When it comes to pretty much everything in life, the more information you have, the better decisions you will make. This is especially true for sports betting and especially the National Football League. One of these information factors is injuries. Particularly with concussions, the severity of which can take time to determine, results can occasionally vary from one team to another. A quick look at the 2023 NFL Week Eight Schedule clearly illustrates this factor.
Such was the case in this Sunday’s battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers. When it was announced that QB Brock Purdy had suffered a concussion in last week’s game against the Vikings, the odds for the game were reduced by three points from the 49ers, who had nearly a touchdown (-6.5), to slightly more than a field goal (-3.5). When it was announced that Purdy would be available to play on Sunday, the line rose back to its current level (-5.5) in favor of the 49ers.
Is it better to bet the games early? Or should you wait until you have all the information about the game and its participants? It all depends on how good your information is when it comes to something that changes things significantly. If it’s an injury situation, there will be reports throughout the week to give you guidance. Unfortunately, you also need to take these reports with a grain of salt, especially in this day and age filled with misinformation from coaches (here I am, Bill Belichick) or even the players themselves.
For this NFL week eight, we have pretty big spreads on many games. One of the biggest came on Thursday night when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers erased a ten-point gap and lost by just six points to the Buffalo Bills. Are there any other games like this on the NFL weekly schedule? Let’s take a look…
Las Vegas Raiders vs. DETROIT LIONS (-7.5)
The Baltimore Ravens absolutely dismantled the Lions in Crabcake City last week, and Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said the team was in for such an embarrassment. Campbell thinks so The loss was necessary to “get the attention” of the team, who were unusually strong at the start of their season. A perfect cure for the Motor City Kitties’ woes is a visit from the once impressive silver and black cats.
The Raiders couldn’t even muster a coherent fight to face their basement counterparts from the NFC, the Chicago Bears, in last week’s 30-12 loss. That was also a home game. I’m not sure the Raiders want to leave out QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who missed the win against the Bears with a back injury, so the Lions can pick him apart, but they may have no choice if they have any hopes for this NFL Have competition in week eight and/or or for the season.
CHOOSE – Lions -7.5
Atlanta Falcons v. TENNESSEE TITANS (O/U 35.5)
While both teams want to run the ball and control the clock, I imagine this game can break the over/under game quite well. The two teams are averaging just 33 points combined, but both offenses are showing signs of life lately. Falcons QB Desmond Ridder is becoming more accustomed to his surroundings (and his weapons) and Titans RB Derrick Henry has been told he won’t be traded by the team, which should reignite his passions. There will be no shooting, but there will be more offense than expected.
CHOOSE – OVER 35.5
Minnesota Vikings (-1.5) v. GREEN BAY PACKERS
The sharp ones can’t cope in this game. At the start, the pack was the favorite with a 1.5 point lead. Then, after the Vikings’ performance against the 49ers, that line switched to the Norsemen by the same 1.5 points. Here are my thoughts: There is no reason to believe that the Vikings, playing on the road against a division rival, can win the game.
The Packers are bringing back RB Aaron Jones at full strength, and the addition of the strong defender will put some pressure on QB Jordan Love to drive the offense. This should allow the Packers to dominate on home soil. So I think the players got it right the first time and should have stuck with it!
CHOOSE – Packers +1.5
