NFL Week 8 Odds, Picks & Predictions: Underdog Bets (2023)
Week 7 was another solid week for Underdogs as we watched the Patriots and Vikings pull off massive upsets. The Giants were able to bring home a win for us as one of our top picks last week, and we also saw the Steelers, Colts, Bears, and Jaguars cover their spreads.
Week 8 brings us no bye weeks, which is a little odd, but I won’t complain about more football. Let’s look at our top Week 8 Underdog bets after reviewing the board.
NFL Week 8: Top Underdog Bets
Cincinnati Bengals (+3.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 7 brought the 49ers another shocking loss, this time to the Vikings. But that’s not the only bad news, as QB Brock Purdy is currently in concussion protocol, and his status is up in the air for Week 8’s big matchup against the Bengals. Sam Darnold would be the starting QB in the event Purdy is unable to clear the protocol in time for Sunday’s game on a short week. We know Deebo Samuel is out for this game, and the 49ers could be in trouble once again if Purdy and Trent Williams are ruled out later this week. Right now, it seems like Trent Williams is the only one who has a real chance to play. That would be a huge boost for this offense, but I’m not sure if it will be enough.
The Bengals are coming into this game off the bye week after a successful 2-0 West Coast road trip in Weeks 5 and 6. They should be much healthier now, especially Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, and they’ve had a couple of weeks to prepare for this 49ers team. I imagine they will key in on Christian McCaffrey and force Darnold and other guys to beat them with a depleted offensive corps.
This one will come down to how well the Bengals offense can execute against a tough 49ers defense, as I don’t see the 49ers offense putting up more than 21 points without Purdy, Williams, and Samuel. If Burrow can get into a rhythm here with his weapons, they should have a really good opportunity to win this game outright. If they come off the bye sluggish and allow this 49ers team to be more physical at the line of scrimmage, it will be hard to escape San Francisco with a win. This will be a 3-point game at worst – take the Bengals with the points here.
Bet: Bengals +3.5 vs. 49ers (-115)
Cleveland Browns (+4) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sticking with the AFC North here – I’m going to take the Browns as 4-point underdogs as they head to Seattle with PJ Walker at QB once again. Although the Seahawks have won 4 of their past 5 games, they haven’t seen a defense comparable to this Browns defense in that span.
The Browns will have to make the dreaded West Coast trip, but I believe this defense will travel well, and it won’t be a factor on that side of the ball. We’ve seen the Browns win games with PJ Walker, and they’ve done this by running the football on offense and playing tough defense. As long as Walker can take care of the football, they should be in every game. Seattle is solid on both sides of the ball but not intimidating enough to back them as a favorite against a better team overall.
I believe Myles Garrett and Co. will step up one more time until Deshaun Watson returns and keep this game within a field goal in Seattle.
Bet: Browns +4 vs. Seahawks (-112)
LA Rams (+6) vs. Dallas Cowboys
After a disappointing loss at home to the Steelers, the Rams find themselves at 3-4 and will need to travel to Jerry World to take on a tough Cowboys team. This is going to be a season-defining game for the Rams, as it’ll prove whether they can compete with the better teams in this league to reach the playoffs. They’ve lost three games so far to their toughest opponents (49ers, Bengals, Eagles), and a fourth loss to the Cowboys this week may show that they’re not capable of competing for the playoffs this year.
I think McVay will get his guys inspired and ready to go to face a Cowboys team they’ve had some success against in recent years. The Cowboys may be a little complacent coming off the bye week as they’re only 1.5 games back from the Eagles for the division and are feeling better about themselves after some bad losses to the 49ers and Cardinals early on.
Give me the Rams to cover here with their backs against the wall.
Bet: Rams +6 vs. Chiefs (-110)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:
- Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions
- MLB World Series Game 1 Odds & Picks
- NFL Week 8 Totals Odds, Picks & Predictions (2023)
- NBA Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks, & Predictions
- College Football Week 9 Same Game Parlay Odds & Picks (2023)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts