2026 NFL Week 8 Picks Against The Spread + NFL Week 8 Schedule Predictions

As the old saying goes, “Good teams win, great teams cover.” We are back for Week 8 with our picks against the spread! We are pushing the halfway point of the 2026 NFL season. Time flies when you’re picking winners (our featured picks went 2-0 last week)! Let’s hope for another great week here.

Below, we will be breaking down our NFL Week 8 Picks Against the Spread while also going through the NFL Week 8 schedule. So without further ado, let's dive in!

2026 NFL Week 8 Picks Against The Spread at DraftKings Sportsbook

With Week 8 here, we have another set of bye weeks, leaving 28 of the 32 teams playing in 14 matchups across the league. In the following section, you will find my predictions, with my 2026 NFL Week 8 Picks Against the Spread in the right column. All lines are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook:

NFL Week 8 Picks Against The Spread: Minnesota Vikings +3.5 (-120 at Fanatics Sportsbook) 

Very rarely do we get to back an undefeated team as an underdog this deep into the season. I understand the concerns about the Minnesota Vikings. The offense does not look special, and they haven’t exactly faced off against the most difficult schedule. A lot of fans are considering this game their first real test; one I think they will pass with flying colors.

Brian Flores has always been an elite defensive mind, but this season it feels like he is on another level. This season, the Vikings defense is only allowing 12.3 points per game. For comparison, the historic 1985 Chicago Bears defense allowed 12.4 points per game. With Flores’ exotic blitzes and breakout stars like Dallas Turner, this defense has looked nearly unstoppable. 

You would think the one team that could “stop” the unstoppable force would be the Detroit Lions and their dominant offense, ranking number two in both yards and points per game. That being said, we just saw another divisional opponent hold them to 20 points: the Green Bay Packers. Their recipe for success was slowing down Jahmyr Gibbs, holding him to just 4.0 yards per carry. I believe that if the Packers were able to do so, so could the Vikings, as they have only allowed one RB with over 10 carries to exceed that mark against them (Jonathan Taylor). 

With all that in mind, I think the Vikings offense can continue to do what they have done all season long: just enough to complement the defense and win the game. They have been safe, on schedule, and can continue to do that against Detroit’s league-worst defense in terms of yards per game. Even if they don’t secure the win, the Vikings defense will be able to keep this game within a field goal.

NFL Week 8 Picks Against The Spread: Jacksonville Jaguars -8.5 (-115 at FanDuel Sportsbook) 

Last week, we went 2-0 breaking our rule and zeroing in on divisional matchups, so let’s do it again! Simply put, the Indianapolis Colts are in massive turmoil right now. Going all in last season hasn’t worked, and now they are sitting at 2-5. Not only are they 2-5, but they just fired their General Manager, traded two of their best players, Josh Downs just requested a trade, their quarterback play is lackluster, and their defense has been underwhelming at best. Without a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, things could not be much worse for the Colts. Oh, I forgot, they have to play their divisional rival this week, who happen to be one of the best teams in the entire league! Great!

I don’t want this feature to be just trashing the lowly Colts (who did lose to the Tennessee Titans last time we saw them) because the Jaguars being as good as they are is a big reason why we are backing this big of a spread. The Jaguars have at least looked “good” in every facet of the game. Yes, when we last saw them, they lost a close game to the Houston Texans and almost blew a game against the Eagles, but coming off a bye, well rested, I expect them to dominate once again. The one thing you can say about the Jaguars is that they have not played down to their competition, with two double-digit wins on the season. As sellers at the deadline, I expect the Colts to finish the season as one of the worst teams in terms of win/loss record this year. Going 2-0 against the Colts last season, I think this complete Jaguars team keeps their streak alive and snags another divisional win here by two scores or more. 

2026 NFL Week 8 Schedule & Predictions Featuring Panthers vs. Packers

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NFL Week 8 Lines & Las Vegas Odds Provided by DraftKings

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