It has been a rough few weeks for our expert handicapper, Chris Smith. He has dropped just below .500 on the season and is in the red for the first time this year. As we approach the midway point in the season, he makes no excuses and is confident that this week will begin the rise from the ashes. Despite consecutive losing weeks, Chris remains alive with his weekly Survivor Pool plays and has some Week 8 NFL picks lined up to get you through to Week 9.
By analyzing the NFL odds, he was able to come up with some winning NFL picks. Sports betting is a tough job, but the experts at Pro Football Network continue to do the work to bring in profits.
Through seven weeks of the NFL season, the PFN betting group has over $100 of profit (4 units) despite the industry in a 2019 funk. With your All-Access Pass, you have an exclusive look at our running record of best bets, not to mention 24/7 availability of the betting group should you have an individualized question. Not sure? Take a 6-day free trial. Sign up for the All-Access Pass that’ll pay for itself and more. Sign up for the All-Access Pass that’ll pay for itself and more.
Eagles ML (+110) risk $30 to win $33
The Buffalo Bills are about as fraudulent a 5-1 NFL team as you’ll find. Their five wins are over teams with a combined 6-27 record. Even the lowly Miami Dolphins gave them a run for their money on Sunday. The Eagles, meanwhile, have been a colossal disappointment. They entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations and are now sitting at 3-4 coming off back to back road losses. Philadelphia is clearly the more desperate team in this one, and while their defense has been exploited in the secondary, the Bills are built to run the ball.
Josh Allen is a turnover waiting to happen when asked to throw the ball deep. The betting line has moved between +1.5 and +2.5 throughout most of this week but never reached the all-important three-point mark. The Eagles are 11-4 straight up in their previous 15 games coming off a loss. I have Philadelphia finally winning a road game this weekend in Orchard Park, so I’ll grab the Eagles to not only cover the spread but win outright on the Money Line at +110.
Tommy Teaser (7 points) – Texans PK & Panthers +13 (-140) risk $35 to $25
San Francisco comes into this week’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers looking like a legitimate contender to come out of the NFC. That defense can be scary good when they are attacking the opposing quarterback from all angles. Their opponent this week, though, has a fairly solid defense themselves. Luke Kuechly and company have quietly helped the Panthers overcome an 0-2 home start en route to four consecutive wins with Kyle Allen under center. Can the Panther offensive line keep Allen upright against the 49ers? I think they can.
Carolina has played far better football on both sides of the ball since an injured Cam Newton left the lineup. Their aforementioned defense is averaging nearly five sacks a game, which is bad news for a struggling Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco’s offense gets almost all of their big plays from the running game, and defending the run is generally a strong suit for this Panthers defense. Teasing the Panthers up to 13 is the play here as Carolina has historically played well against the 49ers, covering the spread in 14 of their last 16 matchups.
Across the Bay, the Raiders have been far better than I anticipated this year, winning games against Chicago in London and at Indianapolis. I grabbed Oakland at under six wins prior to the start of the season, and that future play appears in danger right now. This week in Houston against a Texans team coming off a divisional loss will be a tough hill to climb, however.
The Raiders are just 3-12-1 against the spread in their last 16 road games against a team with a winning record and are 2-12 straight up in their previous 14 road games straight up. To make matters worse, Oakland traded away arguably their best cornerback in Gareon Conley to the team they play against this week. Deshaun Watson will benefit from throwing against a less experienced Oakland secondary, and the Texans defense may benefit from some intel into the Raiders offense from their newly required asset. Give me the Texans to win this one straight up at home in a potential shootout.
Oakland-Houston Over 51 (-120) risk $30 to win $25
Did someone say shootout? PFN Totals Expert Ben Rolfe and I agree on this one for our Week 8 NFL picks. The over has hit in four consecutive Raiders games and is 5-1-1 in their last seven road tilts. The Raiders’ travel schedule is brutal, with them returning to the middle of the country for this one after losing in Green Bay last weekend. The Texans average just under 400 yards per game, which is good for 4th overall in the league. They’ve shot themselves in the foot recently with turnovers and penalties. Otherwise, they might be a 5-2 football team. The Houston defense is another story. Derek Carr should be able to take advantage of a Texans defense conceding 23 points per game, especially if Oakland is playing catch-up in the second half as I anticipate. Look for a lot of big plays in this one. Houston 31 – Oakland 21.
Survivor Play
Week 1 – Seattle Seahawks ✅
Week 2 – New England Patriots ✅