NFL Week 8 Betting Guide | The TwinSpires Edge

It turns out the 49ers are actually pretty good at football. San Francisco improved its record to 6-0 on Sunday by shutting out the Redskins in a game that looked like it was being played at SeaWorld. Kyle Shanahan's squad will have a chance to prove its prefect record isn't a fluke this week when the Niners host the Panthers at Levi's Stadium.

We have odds and analysis for that matchup as well as all of the biggest Week 8 trends and storylines from around the National Football League.

Visit BetAmerica to wager on all NFL Week 8 action.

Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Broncos appeared to turn around their season with a road win at the Chargers and a 16-0 shutout of the Titans at home. Then reality set in when Kansas City stopped by Mile High on Thursday Night Football and handed Denver its fifth loss.

Even without an injured Patrick Mahomes, who exited before halftime with a dislocated knee, the Broncos’ No. 3 pass defense couldn’t keep the Chiefs from scoring. Denver gave up a 21-yard touchdown on a Mahomes pass to Mecole Hardman in the first quarter and let backup Matt Moore connect with newly returned Tyreek Hill for a 57-yard score in the third.

✅ Touchdown Chiefs!
? Tyreek Hill’den 57 yard TD! Chiefs 2️⃣7️⃣ Broncos 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/O6qh8kcycF — Domino Spor (@dominospor) October 18, 2019

Despite facing a porous Chiefs rushing defense, Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay collected just 36 yards on 11 carries, while Royce Freeman converted 10 attempts into 35 yards and Denver’s only touchdown.

The Broncos will look to bounce back on the road in a matchup with Indianapolis’ No. 22-ranked offense. The Colts head into the game on a two-win streak after Sunday’s 30-23 home victory against the Texans.

Jacoby Brissett stepped up in the passing game for 326 yards and four touchdowns, as the Texans run defense shut down Marlon Mack and limited the back to 44 yards on 18 carries. Mack might have an easier time against Denver’s No. 16 rushing defense (107.3 yards per game), but Brissett will encounter a bit of a challenge.

The Colts QB’s completion percentage is 65% on the season, and it may dip lower against the Broncos’ pass defense.

The Broncos are 5.5-point road underdogs and are 2-9 against the spread in the last 11 games against Indy. Denver is also 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings in Indianapolis.

Bet on Denver vs. Indianapolis here.

Carolina Panthers vs. San Francisco 49ers

Kyle Allen hopes to extend his unbeaten streak as a starter when he and the 4-2 Carolina Panthers visit the undefeated San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Fresh off a bye week, the Panthers last faced Tampa Bay in a 37-26 road victory in which Carolina’s defense intercepted Jameis Winston five times and held the Bucs quarterback to 30-of-54 passing. Tampa Bay’s run game fared worse, as Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones II both struggled to get going on the ground and combined for 38 of the Bucs’ 42 rushing yards.

Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey got stuffed, as well, and averaged just 1.4 yards per carry on 22 attempts. The Carolina rushing attack combined for 59 yards and two scores on the day, while Allen tossed two touchdowns and piled up 227 yards on 20-of-32 passing.

The Panthers’ upcoming opponent, San Francisco, just earned a win at Washington on a windy, rain-soaked Sunday afternoon. Robbie Gould hit three field goals to provide the 49ers with a modicum of offense and give them a 9-0 win over head coach Kyle Shanahan’s former team.

#49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo converts a 3rd & 3 to Richie James that set up Robbie Gould to put the 49ers ahead 3-0. pic.twitter.com/1o4VkjPqMJ
— Fourth and Nine (@fourth_nine) October 20, 2019

With San Francisco’s shutout of Washington on Sunday, the 49ers became the first team since 2005 to limit their opponent to seven or fewer points and fewer than 200 total yards of offense over three consecutive games. San Francisco held the Browns to a field goal in Week 5 and gave up just seven points to the Rams the following week.

The Niners boast the No. 1 defense in the league and the No. 2 rushing attack, and enter the game favored by five points. However, Carolina is 9-1 against the spread in the last 10 games in San Francisco and 14-3 ATS in the last 17 meetings.

Bet on Carolina vs San Francisco here.

Cleveland Browns vs. New England Patriots

The disappointing Cleveland Browns look for win No. 3 against the undefeated New England Patriots in a road trip to Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

The Browns have lost two straight to the 49ers (31-3) and Seahawks (32-28) and will get the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense following a week of rest. New England battles Sam Darnold and AFC East foe New York on Monday and must overcome a plethora of injuries on offense.

Julian Edelman has been limited in practice with a chest injury, and Phillip Dorsett is working through a hamstring issue. Receiver Josh Gordon and tight end Matt LaCosse were both ruled out against the Jets due to knee injuries, and tight end Ryan Izzo is sidelined with a concussion. Running back Rex Burkhead is one more player unable to take the field because of his health, and receiver Gunner Olszewski is questionable Monday with an injured hamstring, as well.

Patriots going to Jersey without both Josh Gordon and Rex Burkhead. Should be another busy night for Julian Edelman and James White.
Burkhead was listed as questionable following Friday’s practice. Things seemed to be progressing, but he’ll miss his third straight on Monday. https://t.co/9DxBj6HSSq — Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) October 20, 2019

Tom Brady is running out of options, and it’s become more apparent the offense can’t run well on the Brady-to-Edelman connection, alone. Brady failed to throw a touchdown against the Giants but ran in two scores from the one-yard line in the Patriots’ 35-14 beating. If Brady couldn’t score through the air against a weak Giants D, he should have even more issues against the Browns’ No. 6 pass defense.

Luckily for the Pats’ rushing attack, Cleveland is the third-worst team at defending the run, so New England might find its answer in Sony Michel or James White.

The Patriots are 10.5-point favorites over Cleveland and are 20-6 against the spread when playing a team with a losing record. The Browns are 2-5 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Patriots and 1-3-1 ATS in their last five in New England.

Bet on Cleveland vs. New England here.

Washington Redskins vs. Minnesota Vikings

Thursday, October 24, 8:20 p.m. ET | U.S. Bank Stadium

The 1-6 Redskins earned their only win against the Miami Dolphins, 17-16 in Week 6, before falling to San Francisco 9-0 in a sloppy home clash played in pouring rain. Up next for Washington is a 5-2 Vikings team riding a three-game win streak, with quarterback Kirk Cousins finally finding his stride in a run-focused offense.

In Minnesota’s 42-30 defeat of Detroit on Sunday, Cousins completed all but 10 of his passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns. It was his second game in a row in which he threw for four scores and over 330 yards.

Kirk Cousins is playing the best football of his career pic.twitter.com/kdV38Z6uft
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) October 21, 2019

Stefon Diggs was once again Cousins’ top target and reeled in seven catches for 142 yards against Detroit. He failed to reach the end zone but caught three of Cousins’ four touchdown passes the previous week against the Eagles.

The Vikings own the No. 3 rushing offense (160.0 YPG) and should have no trouble racking up yardage on the Redskins’ weak rushing D. Washington is much better against the pass, but it shouldn’t matter much, as Minnesota will simply hand it off to Dalvin Cook and let him run loose.

The Vikings are 15-point favorites and have yet to lose at home this season. In the last five meetings between Minnesota and Washington, the home team is 4-1 against the spread. The Redskins are also 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings overall.

Bet on Washington vs. Minnesota here.

Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday, October 27, 8:20 p.m. ET | Arrowhead Stadium

The Kansas City Chiefs’ opponent on Sunday couldn’t visit them at a worse time. The 6-1 Green Bay Packers travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on a Chiefs team missing star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

In Thursday night’s win against Denver, Mahomes dislocated his knee in the second quarter and is expected to miss at least three weeks as a result. Matt Moore will fill in at backup and go up against a middling Packers pass defense.

Green Bay gave up 329 yards through the air on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders and allowed Derek Carr to complete 22 of 28 passes. They got exposed by Josh Jacobs on the ground (124 yards on 21 carries) and let receiver Darren Waller reach the end zone twice.

Aaron Rodgers runs in the TD and shows us the belt still lives on ?? pic.twitter.com/AoEmmcgk3u
— 6-1 ? (@HailRodgers12_) October 20, 2019

Aaron Rodgers made up for the defense’s lapses by scoring six total touchdowns and passing for 429 yards. Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a whopping 133 yards on two receptions, while Jimmy Graham put up 65 yards and one touchdown on four catches. Aaron Jones only ran for 50 yards on 12 carries, but he caught four passes for 33 yards and scored a TD.

The Packers will need to run the ball more against Kansas City and exploit its weak spot on defense, but Green Bay should have an edge in Kansas City, either way, now that Mahomes is on the sidelines.

The Packers are 4.5-point road favorites and are 4-1 against the spread in their last five versus a team with a winning record.

Bet on Green Bay vs. Kansas City here.

Miami Dolphins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Monday, October 28, 8:15 p.m. ET | Heinz Field

It’s not the most enticing prime-time matchup, but on Monday Night Football we get the winless Miami Dolphins against the 2-4 Steelers at Heinz Field.

Miami played a surprisingly close game against the 5-1 Bills in Buffalo on Sunday. With 1:45 remaining in regulation, the Dolphins trailed 24-21, but Micah Hyde returned an onside kick to the end zone to seal the deal for Buffalo and give them a 31-21 victory.

This is impressive: Micah Hyde just returned an onside kick for a TD. Oh #Dolphins...
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/0ykHOMn7uZ — NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) October 20, 2019

Miami actually led by five at half time in a game the Dolphins were predicted to lose by 17 points. An interception and a fumble by Miami each resulted in touchdowns after the Bills regained possession and cost the Dolphins the chance to pull off an epic upset.

Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins on 23-of-35 passing and one touchdown, as second-year QB Josh Rosen watched from the sidelines. The Dolphins hit a season-high in passing yardage (282 yards) and points against the Bills’ third-ranked defense. They also broke the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in 2019.

The Steelers enter Week 8 off a bye and will give Mason Rudolph the start after he sat out Week 6 in concussion protocol. Devlin Hodges took over at quarterback and led the Steelers to a 24-17 road win over the L.A. Chargers. Pittsburgh’s rushing attack also tallied 124 yards, with 75 of those coming from rookie Benny Snell Jr. James Conner put up another 41 on 16 carries and caught seven passes for 78 yards.

The Steelers and Dolphins both rank in the bottom five in total offense, though their defenses differ greatly. Pittsburgh is 14th in fewest yards allowed, while Miami comes in at 30th.

The Dolphins are 14.5-point underdogs and are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 road games. The Steelers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.

Bet on Miami vs Pittsburgh here.

NFL Betting Trends

Looking to build your bankroll? These are the numbers you need to know:

Home favorites have won just 53% of their games SU in 2019. By contrast, road favorites have won 73% of their games SU
Road teams have won 62% of their games ATS in 2019. Road dogs have fared even better, winning 66% of their games ATS in 2019
55% of all non-overtime games have gone Under the projected point total in 2019
The Colts have covered 80% of the time ATS in 2019. The Cardinals, Rams, Saints, Vikings and Packers are close behind at 71%
The Falcons have covered just 14% of the time ATS in 2019

NFL Week 8 Schedule

Cancel all your plans this Sunday. Seriously, you won't be going anywhere.

Get to Know Jalen Ramsey

Jalen Ramsey was every bit as good as advertised in his Rams debut as he neutralized All-Pro WR Julio Jones with his suffocating coverage. Here are three things you should know about L.A.'s dazzling new cornerback:

Ramsey was a two-sport star at Brentwood Academy in Tennessee, where he also excelled at track and field. He still holds the state long jump record at 25' 3.25", and he ran the 100-meter dash in just 10.50 seconds.
Ramsey attended Florida State, where he became the first true freshman to start at cornerback since Deion Sanders.
Ramsey blew teams away at the 2016 NFL Draft Combine, where he registered a 4.54 time in the 40, a 40.9-inch vertical and a 130.32 SPARQ rating.

NFL Audibles

#Raiders QB Derek Carr talks about his end zone fumble against the #Packers. pic.twitter.com/vizjbapNAv
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) October 21, 2019

It was deja vu all over again for Raiders QB Derek Carr who had a potential TD overturned after fumbling the ball at the goal line.

Full disclosure here...@teddyb_h2o is now 5-0 as the starting QB for the @Saints !!! His reaction to the wins. How he broke through the Bears top ranked defense. And his mindset with Drew Brees coming back soon... right HERE!@nflnetwork ?⬇️???? pic.twitter.com/1qbp5baXUk
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) October 21, 2019

No one is scoffing at Teddy Bridgewater's salary anymore. The $7.25 million man is now 5-0 since taking over for Drew Brees.

Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey said there was a sign outside the locker room that read: “Ravens are slow and big like Earl.” Humphrey didn’t say anything to Earl Thomas but he’s sure that the safety saw it.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 20, 2019

Note to opposing teams: You might not want to rile up Earl Thomas. The Ravens safety had five tackles and led Baltimore to a commanding 30-16 win over the Seahawks in his highly charged return to Seattle.

Three and Out

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher set an NFL record on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles when he became the first kicker with three field goals of 60 yards or more in the same game. Here are three other kicking records you may not know about:

Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater set the record for the longest field goal in NFL history when he nailed a 64 yarder against the Tennessee Titans on December 8, 2013.
Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski and San Francisco 49ers kicker David Akers share the record for the longest field goal by a left-footed kicker. They both booted the pigskin 63 yards.
Adam Vinatieri holds the record for most consecutive field goals made. The four-time Super Bowl champ connected on 44 straight FGs from October 4, 2015 until October 20, 2016.

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