Line Them Up! Week 8 NFL Picks!

Bye notwithstanding we now reach the halfway mark of the season for a majority of teams in the National Football League. Go back two months ago and ask yourself privately if what you were predicting has matched up to what has transpired the first two furlongs?

No need to reveal your answers. Allow me to state the obvious. The biggest surprises of 2014 so far have been:

1. The Dallas Cowboys riding a six game win streak after being embarrassed by the 49ers on Opening Day. Doing it the old fashioned way. Ground game, clutch defense, a pseudo swagger, keeping Tony Romo upright and interception-free.

2.The upsurge of the running game in the NFL. More and more running backs getting the 100 yard game while the day of the 300 yard QB Game has also waned a little.

3.No team undefeated. No team winless. Hence the reminder that, 'On any given Sunday'...

4.The Cleveland Browns with their 1980 'Kardiac Kids' re-enactments in 2014 as Art Modell sneers from hell.

5.DeMarco Murray setting NFL history with SEVEN straight 100 yard games with an outside chance at hitting 2,000 yards. Eric Dickerson's 1984 season led to 2,105 yards. I was there when Eric passed OJ Simpson's 2,003 12/9/84 in a win against the Houston Oilers in Anaheim, Ca. It remains to be seen whether or not Murray can go a whole season in the NFL. It has yet to happen.

6.Chip Kelly and the high powered play of the Philadelphia Eagles. Having just seen 'America's Team do their thing in person among 91,000 fans on the Giants one must be impressed with the 27-0 shutout on New York one Sunday prior AND holding New York to 2 of 14 on 3rd down conversions. To say nothing about a Dallas Philly showdown on Thanksgiving Day 25 years after BountyBowl 1.

7.Lots of excitement out in the desert as Bruce Arians has led the Cardinals to a 5-1 mark which is now sparking more conversation about Arizona being a home team at Super Bowl LXIX.

8.Seeing the Seahawks losing two games in a row and dealing Percy Harvin to the Jets? Hmm...Either this team unites or we see another team implode one year after a Super Bowl title. Refer to the Chicago Bears of the 1980's who went through this ordeal of false entitlement.

9.How JJ Watt makes the defense of the Houston Texans play better than most offenses. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a reminder that 2013 was only 1 year ago while Matt Schaub convalesces.

10.The rise of the AFC North and the fall of the NFC South. To quote Scarlet O'Hara will the South rise again? My guess is no.

Number one rule when betting week by week: Never get comfortable or think the ride gets easier. It never works out that way. Luck only goes so far.

As far as luck goes another successful week for yours truly. 9-6 straight up (68-37-1 YTD) and 9-6 against the spread (62-44 YTD). The first half has been good to me with the picks. While content with the way things have gone-like the Dallas Cowboys-the time is coming for a letdown, a reality check, and a week that will land me on my behind.

Which is also why you are wiser to only pick a few games a week. Not each and every one!

Sunday night and Monday night games have been murder on me. Will try to rectify. 

Jacksonville proved me right and thank you! Wait until November 9th when the Jaguars shock the world in London, England. Oops...getting ahead of myself. If proven right how about an I-Mac DeMarco? Hook a brother up!

I have strange feeling that Week 8 is going to be one of surprises and upsets. Of course the bottom line is how you finish at the end and not the mid-mark. 

With that said this week in the NFL:

I expect a great week for home teams to do very very well straight up. With the addition of Las Vegas I like San Diego (+7.5), Atlanta (+4), Tampa Bay (-3), New England (-6) with my Lock Of The Week, St Louis (+6.5) in the I-70 rematch of the Gridiron variety, Jets (-3), Jacksonville (+5.5) in what may turn into the game of the week for offense and excitement, Tennessee (+1) with new starter Zach Mettenberger, Baltimore (+1.5), Arizona (-2.5), Pittsburgh (+3) in what could be a defensive war.

Cleveland due for a huge bounce back (-7), New Orleans in the Sunday Nighter (-1.5), and...for a possible upset due to the nature of the rivalry I'll take Washington (+9.5) in the event Colt McCoy borrows from the book of Tony Romo and play keepaway offensively. 

Again, remember to only bet what you can afford. Be smart and get as much data as you can before taking a calculated guess.

If I can get a 9 or 10 win week I await the I-Mac DeMarco old buddy!

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will