Week 8 of the NFL season features several key divisional and conference matchups, with four teams on bye: the Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. Notable divisional games include the Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (-3.5), Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5), Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5), Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (-10), Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (+1.5), New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (+7), and Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders (-5.5).
Key intraconference matchups include the Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills (-3), with quarterback Lamar Jackson returning for Baltimore, and the Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys (-7), with Arizona having defeated Dallas in four straight meetings. The week concludes with a "Monday Night Football" matchup between the defending NFC North champion Chicago Bears and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (-3). Chicago recently traded for three-time All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, while Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) is expected to make his season debut.
AI Predictions for Week 8
SportsLine's self-learning AI, built by the Data Science team, has evaluated the NFL odds and provided betting picks for every game. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each team's historical data and quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponent's defense with a matchup score out of 100. The system continuously refreshes on the most recent data and has hit thousands of 4.5- and 5-star prop picks since the start of the 2023 season.
For the Patriots vs. Dolphins game, the AI projects a 31-28 win for New England. The Patriots, who won the AFC East title a year ago, are second in the division at 4-3, behind the 5-1 Bills. The Dolphins are fourth at 1-5, coming off a 28-25 victory over the New York Jets. Miami quarterback Malik Willis has completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,057 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions, while also rushing 35 times for 223 yards (6.4 average) and three touchdowns. Running back Ollie Gordon leads the ground attack with 72 carries for 339 yards and four touchdowns. For New England, third-year quarterback Drake Maye has completed 65.9% of his passes for 1,784 yards and 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions in seven starts. His top target is tight end Hunter Henry, who has 26 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns.
The AI recommends the Over (44.5) and likes the Dolphins (+7) as the better value for against-the-spread picks. SportsLine AI has also generated several other A+ picks for Week 8. According to the platform, the AI has nailed more than 2,000 highly-rated picks since the start of the 2023 season.
