Sunday's Week 8 NFL schedule offers a 12 game slate packed with divisional intrigue, including Steelers vs. Browns, Chiefs vs. Broncos and Commanders vs. Eagles. With kickoffs spread throughout the day, SportsLine's team of proven experts has identified three best bets worth considering before locking in any Week 8 predictions.
The experts' top plays for Sunday are the Steelers (-3.5) against the Browns, the Chiefs (-118) against the Broncos and the Eagles (+6) against the Commanders. Combining all three picks into a single Week 8 parlay would produce a payout of +573, meaning a $100 wager would return $573 in winnings. All odds are subject to change.
SportsLine expert Matt Severance is siding with Pittsburgh at home, questioning which version of Cleveland will appear on the road: "The one that totaled 22 points in losses at the Jaguars and Jets or the one that scored 27 in wins at the Bucs and Titans?" He noted the Browns beat visiting Pittsburgh in Week 2, but pointed out the Steelers are riding an 11-0 run against the spread at home in AFC North games and have not lost at home to Cleveland in the regular season in a couple of decades.
SportsLine expert David Bearman likes Kansas City despite Denver's record. "The Broncos might be 5-2, but they have not played like it, 30th in total offense and 23rd in total defense," he said, adding that if Denver is counting on another 62-yard quarterback touchdown run or a 52-yard touchdown swing pass against the Chiefs, "it isn't going to happen." He argued the Chiefs just played statistically one of their worst games of the year and were still in the game at Seattle in the fourth quarter.
Bearman expects the difference to be Denver's 28th-ranked rush defense against Ken Walker III, who leads the NFL with 701 rushing yards. He recalled the Week 1 meeting between the teams, when the Chiefs dominated the stat sheet with a 19-9 edge in first downs, a 392-176 advantage in yards and a 34-26 edge in time of possession, while Walker ran for 173 yards.
SportsLine expert R.J. White is taking the points with Philadelphia. He said the Eagles remain beset by injuries heading into another primetime matchup but held their own against the Cowboys and led late in the third quarter before their defense could not get enough stops. He views Washington as a step down in quality of opponent, especially with Terry McLaurin and Jacory Croskey-Merritt sidelined.
White added that Washington's lone win this season featured just one drive longer than 43 yards yet somehow produced 33 points, and that the team owns the 31st-ranked scoring defense in the league. "I don't think these units collectively deserved to be favored by this much against basically anyone," he said, explaining that he is fading the massive market line move on the game.
Those looking for more Week 8 guidance can find against the spread, total and money line picks for every NFL game from SportsLine's team of experts and its projection model, which has simulated every game 10,000 times.
