NFL Against the Spread Picks Power Rankings: Our Top 10 ATS Bets and Predictions for Week 8
How much should the Seattle Seahawks be favored over the 6-1 New York Giants at home? Our NFL power rankings look at our favorite against-the-spread picks for Week 8.
Put some respect on Geno Smith's name! The Seattle Seahawks quarterback looks like the player we expected him to be when he was drafted out of West Virginia in the 2013 NFL Draft. In Week 8, the Seattle Seahawks will be laying three points against the red hot New York Giants at Lumen Field, but is this number high enough?
Check out our Week 8 NFL odds and lines analysis.
The following is the power rankings of my favorite point spread bets for Week 8 of the NFL season (odds via our top-rated sportsbooks; lines as of Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. ET).
10. Vikings -3.5 (-107 via PointsBet) vs. Cardinals
It is the Minnesota Vikings' constantly improving defense that makes them an attractive pick to cover the spread of 3.5 points against the Arizona Cardinals. I make the Vikings a 4-point home favorite over the Cardinals, so you have only the slightest edge in this wager. As the week progresses, I anticipate that this line will trade at Vikings -4.
9. Panthers +6 (-107 via PointsBet) at Falcons
According to my power ratings and the edge in the numbers, the Carolina Panthers should rank higher on the power ranking, but I'm using some human element here to rank them at No. 9. It is unlikely that the Panthers' front office is all that pleased with their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they should not want to win this week. The Panthers desperately need to tank for a quarterback, and I still believe that's the goal. Therefore, I am unable to rank them higher.
8. Niners -2 (-107 via PointsBet) at Rams
The San Francisco 49ers were blown out at home by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 and the Los Angeles Rams have an extra week to prepare coming off of their bye week. However, the look-ahead line has been flipped from Rams -2.5 to 49ers -2. I believe that this speaks volumes about the upcoming matchup, which will be played in Los Angeles, but will most likely be a home game for the Niners. I am not concerned about the score of San Francisco's game against the Chiefs, as I believe that the Niners deserve to be favored by two points over the Rams.
7. Bills -10.5 (-107 via PointsBet) vs. Packers
Aaron Rodgers has never been a double-digit underdog in his career. How often will you hear this storyline this week? Well, guess what, it is totally justified, and I think it should be even higher, as I make the Buffalo Bills an 11.5-point favorite over the Green Bay Packers. Due to the Bills' tendency to keep their foot on the gas at all times, it would not be surprising to see them blow out the Packers in a primetime game in front of their home crowd.
6. Buccaneers +2 (-105 via PointsBet) vs. Ravens
Following a 21-3 loss to the lifeless Panthers, who is interested in betting on the Buccaneers against the Baltimore Ravens? Although the Buccaneers offense is in shambles, I believe that the market overreacted in correcting this line. Following the loss to the Panthers, we observed a shift from Buccaneers -3 on the lookahead to Ravens -2. Almost everyone has a bad week or two, and I do not believe a 5-point adjustment is necessary. As I believe this should be trading closer to a pick'em, I like the 2-point line we are getting with the Buccaneers.
5. Titans -1.5 (+100 via Caesars Sportsbook) at Texans
This line has moved from Tennessee Titans -4 to Titans -1.5 since Sunday night, which is largely due to the fact that Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill injured his ankle and was wearing a walking boot. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel commented on Monday afternoon that Tannehill was progressing well. While there is still uncertainty about Tannehill, I believe it is worthwhile to take advantage of this line of Titans -1.5. If he plays, you will have snagged yourself a very favorable number, and if he does not, I still believe they will be able to cover the 1.5 points with rookie Malik Willis under center.
4. Saints +2 (-110 via Caesars) vs. Raiders
There was a look-ahead line of New Orleans Saints -1.5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but it has since flipped to Raiders -2. I disagree with the move, as the final score between the Saints and Cardinals is not indicative of the entire picture. The Saints were the better team, however, QB Andy Dalton gifted the Cardinals two touchdowns. I believe the wrong team is favored and the look-ahead line was a more appropriate number.
3. Dolphins -3 (-115 via PointsBet) at Lions
As head coach Dan Campbell's seat begins to heat up, the Detroit Lions are losing momentum on their season. According to Football Outsiders, only the Atlanta Falcons have a worse pass defense than the Lions. It is clear that the Lions do not possess the defensive ability to slow down a Miami Dolphins offensive attack that features wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. On the road, I make the Dolphins 5-point favorites over the Lions, thus I strongly favor the line of Dolphins -3.
2. Cowboys -10.5 (-110 via DraftKings Sportsbook) vs. Bears
In my opinion, the Chicago Bears won't be able to get anything going offensively against the Dallas Cowboys to enable them to cover the spread. The Bears are one of the worst offensive units in the NFL, while the Cowboys are one of the best defensive units. While I seriously considered making this the top bet of the week, I think you might be able to find a line of Cowboys -10 later on in the week.
1. Seahawks -2.5 (-118 via FanDuel Sportsbook) vs. Giants
This is the third consecutive week that the Seattle Seahawks have occupied the top spot of our power rankings, and they have easily cashed the previous two times. With the Seahawks, their power rating is not adjusting quickly enough to the level at which they are playing. QB Geno Smith is dropping dimes in 2022, so forget everything you have ever heard about him. In addition, the Seahawks' defense continues to improve each week. As this spread sits below the key number of 3 points, the Seahawks are back at the top of the power rankings.
Where to Bet on NFL ATS Picks
Picks made 10/24/2022 at 5:09 p.m. ET.
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