Top 3 Things Sports Bettors Learned From NFL Week 8 (2024)
The 2024 NFL Regular Season is nearly at the halfway point, as eight weeks are now in the rear-view mirror. Just when we start to think we know things, we get a team like the Cleveland Browns upsetting the Baltimore Ravens with their backup QB Jameis Winston under center. Just as soon as we get favorites winning and cashing against the spread regularly, the bottom drops out.
And, just as we think scoring is down and the offenses are struggling, we get a ton of overs. Twelve of the 16 games hit the over in Week 8. Favorites and underdogs ended up splitting 8-8 against the spread (ATS), too.
What else did we learn from Week 8? Let’s take a look at a handful of the biggest takeaways.
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What We Learned From Week 8 of the 2024 NFL Season
Miami Has the Dolphins…
If you know the song, it will be stuck in your head, even if you hate the Dolphins. You know, the song they stole from the Houston Oilers. “Miami has the Dolphins, the greatest football team. They run the ball from goal to go, like no one’s ever seen…”
The new 2024 version should be something like this: “Miami’s got the Dolphins, the team that never covers. They run the…” Ok, I can’t think of anything that rhymes with covers.
Anyway, Miami has managed a 1-6 record against the spread (ATS), which is tied for the second-worst ATS record in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans. And, Tennessee’s only cover was, yup, against Miami, in a win on September 30 in an awful Monday Night Football matchup.
Dolphins fans thought things were going to be better in Week 8. The Arizona Cardinals were coming in for what looked like a winnable game. All was not lost yet and QB Tua Tagovailoa was coming back from a concussion. And things were better. Tagovailoa made WR Tyreek Hill look more like himself again. RB De’Von Achane was rolling up triple-digit scrimmage yards. RB Raheem Mostert was scoring touchdowns again. But, the defense forgot how to play and Miami lost 28-27. Now, the Dolphins head to Buffalo in Week 9, a team they lost to in Week 2 by a 34-10 count in the game Tagovailoa was knocked out of in the second half.
Carolina on My Mind
You can make quite a bit of money picking against the Carolina Panthers. This organization is a dumpster fire and team owner David Tepper might be the most hated man in the Carolinas.
Each week, you need to seriously consider the following: 1) Fade Carolina, regardless of the number, and 2) Go over in Panthers games.
The Panthers were blown out 40-7 in Washington in Week 7, and then QB Andy Dalton suffered a fender bender, spraining his thumb. That meant QB Bryce Young was back in for Week 8 against the Denver Broncos without WR Diontae Johnson and WR Adam Thielen. It went as well as you might think. Carolina took a 7-0 lead, as the team did score thanks to first-round pick WR Xavier Legette. He has the potential to be a good player. In other words, he is no Terrace Marshall. The other rookie, WR Jalen Coker, also scored a huge touchdown with 18 seconds left in regulation, helping the over (41) cash in Denver. The Broncos won 28-14, covering a 13-point spread.
Carolina has failed to cover the past five games and they’re 0-2 ATS as a double-digit underdog. At 1-7 ATS, Carolina has the worst record against the number in the NFL, and the Panthers are a dismal 5-18-2 ATS in the past two seasons. Heading into Week 9, the Panthers play host to the New Orleans Saints, the team which pounded Carolina 47-10 as a 3.5-point favorite in the Big Easy back in the season opener.
No Charge
The Los Angeles Chargers might be the most boring team to watch in the NFL. Unless you’re holding an under ticket, then Jim Harbaugh’s bunch is absolutely beautiful.
The Chargers have cashed low in six of seven games this season, including a 26-8 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The defense has been banging for the Chargers, as they’ve allowed 17 or fewer points in six out of seven games to date. In fact, with 13.0 points per game allowed, L.A. ranks No. 1 in the NFL in scoring defense. They also allow just 305.4 total yards (eighth), 193.4 passing yards (ninth) and 112.0 rushing yards (11th) per game.
On offense, Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman were hoping to run the ball down people’s throats, but it has struggled with just 117.1 yards per game on the ground. They’re posting just 311.1 total yards (23rd) and 194.0 passing yards (24th) per game while posting 18.9 PPG (24th).
The Chargers travel to meet the aforementioned Winston and the Browns in Week 9.
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Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.