Week 8 in the NFL gets underway this Friday as the Washington Redskins travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings from 11.20am! We have a full preview and betting tips for some of teh key games in Week 8 below.
NFL Week 8 Betting Tips
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings (Friday 11.20am AEDT)
The 5-2 Vikings are red-hot at the moment after three wins on the trot and sit second in the NFC North. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins tossed 4 touchdowns in the 42-30 win over the Lions last week and he’ll be fired up to crush his former team. In this winning streak, Cousins has 10 touchdown passes and their running game continues to impress. Dalvin Cook is the leading rusher in the NFL and leads the Vikings 3rd ranked running game. The only question mark will be Adam Thielen’s hamstring after he left last week’s victory in the early stages.
At 1-6, the Redskins season is pretty much over at this point and it won’t get any easier against the Vikings. In awful conditions last week, the Redskins were shutout in a 9-0 loss against the undefeated 49ers. They’ve scored just 12.9 points per game (30th) and their passing game is pretty awful. Similarly to Cousins, former Vikings QB Case Keenum will be looking to upset his former team. But the ‘Skins will have some issues at RB with Peterson and Thompson both struggling with injuries coming into the short week.
Historically, the Over (6-0 since 2011) has been the trend when these two sides meet and this should be another high scoring affair. The Vikings offence is the real deal now that Kirk Cousins is firing and Dalvin Cook is taking advantage on the ground. The Redskins are likely going to fall behind early so they’ll be playing catch up for most of this clash and that should give them scoring opportunities.
Total points OVER 41.5
$1.92
Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs (Monday 11.20am AEDT)
Matt LaFleur’s first season at the Packers has been impressive after a 6-1 start and an early lead atop the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers had a field day against the Raiders in Week 7 with 6 total touchdowns as the Packers earned a 3rd straight victory in the 42-24 result. It was even more impressive considering star wideout Davante Adams was sidelined. Marquez Valdes-Scantling continues to be a deep threat and RB Aaron Jones is proving hard to stop as a receiver or runner. Defensively, they continue to struggle against the run and that’ll be the key against the Chiefs in Week 8.
Despite losing Patrick Mahomes to a knee injury, the Chiefs defence ruled as they crushed the Broncos 30-6 on the road last Friday. Mahomes will miss the next few weeks and backup Matt Moore will take the reins. While the Chiefs obviously will miss Mahomes, they have enough weapons for Moore to succeed. The impressive defensive showing against the Broncos is also a good sign as they look to stop Aaron Rodgers on their home turf.
The Chiefs have struggled a bit at home this year and the Packers bring a confident squad. So we’ll be looking for plenty of points despite no Mahomes for the home side. Moore still has a variety of scoring avenues and the potential return of Sammy Watkins helps. When these two sides meet, the Over is 4-1 and the Packers have an impressive 18-4 Overs record when they’re coming off a 14+ win.
Total points OVER 48.5
$1.97
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers (Tuesday 11.15am AEDT)
The 0-6 Dolphins have somehow found themselves on primetime in Week 8 and only some Fitzmagic can save them from an 0-7 start. They have the honour of ranking last in the NFL for both points scored (10.5) and allowed (35.2). Meanwhile, their defence cannot stop the run and they’re -11 for takeaways (last in NFL). So it’s fair to say, they’re on the tank for a new QB in season 2020.
This is basically a must-win game for the 2-4 Steelers as they start to lose ground in the wildcard/division race. Pittsburgh’s season has been a mixture of injuries and close losses so it’s been a tough one for Mike Tomlin. But a 24-17 road win over the Chargers before the bye should have improved the team’s confidence. They’re starting to get more healthy, highlighted by the return of 2nd string QB Mason Rudolph from a concussion.
This matchup has a similar feeling to the Steelers 27-3 home win over the Bengals a few weeks ago. The Dolphins will likely struggle to score points on the Steelers defence and this should go Under the total as a result. Under is 4-2 in the last 6 meetings at Heinz Field. It’s also 5-2 in the Steelers last 7 games.
Total points UNDER 42.5
$1.97
