After the utter annihilation, the Chicago Bears suffered on Monday night. It’s fair to question if they are legitimate contenders or just a child hiding under a blanket named defense. We would argue it’s the latter. Nevertheless, the NFL season will move on, and so will the betting lines upcoming for NFL Week 8. Yesterday, we gave you some early lines to snag quickly, as their numbers were likely to move in an unfavorable direction. We already have seen the Pittsburgh Steelers move from +5.5 down to +3.5 against the Baltimore Ravens, so if you were able to grab the better number, kudos to you. Several others are still available, so move quickly.
Each week, we give out some of our best bets on teaser options in the NFL. A teaser is where you move the line further in your favor at the cost of a worse payout. For instance, say the Atlanta Falcons are +2.5 underdogs against the Carolina Panthers. You could tease the line up to +8.5 through the key numbers of 3 and 7 to get a much better chance to win the bet. Of course, the payout is reduced for winning, and you have to combine it with at least one other bet. Still, this is the best way to parlay the NFL because a 2 or 3 team teaser still pays out decently, and your odds are significantly increased. Last week, we gave you Los Angeles Chargers -1.5, San Francisco 49ers +8.5, and Washington Football Team +8. We won ALL THREE of those bets. Let’s take a look at the three matchups we see as valuable teasers for NFL Week 8.
FanDuel Sportsbook provides all numbers.
Dallas Cowboys (2-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1)
Current Line: PHI -7.5, DAL +7.5
Total: 43.5
This is a game that you will want to bet on not only because it’s a fantastic teaser option but because there is no other reason to watch this game. The World Series will be over, and this hot garbage is what you get for sports on a Sunday night. For this teaser, we move the Eagles down from -7.5 to -1.5, basically betting on the birds to get a win against the disgusting Cowboys. Philadelphia will have extra rest coming into this matchup, and Dallas players hate their own coach and have no confidence in Mike McCarthy. The Cowboy offensive line is in complete disarray, with what amounts to practice squad players starting at all 5 positions. Oh, and they have a man who played football at James Madison University as their starting quarterback, Mr. Ben DiNucci. All you need is for the Eagles to win in the lowest total game of the week. Hopefully, we’re not asking too much here of Carson Wentz and co.
New Orleans Saints (4-2) at Chicago Bears (5-2)
Current Line: NO -4, CHI +4
Total: 45.5
The Bears suck now, right? They’re pathetic, they can’t score any points, and they have possibly the worst QB situation in the NFL. Now, the Saints come marching in led by Sean Payton and Drew Brees. Yesterday, this game was at Saints -2.5, and it has now climbed to Saints -4. Here’s the case on why you should tease Chicago up to +10 through the 7. The Saints will likely be without their number one receiver in Michael Thomas, and they have played in nothing but one score contests all season long without him. When a team gets embarrassed in primetime, they usually come back the next week, looking to prove that they are better than what transpired previously. You just saw this happen with the Rams, as they got pushed around by the injury-riddled 49ers in week 6, only to come out and eviscerate Chicago on Monda
y night. This is a get-right spot for the Bears, and with opponents such as Tennessee and Green Bay coming up afterward, they must win at home in this spot.
Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) at Cleveland Browns (5-2)
Current Line: CLE -2.5, LV +2.5
Total: 53.5
This game has a very high total, which can be scary when forming a teaser leg, but we are confident. The Browns just lost WR Odell Beckham Jr. for the season, and Baker Mayfield has yet to prove he can play against anybody in this league besides Cincinnati. Cleveland’s secondary is awful, getting torched week after week by opposing QB’s. Joe Burrow has put up 64 points against the Browns in his rookie season. Meanwhile, I think the market is undervaluing the Raiders based on a terrible performance against possibly the NFC’s best team. The Raiders should pick apart the Cleveland defense while also deploying a steady dose of Josh Jacobs. Teasing the Raiders up from +2.5 to +8.5 moves you through the key numbers of 3 and 7, and we think Las Vegas has a real chance to win outright.
