The favored teams did another solid in Week 8 of the regular season, winning 10 of the 13 games straight up through the Sunday Night Football encounter. However, the oddsmakers proved their worth once again with the outcomes against the closing lines much tighter as the teams laying points went just 7-6 ATS. Betting on the road dogs was a profitable play with those teams covering the spread in four of six contests. The Broncos slapped host Kansas City with its first ATS loss of the season by covering the 8.5-point spread in their 30-23 loss.
With eight of the 13 games playing below the closing total, under bettors had the upperhand at the betting window for the second straight week. Points and touchdowns continue to be scored at an alarming rate around the NFL, but oddsmakers have adjusted. Five games had a total above 50 in Week 8 with the under going 3-2 in those matchups.
NFL Week 8 Betting Summary
| WAGER | Favorite/Underdog |
| Straight Up | 10 – 3 |
| ATS | 7 – 6 |
| WAGER | Total (O/U) |
| Over/Under | 5 – 8 |
Biggest Week 8 Upsets
Seattle Seahawks ( +3 ) 28, Detroit Lions 14
This was probably a bad spot for the Lions to begin with. The Seahawks were coming off their bye after trouncing Oakland their last time out, and they had put a decent run together with three wins in their previous four outings. The only loss was a 2-point setback to the undefeated Rams, so the signs were pointing up for Seattle. With Russell Wilson throwing darts and the defense resembling the Legion of Boom contingent from seasons past, the Seahawks are showing that a return to the postseason is within their reach.
It was a lot of the same old stuff for the Lions, who once again couldn’t get out of their own way. A week after finding a ground game, the fickle sport took it away, so did the Seahawks. While the Lions struggled to run the football, they also had difficulty stopping the run, and that played right into the hands of Seattle. The Seahawks ran for 176 yards and controlled the game on the ground. And from there Wilson just toyed with Detroit’s secondary.
Carolina Panthers ( +2.5 ) 36, Baltimore Ravens 21
The Panthers covering the closing spread wasn’t completely a surprise. How they manhandled the Ravens was. Perhaps being a 2.5-point dog at home motivated Cam Newton and his mates because they absolutely tore Baltimore a new one. The Panthers amassed 386 total yards, which over 100 yards more than the Ravens had allowed per game entering Sunday. Newton was efficient and the Panthers wore down Baltimore’s defense by controlling the ball for over 34 minutes.
The Ravens are at a crossroads in their season. After opening with three wins in four games, they’ve since lost three of four and are a .500 team. Their defense has shown cracks the last two weeks and the ground game is still a work in progress. The Ravens have a chance to heal quickly with their next three games at home with their bye mixed in, and they better take advantage of it.
Arizona Cardinals ( +2.5 ) 18, San Francisco 49ers 15
The only other upset in Week 8 probably wasn’t an upset at all. Considering Arizona’s mastery over the Niners and their win in the Bay Area just a few weeks ago, the public still backed San Francisco, and it cost them. You never know how a team is going to respond to a coaching change and the Cards actually showed a little spirit under new coordinator Byron Leftwich.
For most teams 18 points isn’t much, but it’s a windfall for the Cards, who’ve scored more in a game just once this season. They scored 15 of those points in the fourth quarter, the last coming on a Josh Rosen touchdown pass with under a minute to play, giving Arizona its eighth straight win over their NFC West counterpart.
Biggest Week 8 Spreads
Chicago, Kansas City and Pittsburgh all topped out as an 8.5-point favorite, which was the highest closing number on the board. And all three teams took care of business by winning straight up. The Chiefs were the only team among the trio to lose ATS with the Broncos getting a late field goal for the backdoor cover. In what’s become a routine scenario, Patrick Mahomes tossed four touchdown passes and the Chiefs built a 30-14 lead after three quarters, giving backers hope of another cover. However, the Broncos scored nine points in the final quarter to cover the line, dropping the Chiefs to 7-1 ATS this season.
NFL Betting Odds
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