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NFL Week 8: Best Picks Against the Spread (ATS)

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Often it feels like the league is against us, but not in NFL Week 8. As we shed the dead skin of defeat, here are your Best Picks Against the Spread.

We both took it on the chin in Week 7, dropping our season records below .500 for the time being. Favorites lost outright and large underdogs failed to cover. It was an all-around bad week of picking games. There was even a tie!

NFL Week 8 is a mishmash of outcomes that will hopefully right the ship. We have SIX teams on a bye. Moreover, there is a Thursday night game, a Sunday London game, and obviously Sunday and Monday night games. That means, there are only nine games throughout the day Sunday. On to NFL Week 8.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, discuss the best picks against the spread in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

2016 Record Against the Spread:

Dan Salem: 6-8
Todd Salem: 5-9

Look at all of those mismatches. Which ones do you pick?

Todd Salem’s Week 8 Best Picks ATS

It has been six weeks since the Colts have played a real opponent. Even so, they managed to lose twice over their last five games. The bad news for Indy is the Chiefs are a real team. They aren’t quite as good on the road (as would be expected) but did just destroy the Raiders in Oakland. This year, home underdogs have a pretty good record, but Indianapolis has yet to find itself in such a position. It won’t go well.

I’m sticking with AFC West teams this week and taking the Raiders on the road as well. The AFC West is the only division in football where all four teams have a positive point differential. For the Raiders, they thrive on the road, so getting points at Tampa Bay is gravy. They are 4-0 in road games thus far, while Tampa has yet to win a home game, though it has played at home just twice to this point. Oakland is also 3-1 as an underdog in 2016. This is the perfect spot for the Raiders.

Dan Salem’s Week 8 Best Picks ATS

The Seahawks are a very good football team, despite ending their last game in a 6-6 stalemate. People forget that the Cardinals, their opponent, were and still are a likely playoff team. The New Orleans Saints are not. They have put up points against bad defenses, but continue to lose week after week.

Seattle will be able to stifle the New Orleans offense and easily win this game by more than a field goal. Both teams have a lot to prove, but don’t let the Seahawks tie fool you. They are easily the better team and still the best in their division. They win this game and easily cover a three point spread.

It was certainly surprising to see the Vikings fall to Philly last week, but their Week 8 opponent is the worst in the conference. There is only one team behind the Bears in terms of disappointing seasons, and that’s Cleveland. There are no teams ahead of the Vikings in terms of successful seasons thus far. Talk about a complete mismatch.

The Vikings have a lot to prove after a dismal showing and they will take it all out on the lowly Bears. This game has blowout written all over it, so give five and a half points and don’t think twice. Minnesota is a solid pick every week, especially when their opponent is in last place.

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