NFL Betting: Top 3 Divisional Matchups for Bettors in Week 8

Week 8 of the NFL happens during Halloween weekend, and for some teams, there’s plenty to be afraid of as we approach this week’s games.

The Packers will be haunted by the likely loss of Davante Adams, as he has been placed on the Covid-19-list. Meanwhile, Miles Sanders has ghosted the Eagles and will be sidelined with an ankle injury on Sunday, and the Dolphins will face a scary Bills team that will be out for blood after a devastating loss before their bye week. The good news is that there are plenty of treats in the NFL betting lines.

Let’s take a look at the top three this week and see who will reign supreme and who will have their names etched on Week 8’s tombstone.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) at Cleveland Browns

The Steelers head into the Dawg Pound with revenge on their minds after being crushed by the Browns in last year’s wild card game.

Both teams have been underwhelming so far this season and occupy the bottom half of the AFC North. Gone are the days of the Steelers’ vaunted air-attack, as Big Ben has been relegated to a dink and dunk specialist, completing 64% of his pass attempts between 1-5 yards down the field – the highest in the league.

As for the Browns, they’re beat-up, bruised, and are lacking consistent quarterback play. Even if Baker Mayfield plays, I doubt it would have a significant outcome on the game, as the Browns will stick with their strengths, which is running the ball and playing good defense.

The Steelers have the edge in the all-time series 77-61-1 but have lost the last two meetings. In a game that could go either way, the +3.5 spread is just too high for me to take Cleveland.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (+1)

This should be one of the best games of the week and an exciting one to look forward to when making your NFL betting picks. The Titans come into the game red-hot, having just taken down two of the league’s perennial powerhouses in the Bills and Chiefs.

Not only is Derrick Henry running rampant, but now he’s throwing touchdown passes too. On the other side, embattled QB Carson Wentz is regaining the form that made him an MVP candidate just a few years ago. The Colts are surging, backed by a strong defense and error-free quarterback play. Wentz has just one interception on 219 pass attempts this season, which is the best in the NFL.

The Colts dominate all-time series 35-19-0, but the Titans have prevailed in the last two, including a 25-16 victory in Week 3. While both teams are playing great, the Titans are due for a letdown, so I’ll give the edge to the Colts because of home-field advantage.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (+5)

On paper, this NFC South matchup looks like a mismatch. The Buccaneers remain their explosive selves with Tom Brady and are coming off of a 38-3 obliteration of the Bears. Meanwhile, the Saints are 4-2 but have looked less than spectacular. They struggled mightily against the Russell Wilson-less Seahawks on Monday, and that was after they had an extra week to prepare with a bye week.

Jameis Winston has been efficient, but he just doesn’t have any weapons to throw to. Running back Alvin Kamara accounted for 58% of the team’s receiving yards against the Seahawks, which is a problem for the Saints.

While the Saints have won five of the last six meetings, you can throw that out the window because they also had Drew Brees for those wins. Tampa Bay has too much firepower for the Saints to keep up in this one. I like the Bucs to cover the spread here.

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