NFL Week 8 Pick’Em Picks and Predictions

There are so many different ways to get in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook this NFL season. One of the best ways is by joining a weekly NFL Pick’Em pool. These pools require you to pick every game on the NFL slate against the spread.

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NFL Week 8 Pick’Em Pool Picks, Predictions and Strategy

Here are my five favorite selections to use this week in NFL against-the-spread pools.

NFL Week 8 Picks

Chiefs -1.5 at Broncos — The Chiefs suffered a loss in a really tough spot on the road in Seattle last week. That is always one of the hardest places to go play, and the Seahawks were desperate for a win. However, Kansas City now looks to get back on track in a massive divisional matchup. The winner of this game will take over first place in the AFC West and be in the driver’s seat heading into the second half of the season. Despite it only being Week 8, this will already be the second matchup of the season between these teams. For being so early in the season, this is a massive game in terms of playoff implications.

In the first matchup this season, the Chiefs blew out the Broncos in Week 1. Patrick Mahomes announced his return from injury by picking apart the Denver defense, and the Kansas City defense suffocated Bo Nix. While the road trip to Denver will be much tougher, I am still backing the Chiefs to win and cover this short spread. The Denver offense still has real issues, ranking 23rd in EPA/play and 29th in success rate. The Kansas City defense ranks top five in both EPA/play and success rate, and should stifle Bo Nix once again. When it comes to making the winning plays down the stretch, it’s not even close when it comes to which quarterback you’d rather back.

Bears +3.5 at Seahawks — Seattle just got its big win over the Chiefs and now could be in for a bit of a letdown this week. The Bears got a nice win over the Patriots on Thursday Night Football last week, and with this game being on Monday night, Chicago will be on 11 days of rest heading into this game. They should be totally fresh, and Ben Johnson should have an excellent game plan on how to attack this Seattle defense.

The Seattle offense has not been the same this season. They currently rank 21st in offensive success rate, while the Bears rank fourth in defensive success rate. If Chicago can just limit the downfield passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle should really struggle to move the ball methodically. The Seattle defense is elite. However, Ben Johnson on extended time should have a great plan to attack that defense. Chicago should be able to keep this game within this 3.5-point spread.

Steelers -3.5 vs. Browns —The Steelers are coming off a nice win over the Saints in Paris. Pittsburgh has now won three straight games and is tied atop the AFC North with the Browns. This is an incredibly competitive division, with all four teams above .500 heading into this week. These divisional matchups will be pivotal in who ends up winning the AFC North. As it seemingly always has been in this division, home-field is a massive advantage. Both the Steelers and the Browns are 3-0 at home this season, so Pittsburgh needs to win this matchup on its home field.

These defenses are relatively well-matched, both ranking inside the top 10 in the NFL in EPA/play and success rate. Pittsburgh has a slight advantage when it comes to offensive EPA/play. Despite their strong start, the Browns still rank 28th in the NFL in scoring, averaging just 19 points per game. These are two great defenses, but the Cleveland defense is not nearly the same unit on the road as they are at home. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has the more trustworthy offense. The Steelers should get the win and cover at home.

Lions -3.5 vs. Vikings — The NFC North is another stacked division, and this matchup could be pivotal in the divisional race. Minnesota is the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL. The offense has not been particularly good, so that is a testament to Brian Flores’ phenomenal work with this defense. However, it is also due to the Vikings’ relatively easy schedule so far.

Minnesota mounted an incredible comeback to beat the Packers in Week 1. Then, in Week 2, they won a game in which Caleb Williams got knocked out with an injury. In Week 3, Baker Mayfield got knocked out of the game with an injury. They then played their next three games against the Dolphins, Saints and Colts. So, over their past four games, they have not had to face an offense that ranks inside the top 20 in offensive EPA/play.

The Vikings have gotten away with not scoring points this season because of the power of their defense against bad offenses. However, the Detroit offense should put points on the board, even against this elite defense. The Lions’ offense ranks third in EPA/play and second in success rate this season, making them by far the best unit that Minnesota has faced so far. This game will also be played indoors at home, where the Detroit offense thrives.

The Lions’ biggest downfall this season has been their defense. However, Minnesota does not have the offensive firepower to take advantage of those flaws. The Vikings rank dead last in offensive success rate this season. Give me the home team with the much better offense to take care of business and deliver the Vikings their first loss of the season.

Ravens +3.5 at Bills — The Ravens are expected to finally get Lamar Jackson back this week. It could not have come soon enough, as the offense was really struggling without the former MVP. Tyler Huntley led a great comeback to get a win in Atlanta in his first start. However, over the past two games, Baltimore has combined for just 23 points. If Jackson returns, they should have success against the Buffalo defense. The Bills rank 29th in defensive EPA/dropback this season. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson leads all quarterbacks in adjusted EPA/play this season. Jackson should be able to pick apart the Buffalo defense if he is healthy.

This is a huge spot for the Ravens. The AFC North is stacked, and the Ravens find themselves in last place despite having a winning record. They have taken two losses in a row with Jackson sidelined and need to get back to winning ways. This should be a great battle between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens should keep it within a field goal or even get a big road win.