NFL Week 8 Picks

Last week I went a humbling 7-7, which is starting to make me think that my “upset specials” are not going to work out this year. My year to date total is 56-48, which would make me feel great if I was in the AFC West.  Here are my picks for week 8.

Broncos over the 49ers- Denver took one on the chin last week, but will bounce back strong this week against an inconsistent 49er team.  Broncos 24-17

Jaguars over the Cowboys- While I am not a big fan of the Jags, the Cowboys season is all but over with the loss of Tony Romo.   Things could truly implode in Big D.  Jaguars 17-14

Dolphins over the Bengals- Miami suffered a tough loss to the Steelers last week, hiding the fact that they played very well.  Cincy is walking a fine line as another loss could set off tons of fireworks with Ochocinco and the boys. Dolphins 23-13

Chiefs over the Bills- Buffalo opened up some eyes last week as they gave the Ravens a huge scare. Kansas City should be able to ground out a victory through their physical running game. Chiefs 24-21

Redskins over the Lions- For some reason I can see this game being a shootout, which means big numbers for McNabb.  Don’t look now, Washington could be a playoff team.  Redskins 34-27

Rams over the Panthers- St. Louis is much improved, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  The Panthers, well the youth movement is in full effect. Rams 20-13

Titans over the Chargers- Tennessee is slowly emerging as one of the top teams in the AFC.  The Chargers continue to find new ways to lose games.  The Norv Turner watch begins.  Titans 28-15

Patriots over the Vikings- I can care less whether Brett Favre is hurt or not, the Patriots will be tough to beat, especially playing at home.  It will be interesting to see how bad Favre’s limp gets once the interceptions start racking up.  Patriots 38-17

Cardinals over the Buccaneers- Tampa Bay continues to impress, but for whatever reason think Arizona is going to come out with a big time effort.  Call it home cooking.  Cardinals 21-20

Raiders over the Seahawks- Taking a shot with the Silver and Black but not with much confidence.  If the Raiders can get anything out of their passing game, they could be a dangerous team. Raiders 17-10

Steelers over the Saints- Pittsburgh stole a game in Miami, which good teams find a way to do on the road.  The Saints have been up and down this season and I think their lack of a running game will hurt them in this one.  Steelers 28-24

Texans over the Colts- I hate betting against Peyton Manning, but the loss of both Dallas Clark and Austin Collie is really going to set back the offense.  Add in a struggling running game and it adds up to a season sweep for Houston.  Texans 31-21

New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers- The Jets, winners of 5 in a row, return from their bye to take on the Packers at the New Meadowlands Stadium.  Many believe that Gang Green has emerged as one of the best teams in the NFL, and it will be interesting to see how the team performs.  Will the Jets remain aggressive? Will Sanchez bounce back from a sub-par performance? Will Darrelle Revis regain his All-Pro form? Those questions and more will be answered in my Sunday game preview.

Enjoy week 8!!!

Tyson Rauch

See Full Bio