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NFL Week 8 early odds: Cardinals favored over Packers in clash of 6-1 ATS teams, Cowboys road favorites

Week 7 in the NFL is almost over, with just the Saints and Seahawks left to duke it out on “Monday Night Football” from Seattle. This latest slate of games had no shortage of eye-opening performances ranging from the Bengals’ 24-point win over the Ravens, to Tennessee limiting the Chiefs to just three points, to the Patriots dropping 54 points against the Jets. Now, it’s up to Geno Smith and Jameis Winston to keep the fireworks going in primetime on Monday night. 

While we still have one more game to go before we officially put Week 7 in the rearview mirror, it’s never too early to take a look at the upcoming Week 8 slate of games. Below, you’ll find the opening lines for each contest along with a quick breakdown of where each team is at this stage of the year. 

Week 8 early odds

(All lines from Caesars Sportsbook, all games on Sunday unless noted)

Packers (6-1) at Cardinals (7-0), Thursday 

Opening line: Cardinals -3

Arguably the best game of Week 8 comes right out of the gate with the undefeated Cardinals hosting Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Not only are these teams two of the best that the NFL has to offer, but they have been favorable to bettors this season as they each boast a 6-1 ATS record so far. Arizona has opened as a field goal favorite, but that number has since jumped to Cardinals -3.5 on Monday. Something will need to give here between these teams as the Cardinals are 5-0 ATS in their last five games while the Packers are 6-0 ATS in their last six.  

Bengals (5-2) at Jets (1-5) 

Opening line: Bengals -3.5

The surprise team of the 2021 season through the first seven weeks has to be the Cincinnati Bengals, who are currently the No. 1 seed in the AFC after defeating the Ravens in Week 7. They now take on a Jets team that is reeling from a loss to the Patriots where the defense allowed 54 points and 551 yards of total offense. New York is 1-5 ATS on the season and has a league-worst -15.8 margin of victory this season. With Cincy’s success and the Jets struggles in mind, you won’t be surprised to learn that this spread has shot up dramatically. After opening at Bengals -3.5, the line has since moved to double digits to Bengals -10.  

Titans (5-2) at Colts (3-4) 

Opening line: Colts -2.5

You can make a case that this matchup boasts two of the hottest teams in the AFC. The Titans have won three straight that includes victories over the Bills and Chiefs. That latest win over Kansas City was a thumping where the defense allowed Patrick Mahomes and company to score only three points. Meanwhile, the Colts have dropped 30 or more points in each of their last two games as Carson Wentz has seemingly found his groove. Tennessee won this first matchup earlier this season and has jumped out as the favorites after Indy opened as a 2.5-point favorite. Now, the Titans are being looked at as a 1-point favorite, which is largely thanks to that convincing win over the Chiefs. Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in its last six games heading into Week 8. 

Rams (6-1) at Texans (1-6) 

Opening line: Rams -14

As you may have expected, this is a pretty lofty spread and it’s only increased since Sunday. The Rams are currently a 14.5-point favorite against the Rams heading into Week 8. Houston has the second-lowest margin of victory in the NFL (-15.1) while L.A. is tied for fifth-best in the league at 8.7. One angle that will be worth monitoring, however, is the status of Tyrod Taylor. If he’s able to come back and play, he’s certainly an upgrade at quarterback over rookie Davis Mills. While the Rams were unable to cover last week, that could be good news for those placing a wager on them in this matchup. Following their last 17 ATS losses, Los Angeles is 13-3-1 ATS. 

Steelers (3-3) at Browns (4-3) 

Opening line: Browns -3

Both teams are playing on extended rest coming into this divisional matchup. The Browns last played on Thursday, while the Steelers had their bye in Week 7. With the Bengals and Ravens starting the season off strong, this is a pivotal game for both clubs as they look to keep pace in the AFC North. This number has jumped to Browns -3.5 and Cleveland has been the better bet of these two teams to start the season. Entering Week 8, the Browns are 4-3 ATS while the Steelers are 2-4 ATS. 

Eagles (2-5) at Lions (0-7) 

Opening line: Eagles -3.5

The Lions should get a ton of credit for battling with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday and keeping the game close after that contest opened with them as a double-digit underdog. That has seemingly built up some faith heading into Week 8 as this spread of Eagles -3.5 has dipped down to -3 on Monday. Despite being winless on the season, the Lions are 4-3 ATS, so they’ve been competitive in the bulk of their games. As for the Eagles, it’ll be curious to see how they respond to this game as they are 0-4 ATS in their last four games as a road favorite. 

49ers (2-4) at Bears (3-4) 

Opening line: 49ers -3

This line has held overnight with the 49ers sitting as a field-goal favorite on the road as they take on the Bears next week. Both of these clubs are coming off losses in Week 7 and have been two of the toughest teams to bet on so far, owning a combined ATS record of 4-9. Specifically with the 49ers, they are 0-4 ATS in their last four games. Meanwhile, Chicago has played well against bad teams, owning a 4-0 ATS record against clubs with a losing record. 

Panthers (3-4) at Falcons (3-3) 

Opening line: Falcons -1

Carolina has completely fallen off the cliff after starting the season a perfect 3-0. Since then, they’ve lost four straight. Their most recent loss saw Matt Rhule bench starting quarterback Sam Darnold for P.J. Walker, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Giants as they fell, 25-3. Darnold will be the starter against the Falcons, who are starting to play better as of late and are averaging 5.8 yards per play over their last three games. Meanwhile, the Panthers are averaging a league-worst 3.7 yards per play over that same stretch. The market is also realizing this shift as the Falcons currently stand as a field goal favorite over Carolina. 

Dolphins (1-5) at Bills (4-2) 

Opening line: Bills -11

Tua Tagovauiloa was playing like he had a Deshaun Watson blockbuster trade looming over his head, throwing for four touchdowns against the Falcons. However, that performance wouldn’t be enough to earn the win but did cover as Atlanta walked away with the 30-28 victory. Meanwhile, the Bills had the week off and are looking to continue to rival for the top seed in the AFC. Buffalo is among the top teams in the NFL against the spread (4-2) and has a league-high 17.5 margin of victory average this season. In that same category, the Dolphins are third-worst in the league at -11.4. With that in mind, it’s not surprising to see this number already jump to Bills -13.5. 

Patriots (3-4) at Chargers (4-2) 

Opening line: Chargers -6

While beating the Jets may not be that surprising, New England’s 54-point outburst certainly was. That seems to have boosted some confidence bettors as this number has fallen below six points and down to Chargers -5.5. Los Angeles was on the bye in Week 7 and has been one of the better teams in the NFL against the spread, owning a 4-2 ATS mark this season. Over their last 10 games, the Chargers are 8-2 ATS and are also 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a home favorite. 

Jaguars (1-5) at Seahawks (2-4) 

Opening line: Seahawks -3

Seattle’s advantage has jumped above the field goal threshold to 3.5 points, but there may be more movement following Monday night. The Jaguars were on the Week 7 bye and will look to build off their first win of the season after defeating the Dolphins in London back in Week 6. Jacksonville is 2-4 ATS while the Seahawks enter “Monday Night Football” with a 3-3 ATS mark. 

Washington (2-5) at Broncos (3-4) 

Opening line: Broncos -4

Denver is playing on extended rest after facing the Browns last Thursday. Despite that, they’ve seen their odds decrease from the 4-point opening, as it’s now fallen to Broncos -3.5 coming out of Sunday. Washington fell to the Packers on the road, so the outcome of their Week 7 matchup may not have been the line-mover, rather it may simply be the play of Teddy Bridgewater, who has thrown five interceptions in his last three games. Neither of these clubs have been strong bets of late, as the Broncos are 0-4 ATS in their last four games while Washington is 1-6 ATS in their last seven overall. 

Buccaneers (6-1) at Saints (3-2) 

Opening line: Buccaneers -4

The Saints still have a game in front of them before they can solely put their focus on the Buccaneers. So far, this line has largely held, only ticking up a half-point to Buccaneers -4.5 leading into Monday night. Any real movement likely won’t come until that game is over, but the Bucs have not been as sharp ATS as their overall regular-season record may suggest. Through seven games, they are 3-4 ATS, but were able to cover against Chicago this week. In their last five games against the NFC South, Tampa Bay is 4-1 ATS.  

Cowboys (5-1) at Vikings (3-3) 

Opening line: Cowboys -2.5

Both of these teams are coming off a Week 7 bye. Through this point in the season, the Cowboys are the lone team in the NFL to remain undefeated against the spread, boasting an impressive 6-0 mark. While they’ve been kind to bettors so far, this number has fallen as low as Cowboys -1.5, so there does seem to be some confidence in the Vikings. However, Minnesota is 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.

Giants (2-5) at Chiefs (3-4), Monday 

Opening line: Chiefs -13

The Chiefs seem like they’ve lost their way and managed just three points in their latest loss to the Tennessee Titans. The K.C. defense can’t stop any offense with a pulse, the running game has left little to be desired and the O-line continues to struggle despite all of their offseason additions. Even with those issues, Patrick Mahomes and company opened as a 13-point favorite. That said, following that performance on Sunday, the line has already dipped as low as 9.5. Meanwhile, the Giants are coming off their second win of the season after defeating the Panthers 25-3 at home in a game where the score sat at 5-3 for the majority of it. One betting nugget that’s worth nothing here is that the Chiefs are 1-8 ATS in their last nine home games. 

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