NFL Week 8: Pro Football Underdog Lines for Playoff Contenders

The genuine playoff contenders are starting to take shape in Week 8 of the NFL schedule. But even as divisional favorites emerge, there are some intriguing pro football lines this week.

Some of the best teams on the schedule are NFL underdogs. So let’s see where some pro football underdog lines produce opportunities for Week 8.

Divisional Games

We have three games where two rivals are playing in Week 8. So, one of them has to be NFL underdogs, but there are some curious choices.

First up is one of the biggest games on the schedule of pro football games.

Titans at Colts (-1)

The Tennessee Titans take their 5-2 record into Indianapolis against the 3-4 Colts. This is still pretty much a pick ’em game with the oddsmakers.

I’m not sure why Tennessee isn’t getting more respect. I’ll take the Titans no matter the number. They proved they could beat good teams in the last two weeks, and Derrick Henry continues to destroy any defense that gets in his way.

Steelers at Browns (-3.5)

This game is a battle between two old rivals who suddenly find themselves looking up at the rest of the division. The 4-3 Browns are trying to keep pace with the rest of the division while Baker Mayfield deals with an injured shoulder. While his injury is on his non-throwing arm, it will still impact his play.

People keep writing off Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, who are 3-3. While I’m not sure that’s a good idea, I like Cleveland at home, where they are 3-1 this season.

Panthers at Falcons (-3)

Neither one of these teams has any hope of catching the Buccaneers, but NFC Wild Card spots are up for grabs if one of them can get on a run.

The 3-3 Falcons are looking for three wins in a row, but the Panthers, at 3-4, have the number four defense against the pass. That might be enough to shut down Matt Ryan and company, so I’m betting on Carolina for an upset victory.

The Other Pro Football Underdog Lines

There are several more NFL underdogs with faint hopes of playoff appearances. Unfortunately, most of these teams are stumbling into Week 8 on losing streaks. Still, others are too banged up or on the mend.

There are three more games that stand out to me as opportunities to bet on the underdog. Each of these games is a conference matchup.

49ers at Bears (+4)

To me, taking Chicago at home with four points is an obvious play. The 3-4 Chicago Bears are home NFL underdogs to a 2-5 San Francisco team that has lost its last four games.

The numbers say the 49ers lead in most categories, but Chicago is at home with an early game time. It won’t be pretty, but I believe that the Bears will cover the spread.

Buccaneers at Saints (+5)

This game seems like a lock. Offensively, the Saints looked terrible beating the Seahawks last week, but they have won two in a row and have a defense that could make life miserable for Tom Brady.

Sean Payton has a history of getting his teams to punch above their weight class in big games. So I’ll take the 5.5 points and go with the Saints.

Patriots at Chargers (+6)

New England travels to California with a big win under their belt. Sure, it was against the Jets, but at 3-4, they are climbing into contention again. The 4-2 Chargers had a rough ride in Baltimore two weeks ago, but they had a bye week to lick their wounds heading into Week 8.

If Belichick has his team moving in the right direction again, they will fight for a Wild Card spot. The division isn’t out of reach either. The Chargers’ defense has shown some weaknesses that I believe Belichick can expose. I’m taking New England to at least cover the spread.

NFL Underdogs are Getting Interesting

We’re getting to the point in the season when pro football underdog lines reveal offer the most value. I believe that the games above provide the best value for Week 8.

What do you think? Create your account at BetMGM’s online sports betting site and place your bets on these games and all the other NFL action this season.