By the time Sunday rolls around, we will have officially reached November!
The NFL regular season is rapidly approaching its halfway point. If the playoffs started today, seven of the eight NFC and AFC North teams would qualify.
The Baltimore Ravens will look to maintain northern dominance when they travel to Buffalo. In particular, the return of Lamar Jackson will give them a huge boost against the high-flying Buffalo Bills.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings in an important NFC North clash. Minnesota are currently the only undefeated team in the league.
Another major divisional game sees the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos. The winner will move into the lead in the AFC West.
Finally, a resurgent Seattle Seahawks team will host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. It promises to be one of the most anticipated primetime games of the season.
Here, Sports News Blitz‘s Josiah Burdsall makes his predictions for four big games this week.
Week 8 games broadcast in UK, October 30 – November 3
Friday
Carolina Panthers vs Green Bay Packers – Thursday Night Football – 12:15 am on Sky Sports NFL
Sunday
Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills – 6:00 pm on Sky Sports +
Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions – 6:00 pm on Channel 5 Action
Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers – 6:00 pm on Sky Sports NFL
Los Angeles Chargers vs Los Angeles Rams – 8:05 pm on Sky Sports + (red button)
New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins – 8:25 pm on Sky Sports NFL
Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos – 8:25 pm on Sky Sports + and Channel 5
Monday
Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders – Sunday Night Football – 12:20 am on Sky Sports NFL
Tuesday
Chicago Bears vs Seattle Seahawks – Monday Night Football – 12:15 am on Sky Sports NFL
All games are available on NFL Season Pass through DAZN.
Baltimore Ravens (4-3) vs Buffalo Bills (5-1)
Three of Baltimore’s wins this season have come on the road. Therefore, playing in Buffalo might not be as difficult as it first appears.
The Ravens made a strong 4-1 start. However, they have lost their last two games, including a 35-13 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals.
They have scored fewer than 14 points in both defeats. As a result, the return of Lamar Jackson is particularly welcome.
When a team needs a confidence boost, facing the Buffalo Bills defence could provide an opportunity. Buffalo have allowed 386.8 yards and 28.5 points per game. Those numbers highlight their defensive struggles.
Despite criticism from several pundits, the Bills have still managed to reach a 5-1 record.
Josh Allen also has an impressive group of wide receivers around him. Meanwhile, James Cook III leads one of the league’s best rushing attacks, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Buffalo continue to outscore their opponents, regardless of how many points they need.
However, Baltimore’s secondary allowed 292 passing yards against the Bengals. Therefore, DJ Moore and Keon Coleman could cause further problems for the Ravens defence.
Prediction: Buffalo Bills win
Minnesota Vikings (6-0) vs Detroit Lions (4-2)
Who would have expected the Minnesota Vikings to lead the NFC seven weeks into the season?
Brian Flores has built a bruising defence that allows just 12.3 points per game. For comparison, the famous 1985 Chicago Bears defence allowed 12.4 points per game.
However, there is one important caveat. Minnesota’s last four opponents were the Buccaneers, Saints, Dolphins and Colts. They have not faced the toughest competition.
The Detroit Lions will provide their biggest offensive test since Week 2 against the Bears, whom Minnesota held to just three points.
Nevertheless, Detroit match up with the Vikings better than many people might expect.
Jared Goff leads the NFL in passing yards per game with 298. He has also thrown 14 touchdowns without an interception.
Meanwhile, the Vikings have blitzed on an astonishing 70.8% of plays. That pressure has helped them record 21 sacks.
However, Goff has been excellent against the blitz. Six of his 14 touchdowns have come against blitzes, and he has a passer rating of 112.5 when defences send five players.
No offence has worked out how to break Minnesota’s defence yet. Even so, an attack led by Goff, Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown could give the Vikings a serious challenge.
Prediction: Minnesota Vikings win
Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) vs Denver Broncos (5-2)
Kansas City desperately needs a rebound performance.
The Chiefs began the season with a perfect 5-0 record. However, they produced a disappointing display against the Seahawks, with only Cris Collinsworth seemingly able to defend their performance.
Kansas City managed just three points and 11 first downs. In addition, they failed to reach the red zone even once.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, Denver also has an excellent defence.
The Broncos have repeatedly shown they can win ugly games. In fact, four of their five victories have come by a single score.
Bo Nix has stopped throwing interceptions. However, his completion percentage stands at 59.2%, which ranks 30th in the league.
The Chiefs have allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL. Therefore, Nix could face another difficult afternoon.
Although Kansas City struggled against Seattle, its offence has performed well in other games. Kenneth Walker III is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, the best mark in the league.
Ultimately, this is a huge game for both teams. The winner will take control of the AFC West.
Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs win
Chicago Bears (5-2) vs Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
Who said the Seahawks weren’t playing well?
Last week, Seattle finally looked like the team that won the Super Bowl. Its defence was impenetrable, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba produced another incredible performance.
Furthermore, Quenton Nelson has now been added to the offensive line. His arrival should give Sam Darnold more protection and improve the running game.
However, Seattle will need that extra help up front. Kyler Gordon returned for the Bears two weeks ago and already has four sacks.
On top of that, Chicago recently traded for Jeffery Simmons from the Titans.
The Seahawks could find more success through the air. The Bears have allowed 13.4 yards per catch, the worst figure in the NFL.
Nevertheless, Chicago have recorded 10 turnovers, while Darnold has thrown eight interceptions this season.
Like Kyler Gordon, Caleb Williams has been dominant since his return. He threw for more than 300 yards against both the Falcons and Patriots.
In addition, the Bears have scored 123 points across the four games Williams has started.
However, Seattle’s ‘dark side’ defence has allowed the fewest yards per game in the league. Therefore, it will be interesting to see whether Williams can maintain his exceptional form against such a difficult opponent.
Prediction: Seattle Seahawks win
NFL Week 8 accumulator
Here are the four picks for this week’s accumulator:
Seattle Seahawks to beat Chicago Bears
Buffalo Bills to beat Baltimore Ravens
Minnesota Vikings to beat Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs to beat Denver Broncos
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