We are already beginning to see a separation from contenders to pretenders and there are also teams out there who are looking forward to the end of the season and the impending shake-ups that will be needed.
Two of those are in the AFC East- the New York Jets continue to lurch from one pitiful performance to another and Head Coach Aaron Glenn may need his team to show something if he is going to be more than a one and done performer. The owner seems to have a lot more faith in Aaron Glenn and not so much in Quarter Back Justin Fields after comments made this week and there is likely going to be a change behind Center with Fields now looking like his days in the NFL as a starter are firmly over.
He will still draw some consideration as a backup considering his obvious athletic talent, but the Jets are likely to be moving on from him.
They are fimly in line to finish with the Number 1 Overall Pick in the Draft and there are going to be a number of Quarter Backs coming out of College that will draw interest.
Closely 'chasing' the Jets for the Number 1 Draft Pick are my Miami Dolphins- they have been absolutely terrible this season and Tua Tagovailoa is another Quarter Back who has had enough chances to prove himself. Instead he had a terrible game against the Cleveland Browns and was benched, while lame duck Head Coach Mike McDaniel is almost certainly going to be fired and it has become a case of when rather than if.
It is becoming clearer by the week as to which teams are looking poor, but the Super Bowl contenders are not exactly pushing clear of the pack.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions look good, but have vulnerabilities, while the Indianapolis Colts are the only team with at least six wins.
Over the next month the picture should become clearer, but for now there is plenty of jockeying for position at the very top of the sport.
Week 8 is the one that has the most teams on a Bye at the same time with six settling down and looking to come out with momentum.
If someone was being brutally honest, they may suggest it is a pretty weak schedule over the coming days in terms of match ups that may draw interest.
The biggest game is clearly Aaron Rodgers facing the Green Bay Packers for the first time in his career and that is set for Sunday Night Football, but overall it does look like one that we can look forward to moving through and then having better games in the weeks and months ahead.
You can never dismiss a winning week, but it was not a huge success and so the overall season numbers remain disappointing.
Hopefully the Week 7 selections give us something to build upon going into the Week 8 action.
As said last week, players at Bet365, Bodog and Bovada can sign up with the links attached and the Picks will be placed in this thread over the coming days, beginning with another Thursday Night Football selection.
Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Chargers Pick: At the start of the 2025 season, both the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) and Minnesota Vikings (3-3) would have had to carry big expectations.
Through three weeks of the season, the Chargers looked like they were handling their business with wins over each of the AFC West Divisional rivals, but three losses in four games has seen them slip behind the Denver Broncos in the standings. Injuries have really been an issue for the Chargers, but they need to find a way to recover and bounce back on Thursday Night Football.
There have been injury problems for the Minnesota Vikings to overcome, most notably to Quarter Back JJ McCarthy who was promoted as the team let both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk. The fact those two players are a combined 10-3 with their new teams will not have been lost on the Minnesota fans, while inconsistency means they have yet to win or lose two games in a row.
Both teams will be expecting to have their successes in this one.
A short week is never ideal with the injuries that the teams have and both sides have already noted that some of the players could have been available if this game was being played on a Sunday rather than a Thursday. It does mean some important names will be ready to go in Week 9 and beyond, but also makes it more challenging to build some positive momentum.
Justin Herbert is doing all he can for the Los Angeles Chargers and had a monster game against the Indianapolis Colts, albeit in a losing effort. His Offensive Line has been really banged up, which is always going to put additional strain on a Quarter Back, while the test is going to be trying to establish the run against this Minnesota Defensive Line that has been playing well in recent games.
If the Chargers are having to operate from third and long spots, the Minnesota pass rush is likely going to be swarming around Justin Herbert. He may still make some positive plays against this Vikings Secondary, especially with the Receivers stepping up, but Justin Herbert may find it tough to move the ball with consistency. Throwing out of pressurised spots also leads to mistakes being made and this Minnesota Defensive unit have to believe they can at least stall some drives and give their own team a chance.
The problem for Carson Wentz and the Vikings is that they have been lacking on the Line of Scrimmage when they have the ball- as good as Minnesota have been playing the run, they have not been able to get things going with consistency when trying to pound the rock.
After recent performances put forward by the Los Angeles Defensive Line, this may be a game in which Minnesota can have more success when they give the ball to Jordan Mason. There is a chance that the Vikings could have Aaron Jones back this week, which would be a huge boost, but the likelihood is that he is given the extra time to recover with this being a short week so it will be up to Jordan Mason to put the team in a positive position.
If the Vikings Offensive Line can exploit the running game as others have against the Chargers, it will make the life of Carson Wentz so much easier.
He did have two Interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Week 7 loss, but Carson Wentz found some chemistry with the likes of Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson with the pair combining for over 200 Receiving yards. Being in front of the chains should see both Addison and Jefferson have success in finding windows in this Los Angeles Secondary and it could see the Vikings having a bit more consistent success compared with the home team.
Minnesota have allowed too many Sacks in recent games, but this is a Chargers team that have not really been able to find the pressure they would have wanted up front. It could also be a day when Carson Wentz does not have to hold the ball for too long if the Vikings are playing in front of the down and distance and the biggest threat is that the veteran Quarter Back turns the ball over.
He has 4 Interceptions already and with only 5 Touchdown passes so it is a real concern for the road team.
However, this feels like a good chance for the Vikings to bounce back and they are getting more than a Field Goal worth of points, which feels like a lot.
None of the last five games played by the Los Angeles Chargers have been won by this team by more than 3 points, while they fallen to 1-4-1 against the spread when set as the favourite this season.
This is so different to last season, while the Vikings are 8-1 against the spread on Thursday when playing after losing the previous game.
A big game is coming up against the Detroit Lions, but the Minnesota Vikings will have a mini-Bye before that and so can focus on this one. They can avoid a big defeat and this could easily be a game that comes down to a 3 point win either way, which makes the points being received by the road team feel crucial to the final outcome.
Miami Dolphins @ Atlanta Falcons Pick: They are still searching for some consistency to really feel like they can compete in the NFC South, but the Atlanta Falcons (3-3) are in touch with the two teams that hold a winning record.
This week they are going to have to play with a backup Quarter Back, but Kirk Cousins is hugely experienced and there has been a feeling that he underperformed last season by fighting through injury. He is expected to suit up instead of Michael Penix Jr, who has been struggling with an injury since the defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, but Atlanta have to be feeling pretty comfortable with Cousins behind Center.
It is unlikely to be a game in which Kirk Cousins is going to be asked to do too much if the Miami Dolphins (1-6) continue to play as poorly as they have been.
Mike McDaniel has stated that he still has faith in Tua Tagovailoa at Quarter Back, but it does feel like the future for both is very clouded. It would take something special for the Head Coach to keep his job, while the Dolphins could be picking high up enough in the next NFL Draft to bring in a new face to try and become the franchise Quarter Back instead of Tagovailoa.
The Offensive unit has struggled, but the Miami Dolphins have had massive problems Defensively and they are likely going to see a huge dose of Bijan Robinson.
The Running Back is going to be able to pound the rock with plenty of success against a Miami team that have been trampled in recent games, while Bijan Robinson has shown he can leak out of the backfield and become a big threat as a Receiver. It would be a huge failure for the Atlanta Falcons to put this game on Robinson's back and they should be able to keep Kirk Cousins in a positive position throughout the game.
Miami's Secondary numbers do not look so bad, but that is also because teams have not needed to move away from the run- in this one, Kirk Cousins can make plays against this opponent when he is needed and the Falcons should be able to move the chains consistently.
The pressure will be on the Dolphins to try and keep up- they can also run the ball with some success through De'Von Achane, but the absence of Tyreek Hill and Darren Waller could see the Falcons creep closer to the Line of Scrimmage. They will still have to respect the ability of Achane as a pass-catching Running Back, but the Dolphins look like a team that have completely lost their way and this could be another disappointing effort from them.
A problem has been the pass protection and the Dolphins could see Tua Tagovailoa rattled into a mistake or two that pushes this game firmly in favour of the NFC South team.
Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers Pick: There are a couple of battles between teams from the AFC East and NFC South in Week 8 of the NFL season and this is one that features two teams with winning records.
Not many would have predicted the Carolina Panthers (4-3) to be above 0.500 after seven games, but three wins in a row means they are only a game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.
They are hosting the Buffalo Bills (4-2) who have lost two in a row and allowed the New England Patriots to move past them in the AFC East. The Bills were on a Bye in Week 7, which is a good chance to get players back to full health and to iron out any issues they were having in those defeats.
Getting things going on the ground would really help, but the Bills are facing the Carolina Defensive Line who have really been in good form during this winning run. Suffice to say that it should be noted that they have not exactly played the best teams in the NFL in that run of victories, but there will still be a confidence about this Defensive Line as they look to keep the Buffalo Bills behind the chains.
Josh Allen is an elite Quarter Back, but he has not always been given a lot of time in the pocket and that has hindered the passing game.
The Bills should still be able to have success in this one, but this Panthers Defensive unit have been playing at a good level and that should give the home team an opportunity to keep this one competitive.
Injuries have been a big thing in the NFL this season and in high-profile positions and the Carolina Panthers are going to have to give the ball to backup Quarter Back Andy Dalton in place of Bryce Young.
It will mean having an extra lean on the running game, which has been imposing itself on recent opponents and the Panthers Offensive Line should get Rico Dowdle going. There have been injury problems in Defensive areas for the Buffalo Bills, but the team headed into the Bye Week having given up considerable yards on the ground and the Defensive Line may struggle to stop the Panthers consistently.
Andy Dalton's experience is important, although the Panthers have perhaps not been able to find any consistency in the passing game due to some of the inexperienced Receivers on the roster. However, playing from third and manageable should be a big edge for the veteran to exploit and the Carolina Panthers can make use of the points being given to them.
Having just come out of the Bye Week should mean the Bills are focused, even with the Kansas City Chiefs on deck, and especially after losing a couple of games in succession.
They should win on the road, but Carolina are playing with some confidence that could keep them in this game.
MY PICKS: Minnesota Vikings + 3.5 Points @ 1.85 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Atlanta Falcons - 7 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Carolina Panthers + 7 Points @ 1.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Carolina Panthers + 7 Points @ 1.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)
New England Patriots - 6.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Houston Texans - 2.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 3.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Green Bay Packers - 2.5 Points @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Week 7: 3-2, + 0.69 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.80% Yield)
Week 6: 3-4, - 1.09 Units (7 Units Staked, - 15.57% Yield)
Week 5: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)
Week 4: 2-3, - 1.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 22.80% Yield)
Week 3: 5-3, + 1.56 Units (8 Units Staked, + 19.50% Yield)
Week 2: 3-2, + 0.67 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.40% Yield)
Week 1: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)
2025 Season: 19-19, - 1.64 Units (38 Units Staked, - 4.32% Yield)
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