NFL Week 8 Picks: Sleepers & Longshot Bets (2024)
The New Orleans Saints have been an offensive disaster since Week 2. Is there any reason to think that will change against the Los Angeles Chargers this week? On the other end of the spectrum, the Detroit Lions' offense is clicking right now, and they lead the league in points per game. How many points will they score against the Tennessee Titans? And in our final longshot bet, we're looking at two underdogs in favorable matchups this week.
Here are the best longshot bets of Week 8 of the NFL season.
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NFL Week 8 Picks: Sleepers & Longshot Bets
(Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook)
New Orleans Saints Under 7.5 Points (+455)
Remember when the Saints scored over 40 points in back-to-back games to start the season? That sure was a long time ago. They've scored fewer than 14 points in three of their last five games, and they have to take on the top-scoring defense this week.
The Chargers are allowing just 13.8 points per game this season. They've yet to allow more than 20 points in a single contest, and they've held one opponent to fewer than seven points already.
Spencer Rattler looks destined to start again this week, and the quarterback has been very ineffective since stepping in for Derek Carr, averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt this season. The Saints won't be able to move the ball, and unless the Chargers turn it over, the Saints won't get into double digits.
Detroit Lions Over 38.5 Points (+525)
The Lions' offense is firing on all cylinders entering Week 8. They have scored over 40 points in two of their last three games, and they just put up 31 points against the Minnesota Vikings last week. This week, they take on a Titans' defense that is allowing 24.0 points per game.
The Titans have allowed 30 or more points in two games this season. Last week, they allowed the Buffalo Bills to put up 34 on them. While starting quarterback Mason Rudolph didn't make as many bad plays as Will Levis, he still turned the ball over twice.
The Lions are averaging 1.8 takeaways per game. Against a team averaging 2.0 giveaways per game, it's hard to imagine the Lions not getting above their season average on Sunday. If they do, they'll set up short fields for their already incredible offense. And even without turnovers, the Titans are going to struggle against this unit, even in a letdown spot for the Lions.
Commanders & Cowboys to Win (+521)
The biggest question coming out of the Washington Commanders vs. Chicago Bears game is whether or not Jayden Daniels will be able to take the field. If he does, then the Commanders have the clear offensive advantage in that matchup, even if Daniels will be going up against the better defense. But even if Daniels doesn't play, Marcus Mariota looked phenomenal last week. Add the fact that Washington has one of the best pass defenses in the league, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Caleb Williams struggle. That means the Commanders win no matter what.
In the Sunday night game, the Dallas Cowboys have to travel to take on the San Francisco 49ers. While everyone remembers how bad the Cowboys looked the last time they stepped on the field, they had a bye week to prepare for this game. Head coach Mike McCarthy holds a 12-5 record coming off bye weeks, and Dak Prescott has been excellent after breaks in recent seasons.
Most importantly, the 49ers are battered offensively. They just lost Brandon Aiyuk for the season, Christian McCaffrey is still out, and who knows what Deebo Samuel will be like recovering from pneumonia. Brock Purdy has struggled this year without all his weapons, and he gets the Cowboys at a bad time.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.