The Week 8 NFL betting odds are up, and while bettors can still get action down on this week’s edition of Monday Night Football, targeting lines early may offer a better return on investment. Bettors looking to do just that should head to BetMGM and WynnBet to tail the following early Week 8 NFL predictions and picks. We’ve identified some favorable betting spots like the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.
Sharp bettors bet early. Identifying games where future movement seems likely allows bettors to secure closing line value, or CLV, relative to the game’s final spread. Taking a team to cover a 2.5-point spread has a much better chance of hitting than taking that same team to cover even a 3.5-point spread. Bettors can secure more value now than they’ll get right before kickoff by getting their action down on the Week 7 NFL betting markets early.
Early NFL Week 8 Predictions & Betting Picks
Patriots vs. Jets Prediction: New York Doomed By Injuries
The New York Jets just lost starting right tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker and running back Breece Hall for the season. Those injuries could prove disastrous for the Jets, and both the spread and moneyline should move against them as next week’s kickoff approaches. Let’s dive further into our early NFL predictions and picks.
New York’s offensive line is in shambles. Vera-Tucker was a bright spot with a PFF grade of 71.1, but he’ll now miss the rest of the year. Left tackle Mekhi Becton was already out for the year, and swing tackle George Fant won’t return from injured reserve in time for Week 8. That leaves New York with Duane Brown, who owns a dismal PFF grade of 57.9, at left tackle, and Cedric Ogbuehi, who owns a similarly bad PFF grade of 58.4, at right tackle. They won’t get much help from the interior — left guard Laken Tomlinson and right guard Nate Herbig both own PFF grades below 51.5.
Without a competent offensive line, and without an elite pure runner to threaten opposing defenses, the weight of this offense will now fall entirely on Zach Wilson‘s shoulders. He must now face a Patriots pass rush that ranks sixth in pressure percentage (24.6%) with a depleted offensive line and a limited receiving corps — Corey Davis got hurt last week, and who knows if Elijah Moore will suit up. Wilson was already completing only 11.8% of his passes under pressure, which ranks 36th, so don’t expect much out of New York next Sunday. Wager enough on the moneyline to profit a full unit.
Patriots vs. Jets Prediction: Patriots Moneyline (-125 for 1.25 Units) at BetMGM
Titans vs. Texans Prediction: Titans Might Be Without Tannehill
The Tennessee Titans scored a big win over their division rivals, the Indianapolis Colts, last Sunday, to complete the season sweep. But the Titans got out-gained by the Colts in both matchups and relied on giveaways to get the win. Further, quarterback Ryan Tannehill got injured and had to use a walking boot after the win.
It’s early in the week, but Tannehill’s post-game comments don’t inspire much confidence. He told reporters that he’ll do his best to play despite his ankle, which “doesn’t feel great,” but the Titans having to start either a banged-up Tannehill or Malik Willis could move this spread. Further, Tannehill wasn’t the only Titan to go down — interior defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons, who owns an elite PFF grade of 89.8 and has accounted for 4.5 sacks and 4 tackles for loss, also went down with an ankle injury. Losing him for a week, or getting him only on a snap count, could create defensive gaps.
The Texans haven’t been great this year, but they have been good enough to keep games close. Last Sunday, the Texans kept things close against the Raiders until Josh Jacobs led a late-game surge. The week before, the Texans knocked off the Jaguars on the road. They nearly beat the Bears, Broncos and Colts as well. Houston actually outranks Tennessee in yards gained per play, 21st (5.2) to 31st (4.9), and the two are tied for 27th in yards allowed per play (6). Bettors should wager enough to profit one unit.
Titans vs. Texans Prediction: Texans Moneyline (+115 for 0.87 Units) at BetMGM
Commanders vs. Colts: The Ehlinger Era Begins in Indianapolis
There probably isn’t a spot to buy lower on the Colts than this one. While the shift to Sam Ehlinger under center could prove rocky, how much worse than Matt Ryan can he be? While some advanced metrics suggest Ryan wasn’t terrible, but his turnover problems doomed the Colts. Ehlinger, even if he is less efficient, should be an upgrade if he can retain possession of the ball.
It says a lot that the Colts are turning to Ehlinger over Nick Foles. But those who watched the Colts in the preseason probably aren’t surprised — Ehlinger completed 82.8% of his passes for 289 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions across three games. That speaks to his ability to minimize mistakes. He’ll have to contend with a third-ranked Washington pass rush, but Indianapolis’ offensive line has been trending upward, and Ehlinger is much more mobile than either Ryan or Foles.
The Colts have the talent to succeed on offense, and their defense remains loaded. The defense could even be getting a boost — linebacker Shaquille Leonard could return after logging two full practice sessions last week. The Colts already ranked eighth in yards allowed per play (5.1) and 15th in pressure percentage (21.1%), so Leonard’s return would help this unit improve from good to great.
Commanders vs. Colts: Colts -2 (-110) at WynnBet
