NFL Week 8 Lines: With Another ‘Meh’ Slate, Where Do Bettors Look?

The best part about being able to bet on sports is that it at least gives you something to invest in while watching a subpar product. As we get set to dive into Week 8, it’s worth wondering whether the NFL is currently a subpar product.

We leaned on the research of Warren Sharp in last week’s edition of “The Spread” newsletter to look at how low-scoring games had been through six weeks (four more games saw 36 combined points or fewer in Week 7). Sharp, who specializes in NFL analytics, also posed this question: “Is the NFL less competitive in 2023?” The answer, according to Sharp, is a resounding “yes.”

Through six weeks, the average margin of victory in the NFL was 12.1 points, up an entire field goal from a season ago through six weeks. That’s insane. It didn’t get much better Sunday, with five teams winning by at least 10 points, including the Ravens’ 32-point beatdown of the Detroit Lions in Baltimore. That could easily become six games Monday night with the 49ers favored by a touchdown in Minnesota against the Vikings.

Here’s something else to consider: Going into Week 7, underdogs had been covering at a 44.8% rate. If that seems low, it’s because it is. Just last season, underdogs covered at a nearly 60% clip through six weeks. The 45% cover rate was, according to Sharp, the lowest since 2003.

The pendulum should, theoretically, start swinging back the other way. Week 7 has been a start in that regard. Underdogs were 7-5 going into “Monday Night Football.”

Looking ahead to Week 8, it’s hard to get excited about what it’s in front of us. Nine of the 13 games on the slate have spreads of at least a touchdown. Of the five games with spreads of less than a field goal — supposedly the “good” games — four have totals of 42 or lower.

Here’s a full look at the NFL Week 8 opening lines and totals, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

THURSDAY, OCT. 26
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at (-7.5) Buffalo Bills, 42.5

SUNDAY, OCT. 29
(-1.5) Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers, 41.5
New Orleans Saints at (-1.5) Indianapolis Colts, 41.5
(-3) Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers, 41.5
(-6.5) Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders, 45
Los Angeles Rams at (-6) Dallas Cowboys, 45.5
(-1.5) Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans, 37.5
New England Patriots at (-10) Miami Dolphins, 47
(-3) New York Jets at New York Giants, 36.5
Minnesota Vikings at (-1.5) Green Bay Packers, 43.5
Cleveland Browns at (-2.5) Seattle Seahawks, 40.5
Cincinnati Bengals at (-6.5) San Francisco 49ers, 45.5
(-8.5) Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals, 45.5
(-8) Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 45.5
Chicago Bears at (-9.5) Los Angeles Chargers, 45

MONDAY, OCT. 30
Las Vegas Raiders at (-7.5) Detroit Lions, 44.5