NFL Week 8 Staff Picks: Colts a unanimous choice to win in Pittsburgh

Each week during the NFL season, the staff at theScore will put on their prognosticator hats and offer up selections against the spread for each of the week’s games, highlighting several marquee matchups.

Unanimous selections: Texans -2, Cardinals -2.5, Colts -3, Browns -7

Unanimous selections are 12-13 ATS for the season. Last week: 2-2 ATS.

Marquee Matchups

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-1)

Chris Battaglia: The Bengals have won four of their last five home games against the division rival Ravens. Even though their three-game winless streak is giving some people pause, two of those were road losses and Cincinnati is a much better team at home, where Andy Dalton can find his comfort zone. Bengals -1

Gino Bottero: The Ravens enter this game in much better form, as the Bengals have gone 0-2-1 since a 3-0 start to the season. Cincinnati is dealing with some injuries on both sides of the ball, but they need this game more. They also have the luxury of playing host. Bengals -1

Caitlyn Holroyd: The Ravens moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC North with their victory over the Falcons and have now won four of their last five games. It's been a much different story in Cincinnati, as the Bengals have gone winless in their last three contests and are dealing with a rash of injuries. The momentum is in Baltimore's favor here. Ravens +1

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)

Battaglia: If any defense can withstand the rapid-fire barrage of Chip Kelly’s Eagles playbook, it’s the Cardinals, who average the fewest rushing yards allowed in the league. If Arizona shuts down Philadelphia’s backfield and forces Nick Foles to throw at a secondary with eight interceptions already, the Cardinals should be 4-0 at home by the end of this one. Cardinals -2.5

Bottero: The Eagles have used a lot of smoke and mirrors to compile the record they have, and it starts with a litany of touchdowns on defense and special teams. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have looked dominant on both sides of the ball, with the lone blemish on their schedule coming in Denver. Cardinals -2.5

Holroyd: This game will go a long way to determining just how much of a playoff contender the Cardinals really are. Arizona is 3-0 at home this season and boasts the league's best run defense, allowing 72.5 yards per game.  That could mean bad news for LeSean McCoy. Cardinals -2.5

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (-1.5)

Battaglia: Aaron Rodgers has the Packers' offense rolling on their four-game winning streak and he probably won’t slow down against a Saints defense that averages over 270 passing yards allowed. New Orleans is always better at home, but it isn’t good enough to overcome this Green Bay squad. Packers +1.5

Bottero: The Saints' home-road narrative would hold a little more weight if they hadn't struggled to get by the Vikings and Buccaneers at home this season. The team just doesn't have the juice on offense it once did, and in a game that figures to feature a lot of points, the Packers are the side with the horses to win a shootout. Packers +1.5

Holroyd: As bad as the Saints have been this season, it's near-impossible to bet against them at home. They've won their last 10 games at the Superdome and will be eager to erase the memory of their 24-23 loss to the Lions. This is a must-win for New Orleans. Saints -1.5

Wild-Card Selections

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (-3)

Battaglia: The Jets are finding many different ways to lose on their six-game skid, including a nail-biter against the Patriots last week. That game made them appear better than their record, but it obscures their uncanny ability to hand games away with undisciplined actions and embarrassing miscues. Plus, the Bills have Sammy Watkins, who did the opposite of choking in a comeback win over the Vikings in Week 7. Bills +3

St. Louis Rams at Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5)

Bottero: The Chiefs have taken care of business since an opening loss to the Titans. Since that game, Kansas City has wins over the likes of New England and San Diego, while keeping within one score in tough road games at Denver and at San Francisco. The Rams went all-in last week to get past the Seahawks, going so far as to call two trick plays on special teams, and are in for a letdown. Chiefs -6.5

Indianapolis Colts (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers

Holroyd: The Colts are riding a five-game winning streak and have shown no signs of slowing down. The Steelers, on the other hand, have been one of the NFL's most inconsistent teams this season and are coming off a short week. Their defense will be no match for Andrew Luck. Colts -3

More NFL Betting Resources

TNF Betting Preview (Thursday)
Week 8 Betting Preview (Friday)
Game Day Betting Update (Sunday)
MNF Preview (Monday)

Lines courtesy Scoresandodds.com.