(The Spread) – The opening odds have been released for Week 8 in the NFL, including the line for the Patriots-Steelers on Sunday afternoon.
The biggest game on the Week 8 schedule is undoubtedly between New England and Pittsburgh at 4:15PM ET on Sunday afternoon. Wes Welker and the visiting Patriots have opened as 2.5-point favorites over the host Steelers, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 51 points. The Patriots enter Sunday’s game fresh off their bye with a 5-1 record, while the Steelers are 5-2 after beating the Cardinals in Week 7.
The other big matchup on the Week 8 schedule pits NFC East rivals against each other in Philadelphia when the Eagles host the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Despite their 2-4 record, the Eagles have opened as 3.5-point home favorites over the 3-3 Cowboys, who crushed the Rams 34-7 in Week 7. The over/under total for this game opened at 51 points.
The Monday night matchup features two teams from the AFC as the Kansas City Chiefs host the San Diego Chargers. The Chiefs have won three in a row after losing three straight to open the season, while the Chargers had their three-game winning streak snapped by the Jets in Week 7. KC has opened as a 3.5-point home underdog while the over/under total is currently sitting at 44.5 points.
Cam Newton picked up his second win of his professional career on Sunday against the Redskins and will look to make it two in a row when fellow rookie Christian Ponder comes to Carolina this weekend. The Panthers are 3-point home favorites over Minnesota, while the over/under total is currently 47.5.
For a complete list of opening odds for all of Week 8’s action in the NFL, see below.
2011 NFL Week 8 Point Spreads & Totals
207 Indianapolis Colts +9.5 (43.5)
208 Tennessee Titans –9.5
209 Jacksonville Jaguars +10 (41.5)
210 Houston Texans -10
211 Minnesota Vikings +3 (47.5)
212 Carolina Panthers -3
213 New Orleans Saints
214 St. Louis Rams
215 Arizona Cardinals +13 (44)
216 Baltimore Ravens -13
217 Miami Dolphins +10 (43)
218 New York Giants –10
219 Washington Redskins +5.5 (46)
220 Buffalo Bills –5.5
221 Detroit Lions
222 Denver Broncos
223 New England Patriots –2.5 (51)
224 Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5
225 Cleveland Browns +9.5 (38.5)
226 San Francisco 49ers –9.5
227 Cincinnati Bengals -3 (37.5)
228 Seattle Seahawks +3
229 Dallas Cowboys +3.5 (51)
230 Philadelphia Eagles –3.5
231 San Diego Chargers –3.5 (44.5)
232 Kansas City Chiefs +3.5
2011 NFL Week 8 Las Vegas Point Spread Odds and Totals
(The Spread) – How do the Las Vegas oddsmakers see things in the NFL this week?
As usual, there are some slight differences between the NFL lines from the offshore books and the spreads from the Las Vegas Hilton. For starters, the Titans are 9.5-point favorites over the hapless Colts in Tennessee this Sunday, but in Vegas Indianapolis is “only” a 9-point underdog.
Offshore bettors can get Cam Newton and the Panthers as 3-point favorites over the Vikings, while in Vegas Minnesota is a 3.5-point dog. Following their brutal performance on Monday Night Football against the Jaguars in Week 7, the Ravens are 12.5-point favorites over the visiting Cardinals in Week 8 at the LV Hilton, but 13-point faves offshore.
There’s also a half-point difference between Vegas and the offshore books in the Washington-Buffalo game. Offshore the Bills are 5.5-point favorites but in Vegas they’re 6-point faves. It’s also interesting to note that the Lions are 3.5-point favorites over the Broncos in Vegas, but the line isn’t out yet at many online sites because Matthew Stafford’s (knee) playing status is unknown as of this writing.
In the game of the week, the Patriots opened as 2.5-point favorites at many offshore accounts while the Steelers opened as 3-point underdogs at the LV Hilton. The over/under for that game is the same both online and in Vegas, as oddsmakers have set the total at 51 expecting a shootout between Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.
For a complete list of Las Vegas odds for Week 9 in the NFL, see below.
2011 NFL Week 9 Las Vegas Odds & Totals
207 Indianapolis Colts +9 (43)
208 Tennessee Titans –9
209 Jacksonville Jaguars +10 (41)
210 Houston Texans -10
211 Minnesota Vikings +3.5 (47.5)
212 Carolina Panthers –3.5
213 New Orleans Saints
214 St. Louis Rams
215 Arizona Cardinals +12.5 (44)
216 Baltimore Ravens –12.5
217 Miami Dolphins +10 (42.5)
218 New York Giants –10
219 Washington Redskins +6 (46)
220 Buffalo Bills –6
221 Detroit Lions –3.5
222 Denver Broncos +3.5
223 New England Patriots –3 (51)
224 Pittsburgh Steelers +3
225 Cleveland Browns +9.5 (38.5)
226 San Francisco 49ers –9.5
227 Cincinnati Bengals -3 (38)
228 Seattle Seahawks +3
229 Dallas Cowboys +3.5 (50.5)
230 Philadelphia Eagles –3.5
231 San Diego Chargers –3.5 (44)
232 Kansas City Chiefs +3.5