NFL Week 8 Picks

After this weekend's games, most teams will have played half their schedule. Which means it's almost time for the mid-season awards, which I'll be getting to on the radio this week. For now? Here's the Week 8 Picks. I'm inching oh so close to the .500 mark, with another decent performance last week. 

Last Week: 7-5-1

Season: 47-50-6

Locks of the Week: 4-3 (Jaguars beat Ravens in Week 7)

Home team in CAPS

TITANS (-7.5) over Colts

These two teams were outscored 103-14 last week. There's really not much else to add. I guess the Titans are the pick because....really there's no logic to it. Take it for what it's worth.

TEXANS (-10) over Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert has thrown only 2 interceptions. He's also completed less than 50 percent of his throws (48.3). In fact, excluding his Week 3 cameo, he hasn't even completed 60 percent of his passes in a single game yet. Which explains why his QB rating is 69.4, despite the impressive lack of picks.

PANTHERS (-3) over Vikings

Cam Newton: 8 passing touchdowns, 7 rushing. If he can just cut back on those INTs.....

Saints (-13.5) over RAMS

Two weeks in a row Saints have been 13.5 point favorites, not getting the respect of two full touchdowns. But the real question is: if they can score 62 against Indy, does that mean they can chase 100 against St. Louis?

RAVENS (-11) over Cardinals

Take the ball out of Joe Flacco's hands, put it in Ray Rice's, and this one won't even be close. Heck even if they do give Rice 8 carries again the Ravens should be fine in this one.

GIANTS (-9.5) over Dolphins

If Miami can make Tim Tebow look like a competent NFL quarterback, just imagine what they can do for Eli Manning! (Kidding, Giants fans, kidding. Sort of. Damn you David Tyree).

Bills (-4) over Redskins

Pretty sure there's already a football team in Toronto, Goodell. No need to steal a home game away from one of the NFL's most loyal fan bases. A pre-season game, fine. But not games that count. And Buffalo is actually a playoff contender this year? What a mockery and slap in the face it is to Bills nation.

BRONCOS (+3) over Lions

You know Tebowmania is in full effect when he's being referenced in the opening scene of South Park.

Patriots (-3) over STEELERS

Tom Brady hasn't lost to the Steelers since 2004. Why start now?

Browns (+9) over 49ERS

Very quietly, the Browns are a respectable 3-3. I do think San Fran wins this one, but not in blowout fashion. Maybe a touchdown difference. 9 was just too much right here.

Bengals (-1) over SEAHAWKS

At 2-4, Seattle is falling behind in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Can you imagine a scenario though in which they have the opportunity to take Luck, only to pass and take Pete Carroll's boy Matt Barkley out of USC? Sad thing is I don't think it would even phase Seattle sports fans. They've been through a 116-win baseball team that didn't even make it to the World Series, followed by a decade of incompetence from the Mariners; they lost not only the SuperSonics to freaking Oklahoma City, they lost a chance to watch Kevin Durant on a nightly basis; they dealt with the officiating atrocities of Super Bowl XL, and Shaun Alexander immediately losing his mojo afterwards. And this is all just within the last decade. Cleveland fans may argue, but I'd say Seattle's had the worst millennium so far.

EAGLES (-3) over Cowboys

The stretch of the Eagles needing to win every game starts....now. So I'll make them my lock yet again.

CHARGERS (-3) over Chiefs

What you do know about the Chiefs-Raiders game from a week ago is that Oakland threw 6 interceptions, 3 of them from prized acquisition Carson Palmer. What you don't know about the game is that Matt Cassel was almost as bad: 15-30, 161 yards, 2 INT (38.3 rating). Just for fun, I'd like to point out that both Palmer and Cassel are from USC. So is Mark Sanchez, and so was Matt Leinart. Matt Barkley fans: buyer beware.