NFL Pick'em Pool Week 8 Confidence Rankings and Picks (2021)
After going 10-6 in both Week 1 and Week 2, we delivered a 15-1 Week 3 performance. We regressed slightly in Week 4 due to some late-week injuries and a few very surprising upsets, but rebounded for a strong 13-3 outing, including hitting each of our top 10 confidence plays in Week 5. We stayed hot with a 9-5 record in Week 6 and a 10-3 showing in Week 7. We will look to keep the good times rolling as we reveal our Week 8 NFL Pick’em selections!
There are multiple formats for pick’em tournaments, including the picking against the spread and ranking selections in confidence intervals. In this column, we will touch on both the classic style and picking against the spread each week.
I will start by ranking each of my selections in order of confidence and provide reasoning on all of my top picks. Also, don’t miss my Week 8 Survivor Guide if you’re still alive in your eliminator pools!
NFL Week 8 Pick’Em Pool Confidence Rankings
Weekly Results
- Week 1: 10-6
- Week 2: 10-6
- Week 3: 15-1
- Week 4: 9-7
- Week 5: 13-3
- Week 6: 9-5
- Week 7: 10-3
Week 8 Selections
1. Los Angeles Rams
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. Los Angeles Chargers
6. Arizona Cardinals
7. Tennessee Titans
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. San Francisco 49ers
11. Cleveland Browns
12. Denver Broncos
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Detroit Lions
15. Seattle Seahawks
Rams (vs. Texans)
Though Tyrod Taylor is expected to be back under center for Houston this week, this is unlikely to have any bearing on the outcome of this contest. Matthew Stafford and the Rams have proven that they are capable of winning on the road, and they have proven that they are capable of winning by healthy margins even when they do not play their best football. Houston’s best game is not good enough to overcome Los Angeles’ worst game. Expect the Rams to win comfortably on Sunday.
Bills (vs. Dolphins)
Is there a team in the NFL right now less equipped to win a football game than the Miami Dolphins? If there is, the list is short. Since a Week 1 win in Foxborough, Miami is winless, having experienced a 35-0 shutout and a 45-17 drubbing in that span. The return of Tua Tagovailoa has made the Dolphins competitive against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons each of the last two weeks, but Tagovailoa is unlikely to be enough to secure a road win against one of the best teams in the league. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are favored by two touchdowns in this one for a reason. Do not overthink the analysis.
Buccaneers (vs. Saints)
Tom Brady is the best quarterback in football. He has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and arguably the most talented collection of pass catchers in the league as well. On the season, Brady ranks first in passing yards, first in touchdown passes, second in QBR, and has thrown only one interception that was not a hail mary or his receiver’s fault. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have a historically elite run defense, which means that Jameis Winston is the primary threat to beat this team on Sunday. Limiting Alvin Kamara’s production on the ground, the Buccaneers have a strong chance to turn this contest into a laugher in the second half, especially if they are able to return Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski to the field.
Chargers (vs. Patriots)
The Los Angeles Chargers inexplicably lost 34 to 6 to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, which has cooled the market on this group considerably. The market correction has gone too far. The Chargers only other loss this year was to the Dallas Cowboys on a field goal as time expired. They have defeated the 5-2 Las Vegas Raiders and the 4-3 Cleveland Browns. They also went into Arrowhead Stadium to earn a victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. The New England Patriots are getting love on the market after a 54-13 win against the Jets, but the Patriots are dealing with a plethora of injuries and are yet to beat a top-tier team. Coming off of a bye week, expect the Chargers to win this game with ease.
Cardinals (vs. Packers)
Aaron Rodgers will be without Davante Adams and Allen Lazard on Thursday. Green Bay is also missing their top cornerback Jaire Alexander and a few other key starting members of the defense. Kyler Murray and company only have one truly impressive win in 2021, which could give bettors pause on the large spread in that game. However, Arizona should be able to take advantage of home field advantage and their health disparity to remain undefeated this fall.
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