Week 8 Sunday NFL matchups, game times, and picks

Week 8 of NFL action is here! I’m starting the week off in a rough way after missing my Thursday Night Football pick. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens looked impressive on the road. Let’s get into the full list of games.

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Denver Broncos @ Jacksonville Jaguars — 9:30 AM ET (ESPN+)

The NFL continues its London series with this matchup between quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Trevor Lawrence. After trading running back James Robinson, Travis Etienne becomes the lead back for Jacksonville. Denver still doesn’t seem to know what they want to do with the running back room, and Wilson hasn’t looked anything like the top QB everyone had him pegged to be prior to the start of the season.

Jacksonville wins by more than a field goal and covers the spread.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles — 1:00 PM ET (CBS)

Every part of me respects the Eagles and their fanbase. But I just can’t believe they’re as good as their record shows. The last undefeated team in the NFL hosts the Steelers—a team coming off a disappointing Sunday Night Football loss to Miami. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett looks like he’s going to be a star, but he still makes rookie mistakes we’re used to seeing from young quarterbacks. I don’t think this is the team to dethrone the Eagles.

Philly wins, but they don’t cover the spread.

Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings — 1:00 PM ET (FOX)

The return of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins appeared to be the boost of energy the Cardinals needed as they made it look easy beating New Orleans a week ago. The defense stepped up with two pick-sixes and the offense was able to consistently move the ball. The Vikings have a lot of doubters who question their authenticity as a top-tier team. They have a great record, and lead the NFC North, but they were handled by the only real competition to face them.

I expect the Cardinals to gain some momentum and win on the road.

New England Patriots @ New York Jets — 1:00 PM ET (CBS)

The Jets are riding high this season. After the best start for the team in years, they look to finally beat the Patriots. That’s a feeling that is all too familiar for Bills fans prior to Josh Allen’s emergence as a starter. Rookie running back Breece Hall is out for the season with an ACL tear, but the front office quickly made a trade to bring in Robinson. The Patriots appear to have a bit of a quarterback controversy. When lacking a defined franchise player at the position, the most popular guy is always the backup—even when he isn’t better than the starter. With that being said, New England is still better than New York. We see the Jets start to fall back to reality this weekend and next.

Patriots win and cover.

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons — 1:00 PM ET (FOX)

The Panthers have a new starting quarterback, and I am loving it. DJ Moore is finally relevant in your fantasy leagues, and PJ Walker is going to earn the hearts of every fan in the Carolinas. The Falcons still look like they are playing this season for a top pick in next year’s draft. I expect a big day from D’Onta Foreman and the Panthers beat the spread on the road. Upset city.

Chicago Bears @ Dallas Cowboys — 1:00 PM ET (FOX)

Are the Bears finally figuring it out? Last week, the offense finally appeared tailor-made for the dynamic Justin Fields—and it paid off. Allowing Fields to move around and use his legs gave him the opportunity to take advantage of his skill set. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott came back, but the offense looked stagnant. I think this is a low-scoring game.

Cowboys pull out the win, but they don’t cover the massive 10-point spread.

Las Vegas Raiders @ New Orleans Saints — 1:00 PM ET (CBS)

Quarterback Andy Dalton is once again the starter, even now that Jameis Winston isn’t showing up on the injury report. I don’t know if that makes Saints fans feel better or worse. He threw two pick-sixes against the Cardinals within a minute. The Raiders have found the most effective way to move the ball and get running back Josh Jacobs involved in the run game. Play action has opened up for Davante Adams and company.

Raiders win on the road.

Miami Dolphins @ Detroit Lions — 1:00 PM ET (CBS)

The return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn’t provide the spark that we all thought it would. They beat the Steelers last week on SNF, but that was more a result of Kenny Pickett making mistakes than it was Tua leading the offense. The Lions have had some injuries but look to be a bit healthier this weekend. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown looks likely to be back after suffering a concussion early last week, and running back D’Andre Swift is back in the mix as well.

I’m expecting the upset for Detroit, and for Dolphins fans to begin to reset their expectations from the hot start.

San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams — 4:25 PM ET (FOX)

This will essentially be a home game for the 49ers. But they are beat up in a bad way. This seems to be their curse every year—where a very talented, deep roster is decimated by injuries. After the huge acquisition of running back Christian McCaffrey, the hope is that the offense will be able to hang with the league’s top teams. At first glance, the Chiefs proved last week that an elite quarterback is necessary, and Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t the Niners’ answer.

Wide receiver Cooper Kupp has a day and the Rams win at home.

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans — 4:05 PM ET (CBS)

This spread is a lot closer than I expected, but the outcome won’t be close. Running back Derrick Henry is back to his elite self, and I don’t expect him to fall off this week. The Titans will need to commit to rookie quarterback Malik Willis at some point—a lot of talk around the league is that Tennessee could start him soon. He’ll play in this one for the injured Ryan Tannehill.

I’m taking the Titans to cover on the road in this divisional matchup.

Washington Commanders @ Indianapolis Colts — 4:25 PM ET (FOX)

This was probably the hardest game to pick. Quarterback Carson Wentz is going back to watch the same Colts team that moved on from him for Matt Ryan. Now, Ryan rides the bench in favor of second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The offensive line has been underwhelming, which has led to a disappointing season so far for running back Jonathan Taylor. Taylor Heinicke helped the Commanders offense look better against the Packers and I think they continue with this momentum and get better without Wentz.

I’m picking the Commanders with the upset.

New York Giants @ Seattle Seahawks — 4:25 PM ET (FOX)

We’ve seen the Giants play inspired football since Week 1. They keep games close and hope to have the ball in their hands at the end of the game. So far, it’s been working for the G-Men. But I think this is when Brian Daboll’s luck runs a little dry. The Seahawks have been playing surprisingly well with quarterback Geno Smith leading the offense. Rookie running back Kenneth Walker III is playing hard, and looks like a favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year now that New York Jets rookie running back Breece Hall is out for the year.

I am taking the home team with the win and to cover the spread.

Green Bay Packers @ Buffalo Bills — 8:20 PM ET (NBC)

Everyone thought this would be a potential Super Bowl matchup. Instead, the Packers are trying to figure their offense out and have been losing games in disappointing fashion. The Bills are coming off of the biggest win of the season and are rested following their bye week. They’re mostly healthy for the first time all season. I don’t think there’s any question where I’m going here.

Bills win big and cover the spread the night before Halloween.