NFL Week 8 betting preview: Cowboys +3 point underdogs in Minnesota

We’re into Week 8 of the 2021 NFL regular season. Before the games kick off this Sunday, here’s your Week 8 betting preview. (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Record YTD: 24-7

Biggest Favorite: Los Angeles Rams (-16) AT Houston Texans

Highest Over: New York Giants AT Kansas City Chiefs OVER 52

Lowest Under: San Francisco 49ers AT Chicago Bears UNDER 39.5

Three Picks Of The Week

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Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)

After starting the season 0-3, the Indianapolis Colts have gotten hot. Winners of three of their last four games, the Colts have been playing much better football. While they haven’t beaten the best competition, Indy has shown they are not the same team they started 0-3. A large part of their resurgence has been the play of Carson Wentz. The former first-round pick has been at his best the past four weeks, throwing eight touchdowns without a single interception, and averaging a quarterback rating of nearly 120. The Titans will likely lean on Derrick Henry heavily in this game, but the Colts run defense, ranked fourth-best in football via Pro Football Focus, should be able to limit him enough that he does not become a game-breaker. In the end, the Colts desperately need this victory if they want to have any shot at winning the division. Indy continues to play good football, winning their third-straight game in a 28-23 win.

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Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions (+3.5)

While this won’t be a matchup that generates many headlines across the league, the Eagles and Lions will be one of the better games of the week. In a matchup of two very poor teams, the Lions have a great chance to get their first victory of the season this Sunday. Last week Detriot once again came so close to notching their first win, but they were outlasted by the Los Angeles Rams who took home a 28-19 victory. This week, they get to face an Eagles offense that won’t be able to expose their very poor defense. Without Miles Sanders, Philadelphia has no real running game. That means all the weight falls on the shoulders of Jalen Hurts, and he’s just not a good enough quarterback to carry the load. This will be a sloppy, low-scoring game, but the Lions finally are able to finish the job, covering the +3.5 point spread and getting their first victory of the season.

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Washington Football Team (+3.5) at Denver Broncos

After starting the season 3-0, the Denver Broncos have had one of the worst falls from grace in recent NFL history. Denver has lost four straight games, with three of the four losses coming in non-competitive games. The Broncos’ offensive struggles have been a big reason why they are on a four-game skid. Since Week 4, the Denver offense has averaged 16 points. This week they get to go up against a Washington Football Team defense that has really struggled, but might have found something last weekend against the Packers. Even with their offense turning the ball over twice, Washington held Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to just 24 points. If Taylor Heinicke doesn’t have multiple miscues at the goal line, Washington might have had a chance to win the game outright. This week, Teddy Bridgewater won’t be able to expose their defense. This will be a low-scoring game, but Washington’s defense will take the momentum from last week and carry it into Denver, forcing some turnovers and leading them to a victory.

Cowboys Corner

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Dallas Cowboys (+3) at Minnesota Vikings

O/U= 51.5

The Pick: Cowboys (+3)

It’s tough to bet on this game with any confidence until we know for sure if Dak Prescott is playing or not, but I’ll go under the assumption that he plays. If he does, Cowboys +3 is one of the easiest bets of the year. The Vikings’ run defense is very poor, so even if Prescott is limited in what he can do, Dallas will be able to run the ball with success. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard will both have big days, just like they did last season in Minnesota. This will certainly be a close game, but don’t bet on Kirk Cousins in primetime. Cousins makes a big mistake in the fourth quarter, leading Dallas to cover the spread and win the game outright.

Player Prop Of The Week

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Dalton Schultz TD Scorer +190

Take it.

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