The week 8 NFL opening lines have been posted. Make sure you check out our NFL Lines page to see how odds have moved, and also how various sportsbooks are posting point spreads. Here’s a glance at a few of the more intriguing match-ups.
New York Jets (-4 ½) vs. Green Bay – The Jets opened as 4 ½ point favorites, but most books have gone up to 6 points. The Pack is coming off a big home win against the hated Vikings. They still have a number of key injuries, but Green Bay has a lot of confidence after beating Minnesota. The Jets are coming off their bye, so they’ll be rested and prepared. The rush defense has been outstanding, but the pass defense has been surprisingly soft at times.
Cincinnati (-1) vs. Miami – The Bengals started as 1 point favorites against Miami, but the line is currently scattered between 1 and 2 ½ points. Cincy made a heck of a comeback against Atlanta, but fell short. Carson Palmer finally had the type of numbers he should’ve been having all season. The Dolphins lost a heartbreaker to the Steelers at home. Chad Henne is a much better quarterback when the running game is clicking. Miami is undefeated on the road this season.
San Diego (-3 ½) vs. Tennessee – The Chargers opened as 3 ½ point favorites against the Titans, and a few books have gone up to 4, but most are sticking with the opening number. San Diego laid another egg, this time against New England. Their first half performance was one of the worst of any team in recent memory. They need to clean it up to compete with a Titans team on a roll. Tennessee won again last week. They beat a dangerous Eagles team at home. Whether or not Vince Young can go will have a definite influence on bettors.
New England (-3 ½) vs. Minnesota – The Patriots started as 3 ½ point favorites, but books have yet to post their line for this game. The reason, of course, is the status of Brett Favre. Favre has 2 fractures in his ankle, but he still might be able to go. Otherwise, Tavaris Jackson will get the start. Expect Adrian Peterson to a healthy number of carries. New England is coming off a win at San Diego, thanks to a multitude of Charger miscues. The Patriots have been tough this year; their only loss is to the Jets on the road.
New Orleans (pk) vs. Pittsburgh – The Saints and Steelers opened as a pick game, and books seem to like that idea as they haven’t moved. The Saints lost a shocker to the Browns at home, due in large part to Drew Brees’ 4 interceptions. The magic seems to be gone in New Orleans. The Steelers squeezed by the Dolphins in Miami by a single point, thanks to a questionable call by the stripes. Pittsburgh keeps taking care of business, and Ben Roethlisberger is starting to get into form.
Indianapolis (-6) vs. Houston – The Monday night game is a rematch from week 1. The home Colts opened as 6 point favorites, but the line has come down to 5 or 5 ½ points, depending upon the book. Dallas Clark and Austin Collie are both out, which will limit the Indy offense. But Peyton Manning puts it on his receivers with such pinpoint accuracy, it might not matter who the Colts have out there. The Indy rush defense should be looking for redemption after the way they were chewed up by the Houston rush offense the last time they played. The Texans are 0-2 straight up at Indianapolis over the past 2 seasons, but they’ve covered both games. Both teams are 4-2 and coming off the bye.
