Week 8: NFL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets

Tom Brady continues his winning ways in the playoffs with Tampa
Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports

As we approach the weekend, it's time to prepare for this week's edition of NFL best bets.

It takes a lot of energy and research to have success over the course of a season when it comes to sports betting. We went 2-3 in Week 7 but dominated in Week 6, converting five of five picks. Let's get back on track in Week 8. Here at FantasySP, we are committed to helping you cash. Remember, if you win 55% of your bets, you are a really good gambler. We are looking at some eye opening odds this week and will help you decipher the best games to place your money on, whether it's moneylines, over-unders, or prop bets. With that, let's dive in.

WEEK 8 NFL BEST BETS

Los Angeles Rams -15.5 @ Houston Texans

Matthew Stafford looks like a possible MVP candidate while the Texans are in the running for the worst team in the NFL, despite not having the worst record. Since losing Tyrod Taylor the Texans have scored a total of 39 points. In three of those games they had no touchdowns. The Rams defense hasn't allowed more than 24 points to any team. This has the makings of a 38-6 type of blowout.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -5.5 @ New Orleans Saints

The Saints got a nice win last week against a team that started Geno Smith at QB. Tom Brady is on fire, if you're getting a line with less than a touchdown for the Bucs right now and it's not against one of the top teams you take it. On top of Brady easily outclassing Jameis Winston, the Tampa Bay defense creates a ton of turnovers. They've created 14 turnovers through seven games for a +7 turnover ratio. I like the odds of the Bucs continuing their trend of multiple turnovers per game against the turnover machine that is Jameis Winston.

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons -3

The Falcons are starting to look like a solid team, Kyle Pitts is a beast and has filled the void that Julio Jones left behind. Sam Darnold is starting to transform back to his old self, much to the delight of Jet fans. The Panthers have proven to be a very error-prone team. Over their past two games, they've had two fumbles lost, two picks, two turnovers on downs, a safety and countless dropped passes.

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 @ Seattle Seahawks

If the Seahawks are still trotting out Geno Smith, I'm going to be betting against them. The public will probably heavily favor Seattle at home here, but I think the Jaguars are a bit better than people are giving them credit for. They lost to the Bengals by just three, and the Cardinals by 12 as well. Those teams are far better than the Seahawks even with Russell Wilson. Trevor Lawrence should continue to improve at a rapid pace. I think the Jags shock everyone getting the away victory in Seattle, but I'll take the +3 for betting purposes.

Dallas Cowboys -3 @ Minnesota Vikings

The Cowboys are 5-1 and more importantly for bettors 6-0 against the spread this season. They have one of the most potent offenses in the league, and now have an X-factor in Trevon Diggs on the other side of the ball. Dallas should win this game easily by 10-14 points, and Vegas will put a hefty pricetag on them from here on out. Get them while you can for Week 8 because this may be the last time you see them with just a field goal spread against a mediocre team.

With Football and March Madness in our rear-view window, you must think that there is nothing good to bet on these days. However, there’s so much going on right now that even we are having a hard time keeping up!

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on to help you out.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, they are offering new users their No Sweat $1,000 promotion. This means you will get up to $1,000 back in Bonus Bets if you lose your first bet!

Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

Terms & Conditions: 21+ and present in CO, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA or WV. New users only. Must wager in designated offer market. $10 first deposit required. $150 max bonus. See full terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call: 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, IL, VA), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).