That was a pretty incredible way to kick off Week 8, right? The Atlanta Falcons won their second game of the season against the rival Carolina Panthers thanks to an interception late in the game. Correct, the Falcons were able to actually hold onto a lead this time! We have more great action ahead, as the Pittsburgh Steelers look to assert their dominance over Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens and rookie phenom Justin Herbert gets a chance to record his first divisional win against the Denver Broncos.
A highlight of my week is when the lookahead lines come out at William Hill Sportsbook. Every Friday, we take a look at the NFL lines a week and a half in advance to determine if we should put money down now in order to get the best bang for our buck. Depending on what happens in Week 8, all of these lines could change before we reach Week 9, so we want to go ahead and get our bets in if we see a nice opportunity for an upset or to jump on a favorite before the line moves even more in their favor.
Before we jump into some early bets to consider, here are the lookahead lines for Week 9. All odds come courtesy of William Hill.
Week 9 lookahead lines
Packers at 49ers (-1)
Seahawks (-1.5) at Bills
Lions at Vikings (-1.5)
Panthers at Chiefs (-10)
Broncos at Falcons (-3.5)
Bears at Titans (-6.5)
Ravens (-4) at Colts
Raiders at Chargers (-2.5)
Dolphins at Cardinals (-5)
Saints at Buccaneers (-4)
Patriots (-7) at Jets
Picks to consider
Packers (+1) at 49ers
I have been sticking with the Packers all season, and it's been lucrative, as they are 5-1 against the spread in 2020. In Week 8, they take on the the Vikings, who they defeated by a score of 43-34 in Week 1. Minnesota had a bye to prepare for this matchup, but the Vikings are coming off of a 40-23 loss to the previously winless Falcons in Week 6. In what I consider to be a surprise, the Packers are only favored by a touchdown against the Vikings this week, so I think they will cover. As for the 49ers, they are taking on a Seahawks team that just suffered their first loss to Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. They will be out for divisional revenge this week, and I have them winning this Sunday. If my predictions come true, then this line is going to move in favor of the Packers. Plus, this is a rematch of the NFC Championship game from January. You better believe that 37-20 beatdown of the Packers is fresh in Aaron Rodgers' mind. I'll hop on Green Bay right now at +1.
Bears at Titans (-6.5)
The Titans defeating the Bengals on Sunday is actually one of my locks of the week, so that right there gives this line an opportunity to increase before next Monday. The Bears take on the Saints this week, and it's hard to have any faith in Nick Foles and Co. after what we witnessed on Monday night. In the 24-10 loss to the Rams, Chicago's defense actually scored more points that the Bears offense. The Saints have won and covered the last five games in this series against the Bears, and that 5-0 against-the-spread record is their best vs. any team during that span. I'm betting my money the Saints win this weekend. Additionally, I think the Titans are one of the better teams in the league while the Bears clearly still have several question marks on the offensive side of the ball. I'll take the Titans to win by a touchdown in Nashville next weekend.
Dolphins at Cardinals (-5)
This isn't a lock in my opinion just yet, but I think it's worth throwing some money on the Cardinals right now. Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will make his first start this Sunday against an incredibly sound Rams team. I do believe Tagovailoa is the quarterback of the future for the Dolphins, but I'm not sure he's going to find instant success against a defense which includes the best player in the NFL in Aaron Donald. The Cardinals on the other hand get a bye this week, and they are ready to build on their overtime win against the Seahawks to show the league that they are ready to be a contender right now.
