NFL Week 8 Best Bets
Last week continued the hot start in the NFL for me on my Best Bets, as another 5-2 record put my season mark to 29-17 ATS (63%). With another two wins on totals, I’m 5-0 so far on that wagering option and I have two more lined up for this week, as well as six sides. In repeating what I said week, I give all the credit to the new VSiN feature, the NFL Analytics Report. It keeps me apprised of almost all the info I use to handicap games. I feel like I am not overlooking key factors anymore. Different bettors can interpret certain trends and systems in varying fashions, but the Analytics Report allows for that discernment, which is much better than overlooking important things.
NFL Odds | NFL Betting Splits | NFL Matchups
Houston at Carolina
Might something special be brewing in Houston in 2023? It sure looks like it could be, as coming off their pre-bye week win against New Orleans, the Texans are sitting at 3-3 and riding a four-game ATS winning streak. Now, 3-3 isn’t anything that a lot of teams would be bragging about, but head coach DeMeco Ryans’ team is coming off four straight seasons of winning four games or fewer and is having success with its new core of young stars. I’m guessing that this team took full advantage of the bye week to get better.
Carolina is a different story with its young nucleus and a new coach for 2023, as the franchise seems to be outwardly questioning its decisions made this past offseason. That cannot be a good sign. Still, 83% of the money at DraftKings this week is backing the Panthers as the home dog. I know it seems unusual to see Houston as a road favorite, but they are the better team at this point, and growing cohesion is a good recipe for continued success. The Texans will be backed here by one of my favorite post-bye week systems, saying to Play on road favorites coming out of their bye week vs. nonconference opponents. (Record: 31-13-1 ATS since 2000). This is a great game for QB CJ Stroud to prove to the Panthers they made a mistake in going with Bryce Young. It seems obvious at this point, but this is still a proving ground.