If Thursday night was any indication, Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season could be a tough one for favorites.
The Vikings were laying three points on the road in L.A. on Thursday Night Football, but lost 30-20 as the return of both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua sparked the Rams to a big win as home underdogs.
With 15 more games on tap this weekend, several other underdogs are tempting, including the Cardinals (on the road in Miami) and the Pats (at home vs. the Jets). And if we really want to go out on a limb, could heavy underdogs Cleveland and/or Carolina cause some chaos following quarterback changes this week??
We’re only going to go in-depth on two of those here, but that won’t stop us from taking credit if any of those four ‘dogs get the job done.
Without further ado … it’s time to dive into our best NFL Week 8 upset bets.
Cardinals +4.5 (-115) FanDuel
Arizona Cardinals vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
The Dolphins have hammered some bad teams in Miami the last two years, and Mike McDaniel’s squad has been particularly impressive in September and October.
Last season, for example, the Fins started off 9-3, with a 70-20 win over Denver in Week 3, plus back-to-back blowout home wins over the Giants and Panthers in Weeks 5 and 6.
This year, though, through about seven quarters with Tua Tagovailoa under center and 17 without him, the Miami offense hasn’t resembled the unit that averaged 29 points per game in 2023.
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Not only are we skeptical of what Miami’s offensive ceiling would be in 2024 if Tagovailoa were to return at 100 percent, but we’re also going to believe that the former Alabama star is ready to roll when we see it.
His concussion history is extremely concerning (for reasons much bigger than this game and this season), and it’s also good reason to fade his team this Sunday.
The Cardinals have had some duds this season, including blowout losses to the Commanders and the Packers. There’s also no denying that besides safety Budda Baker, the Arizona defense lacks star power.
Still, this team has wins over the Rams, 49ers and the Chargers, and it is coming off one its best defensive showings of the season. Arizona’s much-maligned run D shut down one of the most run-heavy teams in the league, the Chargers, in last Monday’s 17-15 win.
Against a Miami offense that has been a disappointment, we like the Cardinals to — at minimum — cover, especially at +4.5.
Cardinals +4.5 (-115): 1 Unit
Cardinals moneyline (+175): 0.5 Units
Panthers +10.5 (-110) bet365
Carolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET
Anyone who watched Bryce Young in Weeks 1 and 2 this season will have no trouble understanding why the Panthers are one of the biggest underdogs of not only Week 8, but the entire season, on Sunday.
For most, the bigger question would be, Why on Earth should we trust this QB and/or team right now?
With Andy Dalton dealing with a thumb injury, Young is getting another chance to prove himself to the Panthers and first-year coach Dave Canales. It will be hard for Young to play worse than he did against the Saints in Week 1 and the Chargers in Week 2. But unfortunately for Young, he’s getting back on the field against one of the best defenses in the NFL (the Broncos are allowing just 15.1 points per game).
Despite all that, we’ve got a strange feeling that for at least one game, Young will flash some of the promise that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With Dalton at the helm from Weeks 3-6, Carolina’s offense showed it has a few solid pieces at the skill positions and a much-improved offensive line.
Top Panthers WR Diontae Johnson’s uncertain status for this game due to a rib injury is huge for Young’s chances of getting on the right track, but we probably won’t have clarity on Johnson’s availability until Sunday.
The biggest issue for the Panthers, among the many they are dealing with, is that their defense has been historically bad amid mounting injuries.
Carolina does, however, expect to have a number of players back on Sunday, including veteran linebackers Josey Jewell and Jadeveon Clowney. The latter played in a romp at the hands of the Bears three weeks ago, but both were sorely missed in embarrassing losses to the Falcons (38-20) and Marcus Mariota-led Commanders (40-7) the last two weeks.
The return of several injured vets led by Jewell and Clowney, plus the spark Young could provide, make Carolina a tempting play to at least keep things competitive in a massive game for this franchise.*
One other reason to consider the Panthers here is Denver’s own struggling offense, which has thrown for over 200 yards just three times in seven games.
The strong possibility of this being an ugly, low-scoring contest only improves Carolina’s chances to cover, even if it turns out that a few weeks off did not in fact solve all of Young’s myriad issues.
*Key word: could — yes, we saw what Denver’s defense did to Spencer Rattler on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.
Panthers +10.5 (-110): 1 Unit
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