NFL Survivor Pool Advice Week 8: Picks & Predictions (2024)

Like last week, my selections for this week will be broken down into the following categories: safest picks, riskier plays that will be popular, and contrarian plays to beat a large pool. Even though survivor pool rules say you cannot pick the same team twice, I will outline multiple scenarios if bettors wish to navigate their own path.

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NFL Survivor Pool Advice: Week 8

For the second week in a row, survivor pool contestants had an easy go of it and likely made it out unscathed. On paper, it would appear that underdogs caused chaos last week, winning five of the 15 games on the Week 7 slate. However, the top eight moneyline favorites won outright, leaving all the upsets to more coin-flip games that were likely not popular survivor pool plays. 

Last week’s survivor pool advice article hit on all of our safest, risky, and contrarian plays, and we are back on the heels of that momentum in Week 8.

Safest NFL Survivor Pool Picks

Detroit Lions (-620), Baltimore Ravens (-520), Kansas City Chiefs (-500), Los Angeles Chargers (-370), New York Jets (-350), Pittsburgh Steelers (-300)

The Ravens, Lions, and Chiefs are all easy selections this week if you have not used them already. Baltimore’s running game is unstoppable, setting an NFL record with seven consecutive games with 150-plus rushing yards to start a season. The Ravens play the Browns in their first game after Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles.

The Lions are off the heels of beating the Vikings who were one of two unbeaten teams left in the league. Detroit now has five or more wins through six games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1933-34, and it should be no match for a Titans team that is off to their worst start (1-5) since 2015.

The Chiefs are going to get picked off at some point, as they have five wins by 10 or fewer points this season, and their +43 point differential is tied for the fourth-lowest by a 6-0 team in NFL history. However, Kansas City is 16-3 in its last 19 games against the Raiders, and Las Vegas has a -9 turnover margin amid its current three-game losing streak.

The Chargers are off a tough loss on Monday night to the Cardinals, but as long as Spencer Rattler is under center for the Saints, I like L.A.’s chances to bounce back under Jim Harbaugh.

The Jets are amid a three-game losing streak of their own, but their last win was an absolute destruction of the Patriots, 24-3, in a Thursday night home win. New England is off to its worst start (1-6) since 1993, and it has scored 21 or fewer points in nine straight game, which is the longest streak for the franchise 1999-2000.

Pittsburgh hosts its second straight New York team in primetime, after Russell Wilson threw for 264 yards in a win over the Jets. That was the most by a Steelers quarterback in his debut since 1950. Meanwhile, the Giants just finished their third game without a touchdown this season in a loss to the Eagles, and Daniel Jones became the first quarterback since 1950 to lose six straight home starts and not throw a touchdown pass in any of them.

Riskier NFL Survivor Pool Picks That Will Be Popular

Houston Texans (-260), Miami Dolphins (-166)

If any of the first six “safest picks” were either unavailable or you did not agree with them, the Texans are likely to be a popular play in a division game against the Colts. And while Houston is 4-0 against the AFC this year, it only beat Indianapolis by two points in Week 1, and the Colts are off to their best start (4-3) since 2020.

Miami is favored at home over Arizona, and that line could balloon with official word that Tua Tagovailoa is back from his concussion and starting. Even if he is under center, I would want to wait and see how he performs not only physically, but mentally, while also regenerating the timing needed for success with his skill position players.

Contrarian NFL Survivor Pool Picks to Beat a Large Pool

Denver Broncos (-480)

I could easily have put Denver in the “safest picks” category, but it is more worthy of “contrarian play” status since this is likely the only time one would ever think of using the Broncos in survivor pools. Denver faces a Panthers squad that has allowed 34 or more points in four straight games for first time ever. Their 243 points allowed this season are tied for the third-most though seven games by any team in the Super Bowl era. Carolina is amid its fourth losing streak of four or more games since the start of last season, and a team that already has six double-digit losses should be faded each and every week until they prove to be a formidable opponent.

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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.