina -1
Current Line: Baltimore -2.5
We saw two different fourth quarters from these teams last week with Carolina’s producing a record comeback win and Baltimore dropping another tight contest. Cam Newton tossed a pair of last quarter touchdown passes as part of the Panthers’ 21-point uprising, allowing them to overcome a 17-point deficit and defeat the defending champs. The comeback was the largest in team history, but the nearly 50 minutes of no points was concerning, especially with the league’s top defense on tap.
It was just the opposite for the Ravens last week, and they’re seething about it. Baltimore allowed 17 fourth-quarter points to Drew Brees and the Saints, and blew a 10-point lead. Things may not have turned out so bad if Mr. Reliable Justin Tucker was able to convert an extra point. The Ravens drove the length of the field in the final two minutes to score what appeared to be the game-tying touchdown. For the first time in his career, Tucker failed on a PAT attempt and the Ravens were bewildered. The public is evenly split on this matchup, but sharp action pushed the line in favor of the visitors.
Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders
Opening Line: Colts -1.5
Current Line: Colts -3
Owner Mark Davis better know what he’s doing because the Raiders are on the hook for another nine years with his head coach. Jon Gruden continued his makeover of the Silver and Black by dealing Amari Cooper earlier in the week. While it wasn’t a popular move among the players, it will undoubtedly be a coup for the Raiders as long as they don’t use the first-round pick they got from Dallas on JaMarcus Russell. Oh, wait. They already did that. The Raiders had little offense to begin with and Marshawn Lynch landed on IR this week, further depleting the troops.
The betting public knows that the Raiders are a disaster right now. With nearly 70 percent of the early action backing the Colts, the visitors had their chances of a victory bolstered with the line moving in their favor. Indy opened at -1.5 and after the headline grabbing news, their stock rose to -3.
New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings
Opening Line: Vikings -1.5
Current Line: Pick ‘em
This game figures to be the featured matchup of the week. Both teams are hot heading into the divisional round playoff rematch with the Saints winning five straight and the Vikings reeling off three in a row after an awful beginning that had many questioning the acquisition of Kirk Cousins. It wasn’t Captain Kirk’s fault that the defense was sieve-like over the first few games. Both clubs have figured out how to play defense over the past few games, and thus victories have followed.
Still, the betting public is backing Drew Brees and the Saints in this one with over 60 percent of the early action dropping the line from Saints +1.5 to a pick ‘em. And there’s a good chance the line will bounce back and forth before kickoff on Sunday night.
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