NFL Odds: Moneymakers Keep Underdog Status In Week 8

It’s incredibly difficult to bet on the NFL.

That might seem like an obvious statement, but those who have wagered on football know how frustrating it can be. It’s tough getting a read on the sport due to its stop-start nature, and when you do get a read, the books are always faster than you and like to change things up.

That’s especially the case with underdogs.

We’ve had a few teams who have been kind to us throughout the season. They’ve won as underdogs on multiple occasions, but that has now led to a change in their status. The Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans, who have each made us a ton of money, are both favorites this week. That’s why we’re relying on some other teams that have been good to us this week while identifying a third that could be a new favorite of ours moving forward.

Here are some Week 8 NFL underdogs we believe can pull off upsets.

(+3) Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans
It might be a bit ambitious to immediately turn our backs on Houston, but there’s something about Carolina that intrigues us.

The Panthers are rocking with a new play-caller this week, as offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will take over the duties from head coach Frank Reich. They’re coming off a bye week, so there should be a solid game plan in place for rookie Bryce Young. In the battle between No. 1 and No. 2 pick, we think Young gets the slight edge. C.J. Stroud, who is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, will win the war, though.

(+1) Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
No, we’re not basing this pick off the Vikings’ win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. We just think Minnesota has turned over a new leaf.

The Vikings are without Justin Jefferson and have completely slipped the script from their improbable record in one-score games from a season ago. Would it be crazy to say that we think they’re actually playing better football, though? Jordan Addison has stepped up, while Kirk Cousins is in another hot stretch.

The Packers’ rush defense is one of the worst in the NFL, so that should help the Vikes even things out from a play-calling standpoint. Give us Minnesota on the road.

(+1) New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts
These two teams are massive pretenders, but only one of them has a real shot at making the playoffs.

The Saints play in a bad division, and if they hope to win it, these are the games they need to win. New Orleans’ defense learned a valuable lesson by watching a certain squad get thrashed by man-beaters against Indianapolis last week (we’re looking at you, Cleveland) and should have a solid plan in place.

Season Record: 16-5